Heidi's Journal

Joy Vera  Best wishes, Heidi. The wait is often described at the hardest part but soon you'll be on the recovery side. Take care.

Tom McDonald  Hi Heidi,
June 5th will be a great day for both of us! I will be heading to the Mayo tomorrow for early Monday pre-op test. Have a day off Tuesday, then the big day Wednesday. We will get through this. Recovery starts in a few short days for us, as well as so many others. I have found peace finally but still have some anxiety. It is out of my hands and in God's now, who will be by my side and yours every step of the way along with our excellent medical teams. We got this! See you on the recovery side . Peace and blessings to you!

Mike Roskowinski  Hey Heidi my prayers are with you during this time and hope you have a speedy recovery. Trust your surgeons and your care team they know what they are doing.

Alan Jamieson  The waiting was the worst for me, just like many others. Trust in your care team, and you'll be on the way to recovery soon!

Mike Roskowinski  Hello Heidi I decided on the mechanical valve since they last a long time. I am 39 and would have needed another surgery to replace the tissue valve in 10 years. I know I have to be on medicine for the rest of my life but I am glad I chose the mechanical as I had lots of problems in the hospital. If you are young I suggest going mechanical.

Marie Myers  Picking a valve was the most difficult decision I ever made. I went with the tissue valve, since I was 63 at the time. I am hoping for TAVR when it wears out. You will find lots of good info on this site. Welcome to the club!

Naomi Gray  Hi Heidi, I'm 51, and picked bovine (tissue) valve. I'm pretty active, and enjoy various sports, such as hang gliding and skiing. I didn't want to deal with the breading issues every time I have injuries. I also love eating vegetables, and I didn't want to worry about the food and meds doses all the time. I'm also a light sleeper, and I didn't want to deal with the possible noise from the mechanical valve that some patients mention. I'm hoping for TAVR for the next replacement.

Scott Ainsworth  Hi Heidi, I decided whilst have a chat to my surgeon on the operating table before lights out. I was in ICU for a week before the surgery so it did not play on mind as to much going on till the reality of being wheeled to theatre. Like Naomi I chose a bovine (tissue) valve as I have a 19mth old daughter and want to be able to be a fun dad and teach her to ride a horse etc without the hassles that being on Warfrin can bring. I am currently on that drug for most of this year due to complications and a clot in my leg. I’m working on the fact that when it is due to be replaced I will still be relatively healthy enough and fit to take on the surgery again, and who knows what technology will exist in ten years. I don’t envy your position as it is a big decision, but either way you go, it comes down to how well you work on your recovery. Best of luck and prayers to you !

Heidi Rockwood  Thank you everyone for explaining your reasoning on your valve choices. I am 54 but leaning toward the tissue: I am rather klutzy and usually have a bandaid somewhere on my body; the diet change and lack of leafy greens would be especially hard for me. the tissue valve my surgeon uses is designed to avoid calcification. Does anyone have the inspiris valve and do you have to watch your calcium intake now?

Diane Maher  Heidi, quite a number of members have that particular valve. It might be helpful if you post this question separately and hopefully some of those members see it and respond

Michael Greco  Hi Heidi! Just thought I’d put in my two cents, since it’s 4:00 am and sleep is eluding me tonight. It’s Andrea posting for Mike, who’s had an artificial valve for the past 17 years. His choice was mostly driven by age, he got it at 38, and the idea was to eliminate or minimize the chance of multiple replacements of a tissue valve during his lifetime. He’s been on Coumadin (Warfarin) since, and I can honestly tell you it has not been an issue for daily activities or diet. He figured early on the as long as he maintained a reasonably even intake of leafy greens, beans and other foods containing vitamin K, his medication dose would also stay at a constant level, once it was dialed in to the INR that was best for him. He tests at home now, which is easy and convenient. It has only been an issue when he had an accident with a woodworking machine, so the bleeding was hard to stop, and we ended up having to go to the hospital where his cardiologist is located, instead of our local hospital, since the local ER doctors were not comfortable working around the blood thinners. But the outcome was good, even if that one incident did require some extra attention. And that valve is still going strong now, and the upcoming surgery is for an entirely different issue. Good luck with your choice and your recovery!

Susan Lynn  Excellent news, Heidi! Confidence in your surgeon and team make all the difference! You'll go into your big day with positive thoughts and anticipation knowing you picked the right experts! All the best! ❤

  Hello Heidi!
Praying you get informed with all you need to know so you can make the right decision concerning your heart surgery situation.
Btw, I read your story and rest assured, two things that are synonymous with needing to have open heart surgery are anxiety and fear. That's normal. Please don't feel alone. If you read some of the stories in this website you will see that many heart warriors on here dealt with anxiety and fear prior to surgery. However, you will get through it as you prepare yourself for surgery and the recovery afterwards.
I pray you find God's peace in the midst of your situation. He will bring you through this.
Peace and blessings to you and your family!

Michael Andreas  Hello Heidi, I also went to Northwestern in Chicago for my second opinion. They have a Bicuspid research program there. I received the answers to my questions, that made me feel comfortable. I had my surgery Nov 22,2017 and found their team of professionals to be very good and was well cared for. There are also some very good hotels right across the street which we stayed in. Being from Kansas City area, we flew and rented a car which was a very stressful drive the first morning due to the Chicago traffic and the path my GPS took. We were asked to drive underground (no GPS signal). Let's just say the drive strengthened our marriage. I highly recommend Northwestern and I wish you the best.

Heidi Rockwood  Tim, you will be fine! I was really surprised-the most painful part was the IV insertion! Just don’t plan on doing much the next day- to keep insertion sites calm.

Tim Saint   Good luck Heidi, hope there are no further issues. I am having those procedures next week and am anxious about them and what else they may find as well. All the best.