I haven't seen this discussed. I've been wondering if I am going to have any type of "experience" while my heart is stopped. I'm not really sure how to ask the question. Has anyone had an out of body experience, or religious experience, or just something that was inexpiable?

Thank you for sharing.

Hi Everyone,

Well, as many of you know, this has been a bumpy road. My cardiologist hasn't been of any help, as he is in a snit that I went against his advice and am having surgery sooner rather than later. He is very old school and would prefer that I wait until heart failure even though my left atrium and ventricle are already enlarged and I have symptoms from the regurgitation. I am working on getting a new cardiologist.

I picked Dr. Lawrie at Houston Methodist to perform the surgery. I picked him over the other surgeon that I consulted with because I didn't feel that the other surgeon had the experience that I want and Houston Methodist is a better hospital.

So, Dr. Lawrie's office is a bit uninformative. I am to have the surgery on June 5. There will be tests done ahead of time. What tests? Who knows. I will find out when I am prepped. This makes me crazy scared.

Then I keep reading about people on this board who go to the hospital ahead of time, have a talk with a nurse, a walk through the ICU, and possibly a movie to watch explaining "stuff".

How important is this pre-surgery tour of the ICU and movie? Dr. Lawrie has not suggested that I do this. His scheduler is really uncommunicative and does the least amount possible. Should I call the hospital and try to schedule it for myself? It seems that doing this for myself has been my entire experience so far.

I fully expect that on June 5, I am going to be handed the scalpel and told to perform the surgery on myself too.

Meanwhile, tomorrow I go to my GP for a pneumonia vaccination. Both the surgeon and the GP thought that might be a good idea. I had to ask about that too. It would be very nice if we were handed a check list to do.

No one has mentioned a clearance from my dentist. I saw her in Feb. and will ask if she can still give me the clearance for June just in case someone wakes up on June 5, and wants it.

I called and made arrangements for surgery. The date is June 5. His nurse said all tests would be done immediately prior to surgery. I asked what tests? She doesn't know. She will let me know eventually when all the arrangements have been made. She will send me an email with a map and tell me where to report and what time to be there.

If I could cry I would. In lieu of that I would like to throw up. Fear is incredibly strong.

First and foremost, the traffic in Houston is terrible, scary, and miserable to drive in. I only got lost 6 times on my way into Houston and 1 time on my way back home. I consider this a huge accomplishment.

When Dr. Lawrie entered the room I told him I was scared. He said: "If you are "scared" that puts you well ahead of all my other patients as they all come in here "terrified". That put me immediately at ease.

He said that there is a high probability that my valve can be repaired. He said that he has repaired all of the last 1,000 valves that he worked on. He said that the cardio-thoracic surgeons, mathematicians, and statisticians have done countless studies and determined that valve repair returns life expectancy to "normal".

I was surprised when he said that repair in 95% of patients lasts 10 years and that there is a similar percentage that do not need re-operation at 20 years. I had thought that repair meant I would never need OHS again, but apparently 5% do need it.

I asked about a TEE and he said that would be part of the surgery and not done beforehand.

I asked about A-fib and he said that he expects I will be in A-fib at some point after the surgery as 50% of patients will experience it as a normal reaction to the stress from the surgery.

He is planning on a mid line sternal cut with a plastic surgery closure. He said I should only have a faint white line for a scar.

He anticipates I will be on the heart lung machine for 45 minutes to an hour.

At this point he is not sure he will need to repair my Tricuspid valve too. He will know more when he is operating on me.

I left feeling that he was my best choice for a surgeon.

And just in case you ever go to Houston Memorial Hospital, which is rated #1 in Texas and #16 nationally for cardiology and cardiac surgery... you need to remember to take your parking ticket with you. You will be expected to pay in the lobby. Then you take your receipt and put it into the automatic ticket taker at the exit to the parking garage to get the gate to open. I wish they had told me this before I left the parking ticket in the car and had to walk the million miles back and forth 4 times!

My medical records have finally made it to Houston. They could have traveled to Mars and back in the time it has taken my cardiologist to fax the records over. I now have an appointment to see Dr. Gerald Lawrie. He has an excellent reputation.

