Deb's Journal

Deb Yednak  Its been a long journey and not without issues, but bottom line....I have made  it to 73 and will see my 74th the end of January....so all things considered I am truly happy.   My kidneys are not behaving too well and I am being monitored, I still have some breating diffifulty and am definitely starting to feel the aging process starting, but hey,....I'm here and going out to celebrate today with my buddies!   Woohoo!!!

Susan Lynn  Woo-hoo, indeed, Deb! Happy Second Anniversary!! There's much to celebrate! Wishing you a wonderful day and many, many, more future celebrations!

Rose Madura  Happy Anniversary. It's such an amazing feeling, how many people get a new lease on life. Only a heart warrior will understand!  God bless you! 💪❤️‍🩹🪖

Deb Yednak  Thank you everyone for the great comments and well wishes.  Every day is a gift and I am learning to make the best of each one!   Today is a great day- Im here to celebrate another year!!  Yeah!

Pamela Gregory  Happy 2nd Anniversary Deb! My kidneys took a hit too. Apparently, 30% of open heart surgery patients experience this. They don't talk about it because you need to have the surgery anyhow. Hopefully they will control this problem for you

Ana Brusso  Great attitude Deb. You are right, we are alive. Continued good health and God bless you 👍🙏❤️

Robert Miller  Sounds like you are doing great! Congratulations... This whole heart surgery thing gave me a new perspective and I feel better than ever despite some aches here and there, hair falling out, etc. 

Miriam St.Clair  One of my valves is a pig valve and so far, no issues with it. I'm sure your cardiologist has done an echo since they seem to think the valve is tight. I hope you get some answers from the pulmonologist and get to feeling better. Sorry you're going through this!

Deb Yednak  oh yes, the echo is what showed it.  So I am in a holding pattern for now, but just wondered if there are any others in the group that had issues with the valve.  Glad you didnt have a problem,  

Rose Madura  PVCs are no fun. I had them for a while but a change in medicine caused them so we went back to the original medicine and all was well. I'm sorry you are dealing with this.  I did not have very much pain with my incision but mostly shoulder pain from how I was positioned on the operating table. Please keep us posted.

Civita Fahey  I had PVCs after my surgery too. I still have some palpitations now 5 years later. Like you they said it wasnt anything major. I get them mostly when I'm stressed or have some caffeine. I did go on 25 mg of Metropolol at night which has helped.  I also had a keloid on my scar which was painful..I coudlnt wear anything that touched it. I went to a dermatologist and she did kenelog injections and finally its flat.  Those injections are painful.. just a warning.. 

Deb Yednak  Marie Myers, Rose Madura, Civita Fahey ....Im on 12.5mg Metoprolol in a.m. and 12.5 at night. Im to the point where I am going to get in touch with cardiologist as they are really annoying a couple times a week, and they last for over an hour. Civita, Thanks for mentioning about the injections- my keloid had came down a little, but not even close to being flat. The upper and lower part of my scar is flat as a pancake but the middle is still raised and still hurt - I now have a great wardrobe of V necks- not because I want to show off the scar but because it hurts for cloth to be rubbing on it! Im going to give it another few months and then may go and see about the injection. I hate the thought of more pain in that area but it may be the only way for peace. Thanks everyone for sharing, it some how is consoling to know that there are others experiencing the same. Of course, I had a close friend go thru this same surgery 2 months before me, same age and she had not one complication, not one blip or flutter, no pvcs, incision flat and small.....I'm glad for her, but we laugh at the vast difference between us with the same surgery! Take care everyone and thanks

Deb Yednak  UPdate:  they raised the metoprolol and the PVC's have all but stopped.  A fedw now and then, but nothing like it was!  YAY

Civita Fahey  Deb.. mine was like that too.. I did go back and she did a few more injections and they worked. my scar is no fully flat.  so may be worth going in to ask at least.. good luck.. glad your pvcs are gone.. they are a pain and can be really disruptive ..

Roselyn Kubek   Repeating what Elizabeth said!  I felt like that all took forever…but 10 months past and a huge difference.  I also am going to a great PT person who has helped as well.  Best of luck.

Rose Madura  I had a lot of complications and after 3 months, was first time I felt like I turned a corner.  Hang in there.  It will get better.  You are doing great. 

