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Diagnosis: Mitral Regurgitation

Member Since: December 20, 2014

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Janet R posted an update

10 years ago (March 18, 2016)

It has been 13.5 months since my open heart mitral valve repair. Funny how I was on the site so much before and just after surgery, and now so much time has passed since I have posted. I thank Adam Pick and all of the heart valve patients for sharing their experiences which was so crucial in getting through all of this from the first notification that I had to have surgery through the point where I returned back to normal daily activities. This site and all of you in this great community are truly helping each other through all of this. So tonight I post my update, and I also made a post on Surgeon Finder, which is the same post that I would like to share with you. I thank all of you and the dear Lord and our surgeons and support staff for this miracle of life. I am so grateful and blessed to have Dr. Patrick McCarthy as my heart valve surgeon. I highly recommend Dr. McCarthy to anyone that I encounter that needs heart surgery. His experience and great outcomes are what have drawn us towards Dr. McCarthy in our research for a heart valve surgeon. He is the pioneer in many aspects of heart surgery and has many papers for many procedures that you see published in the cardio thoracic surgeon world for other surgeons to follow. For heart surgery, I would recommend that you choose the surgeon and not a place to go that is convenient or close to home for this kind of surgery. The 30 day mortality rate on US News and World Report at Northwestern Memorial in Chicago is 0% and this is a number that you should look very closely at in your research for your hospital. Please take heed in this statistic and your surgeons experience and support staff. It has just been 13 months since my open heart surgery and I am doing very well. My last echo has shown that all heart damage has been reversed and my numbers are great and I feel great and I will thrive for a very long time with my repaired valve. I have had a great outcome and I attribute that to Dr. McCarthy and his staff at Northwestern Memorial in Chicago. It may have been a different outcome if I chose to go somewhere else, who knows. God bless Dr. McCarthy for his life's work and his gift of healing and innovation and teaching. BTW, we just attended Patient Day 2016 at Edwards Lifesciences in Irvine CA in Feb 2016, the manufacturer of my heart mitral valve ring, a truly wonderful experience for the patients and also for Edwards Lifesciences, which I also recommend if you are have one of their products. I was so proud to say that Dr. McCarthy was MY surgeon as his name, the inventor, of some of the products along with Carpenter and the great Dr. Adams. -- Janet Ruddock, Mitral Valve Repair, 2-3-2015

👍 Nicola Laker reacted to this

Sophia Ridley

It's so wonderful to hear from those who are recovered and getting on with life. Great inspiration, wonderful to hear you've made a good recovery. I had mitral valve repair 4 months ago, my story is similar to yours that I had a mild prolapse and then suddenly severe. My... Read more.

Tracy Simmons

Congratulations Janet and thank you for the update. As Sophia stated, it's so nice to hear about your wonderful progress for those of us who have just started down the path to recovery. I wish you continued good health and progress.

Jean Raber

Hi, Janet. Glad to hear a good report! Do you feel you're back to normal for most things? My cardiologist said MVP patients usually get to about 90 percent of where they were pre-op, provided they didn't have any symptoms. Good advice to pick the best surgeon if money is... Read more.

Janet R

Thank you all. Yes my enlarged left atrium has returned to normal size. I have not had afib since even though I feared it for months. My local cardiologist will keep me on Metoprolol 25mg and 81mg aspirin. It has taken a year to feel this great and for the... Read more.

Sophia Ridley

Thankyou Janet, your feedback is music to my ears! I'm fearing AFib, I've even bought a stethoscope to check! 25-30 flights a day is fabulous, congratulations. I really need to pick up the exercise, can go backwards so quickly. I'm struggling to find time with work, commute and home. May... Read more.

Janet R posted an update

11 years ago (May 20, 2015)

Thoughts and prayers to everyone for successful surgeries and recoveries and good health. It has been 15 weeks since my Mitral Valve Repair and I am now off of the Warfarin. YAY!!! I wore a Holter Monitor for 24 hours to make sure everything was ok before stopping the Warfarin.... Read more.

👍 Brad Swanson reacted to this

Denise Cockayne

So is it really possible to get off the Warfarin?

Tammy Pilcher

That's great news, Janet! I'm so happy for you! God bless!

Lila Robinson

I'm on Warfarin and supposed to only be on it for 12 weeks or so. Do they stop it gradually? I'll be so happy to be off it!

Janet R

Getting off Warfarin and how you do it is up to your cardiologist and your situation. I was able to just stop taking it. I never thought that I would ever say 'I really miss broccoli'.

Lila Robinson

Thanks Janet! I know what you mean...I am thinking twice about everything, spinach, asparagus, etc!!! I don't want anything to upset that. I wish I could go off it soon, but we'll see what the surgeon says. I'm 6 weeks post surgery Thursday and it also coincides with my f/u... Read more.

Janet R

Lila, I went back to work at 6 weeks and was on Warfarin for 3 months. While being on the Warfarin, I avoided activities like bike riding in the event of a fall. After 12 weeks my sternal precautions were lifted. I have become more aggressive in my workouts, but... Read more.

Lila Robinson

Hi Janet! I'm going back to work tomorrow....2-3 days a week through July 6th and then back to 5 days a week! I'm sitting here feeling so apprehensive about it. I mean I WANT to go, but I'm worried I won't be able to hand the drive, the hours, the... Read more.

Janet R

Busy plans. Listen to your body. I think cardiac rehab is the key to getting your heart strong again and getting your strength back. Enjoy Alaska so beautiful.

Lila Robinson

How are you feeling/doing Janet? I have an echo scheduled for July 8th and a follow up with my Cardiologist on July 22nd before I fly off to Vancouver! I really am so glad I joined cardiac rehab.

Janet R posted an update

11 years ago (April 2, 2015)

Thoughts and prayers to all the upcoming surgeries and to all in the recovery process. It is now just over 8 weeks from surgery and I feel really good. Much better than before surgery. I am still a little sore in the chest but I have not taken a Tylenol... Read more.

Nancy D

So happy to read that you are progressing so well! It is a process and you seem to be in charge of getting stronger and setting goals! Keep up the fabulous work!

Ed Smith

Janet, congrats on your continuing progress and successful recovery. I'm just ahead of you at 10 weeks and agree 100% about the value of doing the workouts, be it in cardiac rehab or on our own. I'll be on Oahu in September visiting family and plan on following your example... Read more.

Janet R

Thank you Nancy and Ed. Ed, Keep up the workouts! Send me a picture from the top of Diamond Head :0)