I suspect that he will also tell me that I need surgery soon. How soon, is the question. I hope I will feel comfortable with his answers as I was not entirely comfortable with the first surgeon's answers, and Dr. Accola never bothered to respond to my doctor or to me.

I am a little worried about driving in all that traffic when I am feeling this distracted. I am also a little worried about hearing what he has to say by myself. I will ask him if I can record the consultation so that I can listen to what he has to say again and again until it sinks in.

I went to see my GP. He really is a very compassionate doctor. I asked him to call Dr. Accola for me. I gave him my questions and explained what was going on. Since it was my GP and not my cardiologist who sent the referral, I hope Dr. Accola will answer the questions that my GP will ask.

No one should have to go through this. It just makes the whole experience so much worse.

Have used a surgeon who will not speak to them until the day before surgery? In other words, you schedule your surgery and then the day before you discuss it with the surgeon and in between you are in the dark.

I went to see the local surgeon that my Cardiologist referred me to. He was very nice. Unlike Dr. Accola, he met with me for an hour and answered all of my questions. He said that I had conducted the best interview he had ever had with a patient in the 30 years of his practice. He could see that I had researched extensively. He was impressed that I know about Mychobacterium Chimaera with the LivaNova PLC.

I really have to thank everyone on this site for the education you have supplied me.

He says he only does 40 - 50 repairs every year. That sounded low to me. What do you think?

He said that the probability of repairing my valve instead of replacing it is 50/50. That also sounded low to me. What do you think?

He said he agrees that despite my age, I should pick the bioprosthetic valve. He said he is not particularly fond of coumadin and its long-term risks. (I know this is a sensitive point on this board and a very personal choice, and I don't want to cause controversy). He felt that by the time I needed a valve replacement valve-in-valve would be standard procedure.

I asked about creating stenosis with multiple valve-in-valve procedures throughout the years. He said he would be more concerned if the valve-in-valves were in the Aortic position but that in the mitral position it would not be a problem.

So, that was my meeting. I digitally taped it. I came away unsure. I think I will send my reports to the surgeon in Houston for another opinion.

I sent my medical records to Dr. Accola. I received a call from Kim at his office. She sounded harried and disinterested. She said that Dr. Accola agrees I need surgery. If I want further answers I can schedule the surgery and he will meet me the day before to answer questions.

He doesn't sound too interested in my surgery either. I cannot imagine going to a surgeon, having no idea what he proposes to do, what my risks might be, or having any of my other very legitimate questions answered.

I called Bonnie at his office to see if there was any way I could schedule a consultation with him. She said, and I quote "He said you need surgery what more do you want!"

I have a hard time believing that this is the super caring surgeon that I've been reading about.

Hi Everyone,

If you traveled to have your surgery, and you stayed until you were well enough to travel home:

1. What did you do about seeing a Cardiologist in your surgical city? Did you just use the emergency room at the hospital in the event of trouble?

Things are moving along. One of the surgeons I want to speak with is Dr. Accola in Orlando, FL. I am not living in Orlando and yesterday my insurance company called me to say that I cannot see Dr. Accola because he is more than 100 miles away. They asked why I wanted to see a surgeon so distant. I responded that he is a top surgeon in the type of heart surgery that I need. The insurance company replied that everyone naturally wants to see top surgeons but that isn't a good enough response (huh, that had me a little dumbfounded).

I said that I wanted to see Dr. Accola because he is very experienced in heart valve repair instead of replacement. That repair would require one surgery in my life. That replacement would require multiple surgeries thoughout my life. So, it is in the best interest financially for the insurance company to allow me to see a surgeon who can repair my heart.

The Insurance company told me to have my PCP call them to discuss this further. I spent the whole night worrying and praying.

Meanwhile, today, before I had a chance to talk to my PCP, I received a call from Dr. Accola's office saying that my referral had been approved!

I will send Dr. Accola my information overnight tomorrow so that he can review it on Monday. Next week I see the other surgeon.

If my nerves don't kill me.... nothing will.

