jerry's Journal

Hi my friends, I am back. 9 days out of AVR surgery. Doing better each day. Pleased with the pain level. Due to the level of antibiotics used, all of the bacteria in my intestines were killed off and the nasty C. Diff bacteria overwhelmed my system resulting in extreme diarrhea and weakness. Glad I've got that under control. Came home from the hospital 6 days post op. Neighbors were pretty surprised to see me out walking the next morning (using a walker for balance). Been losing weight and feeling lightheaded. So Doc has told me to reduce by 50'
my level of Furosomide and Potassium for the next 4 days. Hopefully, I will see improvement tomorrow. Ben able to sleep comfortably since getting home and my appetite has returned. I am both gluten and dairy intolerant - so meals at the hospital were a challenge. Had great care from all levels of staff at the hospital. Very glad I chose to stay here, and have access to the resources here - thanks friends and family. And thanks to all of the information on this website and in Adam's book. Sure helped to know what to expect. Thanks to everyone and good luck on your continuing journey.

This is Jerry's wife, Linda, posting for Jerry. His surgery this morning went very well. No complications. Doctor was very pleased and needless to say I was too. Now that his heart of gold us back on the mend, he wants me to thank all if you for the positive thoughts and prayers. This a great community of caring friends.

This is Jerry's wife, Linda, posting for Jerry. His surgery this morning went very well. No complications. Doctor was very pleased and needless to say I was too. Now that his heart of gold us back on the mend, he wants me to thank all if you for the positive thoughts and prayers. This a great community of caring friends.

Had my orientation at the hospital this morning. Thought I was going to get a tour and informed about what to expect. Wow, more tests. More blood work, urinalysis, EKG. I only need to have a carotid ultrasound and I am ready to go. Starting to realize it's COMING SOON. I think I'm ready. Another 10 days.

After taking every test known to man (not really, cause they identified 2 more for me to take), I met with my surgeon this morning. He answered all of my remaining questions and I scheduled my aortic valve replacement surgery for Nov 7th. Anxiously looking forward to this new challenge and getting back to an active level again.

I wore a cardiac monitor for 48 hours at the end of last week and got the results back a couple days ago. It confirmed what all of the other tests have shown. The aortic regurgitation is between the moderate and extreme level. Since my symptoms have progressed so quickly, the consensus of the cardiac team was the aortic valve should be replaced soon. To not do so could allow harm to the heart muscle and there is no advantage in waiting. I am scheduled to meet with Dr. Kirchner, the cardiac surgeon, on Oct 25th.

I agree with this recommendation. My physical abilities have declined to the point I feel like an 80+ year old. From all of my research I am confident the surgery will return me to the level I had 6-12 months ago. Valve replacement surgery is serious; however, it is fairly routine for cardiac surgeons, there is a low mortality rate and significant improvement can be expected. It really is a no-brainer.

I have compared quality outcomes between the Mayo Clinic, the Cleveland Clinic and Dr. Kirchner here in Kalispell. Dr. Kirchner moved here half a dozen years ago from Maryland where he performed hundreds of valve surgeries annually. His outcomes exceed those at Mayo and Cleveland.

I conducted a tour at the Kalispell Regional Medical Center a couple weeks ago. The surgical wing was constructed 4 or 5 years ago. The Cardiac ICU wing was completed 3 weeks ago and some of the rooms haven't even been used. Everything looks brand new.

So, unless I uncover something in the next week or two, it appears I am on track to have my surgery here in Kalispell just after the first of November.

Had the cardiac catherization and TEE last thursday without any problem. Basically slept through the procedures and had no ill effects. I have a small puncture in my right wrist and neck where the "probes" were inserted. They confirmed I have too low of a heart rate when at rest. Also cath showed my aortic valve regurgitates between a moderate and extreme level. No blockages found, so no bypasses needed. My cardiologist will present my findings to the "team" of other local cardiac professionals on Tuesday and provide a recommendation for treatment. His initial thoughts were that a Pacemaker would alleviate the shortage of breath and fatigue. I would have much more energy and endurance. However, the valve would continue to leak and cause the heart to work harder than it should. So, Valve Replacement or Pacemaker or Both? Short term fix or total fix. We'll see what they recommend. Following their recommendation, I will probably ask the cardiologist to refer my test results and their recommendations to the Mayo Clinic for a second opinion.

Life has thrown another curve ball my direction. Over the past year or so I have noticed a decline in my physical strength and endurance. Also, I have had significant breathing difficulty, which I attributed to my chronic allergy problems. During the past several months I have been out of breath, a little dizzy and light headed from just climbing the stairs from the lower level of our home. In addition, I was experiencing a tightness in my chest and what felt like fluttering in my heart. During my annual visit with my General Practitioner, he suggested I have an EKG and an echocardiogram. Since I have had a heart murmur for at least 20 years, he indicated I could have a heart valve leakage issue. The echocardiogram confirmed aortic valve regurgitation (the valve does not close all of the way and allows blood to flow back into the left ventrical. This causes my heart to work harder and reduces the amount of oxygenated blood that then flows through the aorta. Left unchecked, the heart would continue to deteriorate – chronic heart failure, heart attack, etc. In addition, the left ventrical chamber is enlarged from doing the extra work.
I had to wait six weeks from the time of the echocardiogram until I could see the cardiologist. During the first visit with my cardiologist, he stated there are no drugs or repairs that will fix the problem and if I waited even a year I would likely permanently damage the heart. He suggested two tests (cardiac catherization and EEL) to ensure no other issues are present. For example, if an artery is clogged and needs a bypass, they could perform that procedure while they are replacing the aortic valve.
During the time I had to wait to see the cardiologist, I have been able to research aortic regurgitation and valve replacement. Everything the cardiologist told me was consistent with my research. In addition, I was able to talk locally with two other medical professionals and a mitral heart valve replacement recipient. Each told me that our local cardiac surgeon, Dr. Drew Kirshner is an exceptional surgeon. He moved here from Baltimore several years ago to lead a slower life style. I reviewed his quality outcomes. His performance equals or exceeds those at both Mayo and the Cleveland Clinics. A local physician said “if you go to Mayo or Cleveland, Mr. Famous Doctor will only be present for 10 or 15 minutes of the procedure. The remainder will be performed by a “fellow.” Also, you’ll just be a number there and will not get the exceptional individual care you would receive at Kalispell Regional Medical Center.” Each of these individuals emphatically stated that for themselves or a family member they would have the surgery performed by Dr. Kirshner here in Montana at Kalispell Regional Medical Center (KRMC).