Jill's Journal

Marie Myers  Have you tried over the counter famotidine 20 mg daily for your GERD type pain? It was effective for me.
I had an aortic valve replacement, and I am hoping for 15 years. I think the longevity for repairs of the aortic valve is about the same. Usually the younger you are ,the quicker your tissue aortic valve replacement deteriorates. Not sure if the same hold true for aortic valve repair. Best to get those answers from your cardiologist or surgeon.

Richard Munson  I have gird and take omeprozol before eating dinner. Helps. I am however scheduled for a combo colonoscopy and endoscopy in early september. It will be like getting a double roto rooter but it means getting put to sleep only once.

  I had the double roto rooter done early this year. I take omeprazol twice a day and if I eat too much of a good thing I have to take famotidine. Both my tests were clear but still have gird sometimes.

Richard Munson  I feel better knowing ana survived the double roto rooter. Not sure what end they start on first but i will be asleep dreaming about mitral valves.

  That’s the best part, you don’t feel a thing. You have a lot of things going on in September, be well dear friend.

Richard Munson  You don’t half of it but yes, very busy. One day at a time. First is nancy’s eye surgery tomorrow, we moved back home for 2 days. Getting on and off the boat would be tricky for her. Then my much awaited 7 month echo and then her other eye. Glad i am still perky.

  What kind of eye surgery is Nancy getting? Will pray for her. I remember your echo and now your double roto rooter. Glad you are both perky and strong. You seem to de everything in plural, your boat, car and you had valve jobs. God bless you both, hugs to Cassie 🙏❤️

Richard Munson  Nancy is having one eye cataract surgery tomorrow and next week the other eye. Safer to be home so i can keep an eye on her. I know, bad joke. Nancy just informed me that tonights french toast was it for cooking for 2 weeks. OMG, i could potentially starve. Looks like my salt limited diet may suffer till she bounces back. Fast food here we come.

Richard Munson  Are you shocked that i can’t cook? Only child, mother waited on me hand and foot, then married and ditto.

Rose Madura  Richard, can you do laundry? I know a guy who had to go to Walmart to buy underwear because he couldn't operate the washer and dryer. Or so he told his wife. Dear Lord!

  Not shocked at all. I had five brothers and only two of them can cook. I learned to cook after I got married and my sweet mother in law taught me so her son wouldn’t starve.

Richard Munson  Rose, the underwear idea sounds like a winner. Lol. My dear wife showed me how to run the washer dryer last week so i should be ok. I just watched a u tube on eye drops. The stress is overwhelming. I made it 79 years so all is not lost. Did i ever tell you all how great you are ? Thanks.

Jill Hughes  I've been taking famotidine twice a day and was also on pantoprazole for a while. My PCP told me I could stop the pantoprazole several months ago, but when I went to the ER for the chest pain, the doctor there told me that perhaps I should start back on it, which I've done. The pain dissipated in just a couple of days. My main question remains my concern about life expectancy.

Patsy Stewart  From what I have read, and also what I was told, life expectancy is similar to that of the general population for the same age, sex and region where you are residing after you have survived the postoperative period. I remember my surgeon telling me that my sternum would actually be stronger than it was before. Apparently, mine was really fragile and thin and he did his best to put me back together. He warned me that if I injured it during the healing process that he wouldn’t be able to fix it. You can better believe that I followed his instructions to a T!!

Patsy Stewart  Jill, I also have trouble with my stomach and esophagus. I’m prepped and ready to have them worked on tomorrow. I am on pantoprazole and supposedly on it forever. I know what you are talking about with the chest pain, etc. It’s like it cuts my air off even if I squat down. It’s a yearly deal for me to go in for this procedure.

Patsy Stewart  Richard, you are too funny! My son thinks that gender roles ….. well …. I won’t type the phrase he actually uses. He says that all men should know how to cook, clean and run a household and vice-a-versa. I didn’t actually teach him, but he picked up on it somehow. He is such a help to me!
Prayers for your wife. I bet she’s a character too putting up with your antics. Ha!! You remind me so much of a good friend of ours. Thank you for the chuckles you bring to my life. 🙂

Richard Munson  Well, the good news is that i washed a load of clothes today. Even managed to dry the correct ones and hang outside the remainder. I feel like i just cured mitral valve prolapse. Got take out for supper as i felt i needed a stress break. Pizza for me, minestrone soup for her. She tried unsuccessfully to steal a piece. Hey, she wanted soup. I keep a fork handy for grabby hands. Did my treadmill also and of course fed and walked cassie, and drove my car a little, and managed to talk to 3 customers, but my major stress task arrives at 8 pm. Eye drops. Just saying it gives me goose bumps. Can i do it with my eyes closed? Your son is probably right but he is a modern well adjusted male and i am from another generation i guess. I have come a long way from the early years but old habits die hard. I must admit, i love to be waited on. Food tastes so much better when someone else cooks it. My mother, god rest her sole, passed the baton to my wife. The only child syndrome is alive and well. Boy could I tell you some stories of the last 55 years. By the way, we dated 4 years prior to marriage so she knew the drill. She once told me jokingly that carly simon wrote he’s so vain in my honor. Wish me luck tonight with the eye drops.

Richard Munson  Eye drops mastered. I’m thinking of enrolling in medical school. Whew, what a relief. Blood pressure steady at 108/72. Resting Heart rate 82. Life is good.

Patsy Stewart  Richard, you’re getting a gold⭐️star for the day! Great job!! I’m so thankful that your wife is doing well after her surgery!!
There’s a little arrow/emblem to the right of what you post. If you click on that, you can correct whatever you need to. I’ve used it several times. 🧐😉

Richard Munson  Thanks for the arrow tip. Approaching my second round of eye drops. May try my left hand this time. Maybe not. Next week, her other eye. Ugh. Very hot and humid here. Thank god for ac.

Michele Ripley  Jill: I hope you get to feeling better and start your recovery journey without additional complications. I’ve seen people bounce back from very bad circumstances so do your best in making your recovery successful. I know it will happen for you. I will keep you in my prayers.

Deborah Moody  I’m so sorry to hear about your ordeal. How scary. I hope you are able too heal and feel better soon.

Marie Myers  Wow! What a difficult experience to endure. I hope you are on a healing path now.
Wishing you a full recovery.

Catie B  Jill, what an awful turn of events! But I'm so thankful you have survived and are on the mend. I'm so sorry for all you've suffered, for the pain you're still enduring, and for the confinement and discomfort related to your eye surgery recovery. Take extra good care of you!

Joy Vera  What an ordeal you've had, Jill. I hope you are beginning to recover & will be back to normal before long. Take care.

Shannon Gray  I am so sorry about all of this. Prayers upon prayers you will continue to get stronger and recover in no time. Thinking of you!

Susan Lynn  Jill - I am so sorry you've had to go through all of that. It's natural to feel frustrated about all of your recent medical issues. It sounds to me that you're overdue for some good luck! Do your best to think positively. Your history doesn't have to be your future. We'll be here to support you every step of the way. Feel free to reach out - there's always someone listening!

Richard Munson  You have really been thru the ringer. Mrsa is no joke. My friend went into a major boston hospital for minor surgery and got mrsa. Very nearly lost his life as a result. Many surgeries later he is still not 100%. I contracted celulitis 2 years ago from a minor cut and they thought it was mrsa at first. Getting rid of it was bad enough. Good luck to you.