I am getting ready to make the appointments to talk to the surgeons who I am considering. I have written down my questions. Good Grief, I have 52 questions so far! Does this seem too excessive? Are surgeons generally patient enough to answer 52 questions?

One would think that performing a surgery that is going to last hours, the surgeon would find answering 52 questions only a blip in time.

Gee whiz, I am nervous.

Has anyone bought a digital voice recorder to record the meetings you have with the surgeons? I thought it might be a good idea to be able to listen to what they have to say over and over and over again.

If you bought one, what brand/kind did you buy?

For those ahead of me on this journey, it has taken two weeks but I finally have copies of my heart cath and echo burned to CD. My primary care doctor is supposed to refer me to 3 surgeons for their opinions. I have given my PCP the names of the surgeons I want him to refer.

I will then send the CDs and reports to the surgeons.

What happens after that? Do I get a call from the surgeons offices asking for more tests? Or, do I get a call from the surgeon giving me his thoughts? Or, am I told that I need to travel to their office to review things... at which point I ask my questions and come back home? I would have to fly to meet each of the surgeons.

Any insight you can give me into this process would be very helpful. Thank you.

I haven't seen this mentioned before, so just in case anyone else is going through it, here are some tips.

I had my heart catherization. It is clear. Between the echo and the heart cath my Cardiologist/Interventionist proclaimed my mitral valve prolapse has severe regurgitation. I have symptoms but my heart is "compensating nicely". The Cardiologist has said that he expects that I will soon start A-fib which he hopes to control with medications.

I heard the word "A-fib" and decided that surgery prior to A-fib might be the best idea... even though my Cardiologist wants me to continue waiting... despite my many symptoms.

My Cardiologist said that to get the opinion of a surgeon I will need my heart cath burned to CD. A patient cannot get the heart cath burned to CD just because you ask for it. Your doctor has to request it. So, I called his nurse and she got the CDs for me. Tip 1: get your heart cath burned to CD at the time of your procedure and get a copy of the written report to keep in your records.

I then called the Surgeons I picked. I was told that I also need to get the latest Echo burned to CD. So Tip 2: get your Echo burned to CD at the time you have it and get a copy of the written report. You never know when you will need it. I have called my Cardiologist's office and requested they get the Echo for me and also send me the written report.

I am going to send his nurse a box of chocolate for all that she has done for me. I am sure at this point she must cringe every time she hears my voice.

My insurance is like an HMO. So, I need a referral. I wasn't sure who to get the referral from so I called my insurance company. I was told they had no idea! They are the insurance company, what do they mean they "don't know"?! So, I called the surgeons I picked. They told me to get the referral from my primary care physician. Tip 3: Get referrals if you need them.

I'm not sure why this is taking so long to do. I haven't read about anyone else jumping through hoops to see a surgeon. I keep wondering if God is trying to tell me something.

I'm going to ask him to send my test results to the surgeons I have picked.

I wish I could cry.

Hi, did anyone have surgery in Austin or Houston, TX? If so, who was your surgeon?

Would you recommend them?

I have a mitral valve prolapse. My regurgitation is severe. I have swelling in my ankles. I am so very tired constantly. My heart hurts. My blood pressure is all over the map. Sometimes it is high. Sometimes it is low. My pulse ranges between 75 and 90 at rest.

According to my heart catherization my effusion rate is 65%.

I really feel it is time to speak to a surgeon. My cardiologist said it is too soon because of my effusion rate and he wants to see me again in 6 months.

I don't know... have you ever just insisted the cardiologist send your test results to a surgeon instead of listening to him? I worry about waiting too long and the Cardiologist keeps telling me I am not waiting long enough.

I had my heart cath yesterday. For those who are worried (like me) it is really pain-free and easy.

I arrived at 6:00 AM for the procedure at 9:00 AM. They did a chest X-ray. They took some blood. They hooked me up to an IV. They wheeled me into the lab. The lab is very cold. But there was a warming bed that blows warm air all around you, and that was lovely. They gave me an injection of anti-anxiety medication. They shaved me. The doctor came in a did his thing. There was a large TV so that I could see what the doctor saw. He was watching the TV too.