Delanee Durham  I am 4 1/2 months post op from aortic valve and ascending aorta replacement.  At 3 weeks I had a bout of afib and then I started having extra heart beats.  These lasted and progressed up until about a month ago. I also wore a event monitor so the cardiologist could really see what was happening. The extra beats have now decreased to just a couple a day.  My cardiologist told me because of my bicuspid valve my heart has had to always work harder and my heart was now adjusting to the new valve.  Your heart has been a dramatic event with surgery, sometimes it takes a little for it to adjust.

Deb Yednak  Thanks so much Delanee and Rose, Roselyn And Elizabeth.....it is so reassuring to hear from you, the voice of experience.  Makes it a little less scarey.  

Civita Fahey  Definitely one day at a time. I had the same issues with palpatations, I still get them somewhat especially when I am stressed. I was put on 25 mg of Metropolol succinate and it helps them. I also had the same issue with my scar. I ended going to a dertmatologist and had to have steroid injections. its now flat and fading away.. if its really sore, you should get an opinion. I tried everything and nothing worked  but the injections.

Adam Pick  Uggh. So sorry Deb. Anti-fun. Even though, as you point out, the wire pain is a small price to pay for life. I think you have a good approach to waiting a week and then circling back with your medical team. Thoughts are with you!

Richard Munson  Unbelievable with the wire. I thought they used glue now. What do i know. Sounds like the old , they left a sponge in there story. 

Deb Yednak  Richard Munson they did use glue on the outside of my sterum incision ( wire in inside) ....this wire was from a pacer wire that was inside me put in my midsection connected to an external pacemaker for 4 days.   Somehow when they  snipped  to remove it , there were 2 pieces left behind. 

Richard Munson  Speechless to hear that but pleased they found it. I snipped a wire working on my car once and it shorted. Having it happen in your case is a scary thought.

Thomas Brusstar  In my surgery (I think most do this), they preemptively implanted two pacemaker wires, connecting one end to the right location on my heart and feeding them through the chest wall -- just in case I were to need pacing in my recovery.  Might as well place them while the chest is open.  I never did need them, but the wires were there.  Before discharge, they came and told me they were going to remove the wires, which involved essentially a steady tug on the wire, hoping it comes loose without tearing tissue inside.  The other end is in the heart wall, so no sense tearing that!  One came loose easily enough, the other did NOT!  So they pulled it a bit taut, snipped it off, and the remainder just pulled back into my chest.  They had warned me before that if they do not dislodge easily, they will leave them there, no real harm done, they're just a road to nowhere.  Yes, it's freaky to know that there's a random copper lead sitting connected to my heart and I guess probably snaking between ribs or whatever.  It isn't a big part of what they talk about for these surgeries, but I wonder how often they end up leaving a piece implanted like that, knowingly choosing to leave it rather than risk encouraging a bleeding event internally.  So you say "pleased they found it;" but I think they intentionally leave pieces behind to avoid bigger problems taking them out.

Deb Yednak  As it turned out they went in and found two pieces of the wire as mentioned above ( yes mine were implanted just incase) ( mine were connected to an external pacer box)  Anyway the two pieces are what were jabbing me, and since they removed them, that pain is thankfully gone!    YAY

Adam Pick  Yikes. Extra wire left behind? I don't think I have heard of that before. I'm glad you took the proper steps to get that resolved!!!

Deb Yednak  Funny thing is, they said that if it wasnt causing pain I could just leave it in there. That was in my mid section and if I bent or moved a certain way it was alarmingly painful.  No - I was not going to leave that in.  Thanks for your comments.

Adam Pick  Hey Deb, Here's a post you might want to check out about numb hands. There are about 15 patients comments at the post... https://www.heart-valve-surgery.com/heart-surgery-blog/2007/09/26/numb-hands-and-feet-after-heart-surgery/

Brian Dressler  Hello Deb.  I hope you regain the sensation in those fingers.  I'm 6 wks post minimally invasive MV repair and I am having similar issues with my right hand.  The last two fingers were numb immediately after surgery.  The rest of my hand aches constantly and it feels like an ice cube.  I am getting an EMG next week as suggested by a neurologist and hand surgeon.  I'm glad you are doing well other that the above mentioned issues.

Deb Yednak  Thanks Brian - I would be interested to hear what the result is. Hopefully it will resolve itself as time goes on.