After about 20 minutes he gave me his verdict. My veins and arteries are clear. My effusion rate is 65%. I'm good to go for another 6 months. Then they wheeled me back to the waiting area and I stayed in bed for 4 hours.

If you are going to be there through lunch, make sure you ask to have some finger food sent up to you. I read a book. There was a TV in my space. There was also a wonderful patient heating system which was a long tube with hot air flowing out of it. The nurse put it under my covers and I was toasty warm the whole time I was there.

In line with Debra Langford's post, I got to wondering what types of foods did you feel like eating once you got home from the hospital? Was soup the preferred meal, or were you up to eating sandwiches, salads, and regular entrees for dinner.... assuming there was someone to prepare it for you? I'm assuming we want things that are easy to freeze.

So, this is an embarrassing question. Men.... please close your eyes! The hospital called. They said my heart cath is now on Monday since I had the flu last Monday. The male nurse talking to me told me not to shave. I was so surprised I didn't ask:

1. Has anyone else been told this?

2. Where am I not supposed to shave.... my legs? or a private part? or both?

3. For how long before the heart cath am I not supposed to shave?

I asked the cardiologist and he said he would be going through my groin area.

Not to state the obvious, but I don't want to do this.

Is there a difference between human-donated and porcine or bovine valves?

I am reading that the bovine lasts longer than the porcine. Does the human-donated valve last just as long as either the porcine or the bovine valves?

How difficult is it to get a human-donated valve?

This morning I was taking my usual walk along a busy main street when suddenly I hear a commotion behind me. A 5 month old Great Dane puppy had darted out of a side street and was running down the main street with two little children running behind it. Well, it was obvious these kids were not going to catch the dog by chasing behind it.

Since I was ahead of the dog I turned around and began running as fast as I could toward the dog while darting side to side to try to keep it away from the street, and when I got close enough I lunged and tackled the puppy.

Since the dog had no collar and no leash the children and I decided the best thing to do would be for all of us to carry it home.... all 80 lbs of it! All the while the children were telling me this puppy was their Christmas gift. It would have been so much more helpful if they had been given a miniature schnauzer instead.

I'm very surprised to report that despite my severe osteoporosis none of my bones were broken in the tackle; and despite my wonky mitral valve I didn't have a heart attack either!

This is a season of miracles.

Is anyone using a Fitbit to track your heart rate and sleep patterns? If so, which model are you using? Are you satisfied with the accuracy of the heart rate results?

When I went to see my cardiologist he said that he didn't like my blood pressure which was so low I was fainting like a Victorian maiden. Apparently fainting is not considered chic anymore. He has taken me off the Lisinopril and halved my Atenolol. I'm happy to report I am feeling better.

Meanwhile, he wants me to schedule a cardiac catheterization. I asked if I could do it in January after the holidays and he said that would be OK. His nurse keeps calling to schedule it but I told her I don't want to think about it just yet.... I am a coward.

I keep hoping that it was the medication that was causing all the trouble and in reality I am fine and dandy, and my medical records were mixed up with someone else's and this has all be a horrible mistake.

Wishing everyone a happy Thanksgiving.

The Interventionist found a blockage in his right coronary artery. It was so blocked that the Interventionist said he was unable to get the catheter through his artery. This may explain the problems he was having breathing. He's been complaining about getting air into his lungs for a year or more. He now has another stent. I suspect we narrowly avoided a heart attack.

At this rate the Interventionist has said we can expect to have to do a heart bypass eventually.

It's been an emotionally exhausting day. I'm going to bed.

I'm trying to figure out how to handle being alone at the hospital. I would be traveling there by myself. That means, at the least. I will need a suitcase, my cell phone, my wallet, a credit card, drivers license, insurance card.

Where would I keep these things safely when I am in surgery, then in ICU, then in step down, then in a room, then have to be transferred to a rehab hospital or hotel until I can travel? How will I plug in my cell phone to recharge it... if I can even get it back?

I know I should probably be thinking of the bigger picture, but this detail is worrying me.

My husband failed his Stress Echo. He has bought himself yet another visit to the cath lab. This time the cardiologist "isn't sure" what he is looking for. I am reminded of a year ago, when we went through the same thing and I posted about it at that time.

The cardiologist called. My husband is taking my appointment because it is the soonest. I will take his appointment because the Cardiologist hasn't looked at my Echo test results yet, and is now away on vacation. It is so very difficult being both the caretaker and the sick spouse at the same time.

Thank you, Adam, for creating this board. It is the only place I can come and show fear.

I had my Echo on Oct. 4. My appointment with my Cardiologist to review the latest Echo is Oct. 20. I have this little game I play. If the Cardiologist's nurse doesn't call within 2 days after the Echo to say I need to come in IMMEDIATELY, I figure I am home free for another 6 months.

My husband had his Stress Echo yesterday. His appointment with the Cardiologist to review his results is Nov. 3. I play the same game with him.

I basically sit on pins and needles until the allotted time passes. The Cardiologist's Nurse called today to say my husband needs to come in IMMEDIATELY. His EKG is showing changes. But she couldn't find a time for him since the doctor's schedule is packed. So I offered to switch appointments with my husband. He could take my Oct. 20, appointment and I will take his Nov. 3, appointment.

Then the nurse says that the doctor is looking over my Echo tonight and she will call me in the morning to tell me which one of us is the worst and should come in on the Oct. 20 appointment. She will let me know when there is a cancellation and the other of us will take the cancelled appointment. Because we are NOT to wait until November.

So now I'm not sure what to worry about. Should I worry that I am the worst or should I worry that my husband is the worst?

This just isn't easy.

Hi Everyone,

Well... I am starting my annual worry about surgery. I've just had my latest Echo and am waiting for the results. I will see my Cardiologist later this month unless he calls to tell me to come in quickly. I called my insurance carrier and was told that I will be covered at the Cleveland Clinic or at The Mount Sinai Hospital. So, that is good news.

Given that The Cleveland Clinic is 1400 miles from where I live and Mt Sinai Hospital is 1800 miles from where I live... this seems like a difficult complication, especially as I would be traveling alone and don't know anyone in Ohio or New York.

The surgeon and hospital that my Cardiologist is recommending is a 4 hour car drive away and I would still be by myself.

For those of you who traveled a long distance: how did you get back home after the surgery?

I'm wondering if I should hire a home health aide to visit me in the hospital several times a day just to make sure that I am being taken care of and have everything I need, and so the staff sees that I am being checked on. Do you think I need to do this?

Thank you for any suggestions you can provide. As always, your answers are invaluable.

Hi Everyone. I'm starting to plan for the surgery. I've been told by my cardiologist that I will have to go to Houston for it. So, I'm thinking that as long as I have to travel, I might as well check out surgeons in different areas. How does one do that?
Does insurance pay for us to meet with different surgeons to see who we want to use?

If we wind up using a surgeon who is out of network because they are in a different city, how do we find out how much more it will cost for the surgery?

I'm a little worried about being 4 hours away from my surgeon after the surgery when I return home. Was that a problem for you?

I went to see the cardiologist this week. He has scheduled my next echo. I seem to live my life in 6-month increments. He has not changed my medications. I take that as good news. He did tell me the name of the surgeon he is going to want me to use. He also said he is going to send me to Houston for the surgery. This is the first time we have actually discussed things in detail... I think that means it is getting closer.

Thank you to everyone who posts here. I do read this site, though I don't often respond as I think I don't yet have much I can contribute.

It's been a rough two weeks. My husband had his appointment at the cath lab. During the procedure he had a problem. His chest felt tight and he couldn't get air into his lungs. The Interventionist suspected a heart attack. My husband was rushed upstairs to the cardiac care unit where they X-rayed his chest (I am still wondering what they were looking for with an X-ray), put him on monitors for respiration, pulse, EKG, O2, blood pressure, and checked his heart enzymes (blood work) every 2 hours for change. He was sent for an MRI and an echo. I was sitting in the room reliving the heart attack that killed my first husband. The nurses kept telling me they had no answers every time I asked a question. The cardiologist was reassuring. He said he thought it was an allergic reaction. They elected to keep him in the hospital for two days to monitor him. When they released him they told him not to lift anything heavy for 1 week, no driving for 1 week, and no working for 1 week.

Keeping him quiet was a battle. He is well. I am shattered.

I received a call from the Cardiologist's nurse. The cardiologist now did not want us waiting until this Thursday. We were to come in today. Nothing like giving me a heart attack from fearing his news. This morning we drove to our appointment to hear the news. It was a very quiet drive. The doctor chose to give me my news first... which was probably a good idea as I was about to jump out of my skin. He said that he is expecting that I am going to start having arrhythmia due to the mitral valve prolapse and he wants me to go to the emergency room as soon as it happens. I am also to call and make an appointment as soon as the arrhythmia starts and he will decide at that time if I am ready for surgery. He said that with a mitral vale prolapse changes can be very slow or very fast. He is putting me on an ACE inhibitor. He is seeing me again in 6 months.

My husband's news was not as good. He has an appointment at the cath lab. I have begun praying and pretending that I am calm. My husband is doing better then me... unless he is pretending too.

So my husband and I went in for our tests. I had the echo. He had the echo and echo stress. Today I received a call. Our appointments with the Cardiologist have been moved up from the end of the month to this Thursday. That is never a good sign.

I had my appointment with my new cardiologist. I was very impressed with him and feel more confidence in him than I did with any of my prior cardiologists. He has reviewed the past 3 years of my Echocardiograms and MRIs. He said that he was concerned because the reports are contradictory. He said some reports are saying my heart chamber is enlarged and others are saying it is not enlarged. He has scheduled me for a new echo and I overheard him telling the nurse to make sure that I have someone with lots of experience working on me. I am schedule for the test at the end of the month.

I meet with the cardiologist again at the end of next month to review the latest test results.

It is like the Sword of Damocles.

Well, it's been a ride, and I am back! I had my first DEXA for osteoporosis. Apparently I have little to no bones left. I am very young for this. I've been started on Forteo, which means I have to give myself a daily injection (Sub-Q). I don't like this at all.

I was wondering how the Osteoporosis is going to affect my mitral valve surgery when the times comes so I called to make an appointment with my cardiologist. The next thing I know, I received a letter in the mail. It told me that my cardiologist had closed the office and if I wanted my medical records I could call an 800 number! Have you ever tried to get your medical records from an 800 number? It is not possible.

This left me frantic. So I began researching and I have found a cardiologist who is also an Interventionist. I called his office to schedule a new patient appointment and during that call was put through to their Medical Records Department. I was told that I absolutely cannot have an appointment with the cardiologist unless I have my medical records. I had never heard anything like this before. So, I explained that I couldn't get my records. I had tried and tried. The Medical Records Clerk said that he would try for me and asked for my social security number. I gave it to him and he said that they already have me in their system from 2007!

It turns out that my cardiologist was with this group in 2007 but she left and I left with her. Now this group has undergone changes and has a new name, new cardiologists, and a new address, but they still have my old records. They are going to try to get updated records on me.

I see them in about a week. Please wish me luck as I am very worried that my old cardiologist was wrong and I do need the surgery soon. And I'm worried that my bones can't handle the surgery.

I went to see the cardiologist to hear the report on my cardiac MRI. The cardiologist said that my regurgitation isn't high enough yet for me to need surgery. I'm not sure why she scared the heck out of me last month telling me I was finally bad enough to need the surgery. I am so happy she was wrong.

Wishing everyone much success with their heart health.

Two weeks ago I had my cardiac MRI. I will be seeing my cardiologist on Tuesday to get my report. Meanwhile, I am giving consideration to going to Plano for the surgery and would like to know how I go about talking to a surgeon when I don't live in the city.

Do I call and then send my records and discuss it over the phone?

Do I travel there to speak to the surgeon in person (even though it would be a very long trip)?

Do I ask my Cardiologist to pick the surgeon in the different city?

I went for a complete physical the other day. I have one annually. This time I told the doctor that I was going to be scheduled for surgery so she really did a thorough review. She just called to ask for another urine sample. There is an issue... she wouldn't say what. She also said I am pre diabetic. So now I am counting my carbs, sugar, salt. I am falling apart! Giving up chocolate is a real blow for me. It is about the only thing that was going to get me through this with some sanity left. I will go to pick up my test results and send them to the cardiologist to see if I can still have the cardiac MRI on Jan. 7.

Being a planner by nature, I am trying to figure out my best option. The hospitals here are not ranked for heart surgery. Frankly, I don't think they are ranked for anything. I could travel to Houston which has 2 hospitals with good rankings for cardiac surgery. It would be a 4 hour trip. That would mean my husband would not be with me. I would have no visitors or help apart from hospital staff. After being released from the hospital my surgeon would be 4 hours away and I would have a 4 hour ride to get home.

If I stay here, I would be at a hospital that has no ranking, but my husband would be there and my surgeon would be close.

What do you think is the better choice? I will have to decide where I want to start interviewing surgeons soon.

My husband is diabetic so I've had lots of experience being his medical advocate. It is giving me the knowledge to do the same thing for myself. I called the Cardiologist's office to find out what the delay is in scheduling my cardiac MRI. The nurse told me that we were waiting on the proper paperwork to be completed. I asked to speak to the person who files the paperwork and was assured it would be taken care of. Then I waited 7 more days. I called the hospital where the cMRI is to be scheduled, waited on hold for 10 minutes, and was told that the physicians orders were filed but that we were still awaiting the insurance authorization. I called the insurance company. I was told no paperwork had been submitted. I called the Cardiologist's office and spoke to the "paperwork person". She said she would file the paperwork. I called the hospital and waited on hold 30 minutes. I asked them to also speak to the "paperwork person". I waited 2 more days. I called the "paper work person" she said she had the authorization number but couldn't find it. I called the insurance company. They gave me the number. I called the hospital, waited on hold for 10 minutes, and gave them the authorization number. Tah Dah I now have a cMRI date of January 7. Do you think I can send a bill to the Cardiologist for my time?

If I decide I want to see a mental health practitioner (i.e. psychiatrist, psychologist, therapist) before and after surgery to help with the anxiety, mood swings, depression, whatever.... what type of mental health specialty would I look for? Is there a special kind of therapist that works with people having surgery?

Hi Everyone,

I called my cardiologist to find out what is delaying scheduling my cardiac MRI. We are still waiting for approval from the insurance company. I wasn't happy to hear this. After Christmas I will call the insurance company to see if I can help get things moving.

Meanwhile, I have been reading a lot of journals and posts. Thanks to everyone for all the wonderful information you are sharing.

So the questions I have: Does everyone need to be on a blood thinner? I am a vegetarian. That means most of my diet is vegetables and salads, nuts and seeds. Is this going to present a problem?

Second question: I'm allergic to aspirin and NSAIDs. Is everyone on aspirin after surgery?

Wishing everyone happy, healthy holidays ahead. Merry Christmas.

Life is strange. Fifteen years ago my husband died of V-fib. In the midst of my grief I remember talking to a woman who told me that she had had mitral valve replacement with a bioprosthetic valve and that it was the worst experience of her life. I'm not sure why I remember this conversation.

In 2006 I went to a cardiologist with extreme chest pain. He did an EKG and told me I was having a heart attack. An ambulance drove me from the cardiologist's office to the hospital where I given nitroglycerin, had several EKG, echo, echo stress test, and CT. After 2 days I was released from the hospital with a diagnosis of stress.

In 2013 I was in an automobile accident and sent to the hospital. I was told I had a heart murmur and to see a cardiologist. I saw a cardiologist who sent me for a cardiac MRI. I was told I had mild to moderate regurgitation. Every year since then I have had an annual echo but this year the diagnosis was severe regurgitation.

I am waiting for the cardiologist to schedule a cardiac MRI. She has told me that she expects she will be referring me to a surgeon.

Currently I am trying to do as much research as I can based upon the little information I have at this moment. The conversation I had with that woman 15 years ago has me worried.