Joan's Journal

Susan Lynn  Yay!!!! You did it!! Sounds like you're doing great, Joan! Walk. Rest. Repeat. That's all that's on the agenda for awhile! ❤

Louise Moore  The healing has begun! You're doing great, Joan, tube free on day three and each day more healing. I hope I'll be able to say the same in a few weeks! Keep us posted and best of luck continuing this way.

Cathryn Howard  Congratulations Joan! Do they have you using that plastic spirometer breathing apparatus? My mom’s surgery is tomorrow and she was told she will have to be using that every hour to exercise her lungs and keep them open and clear.

Ginny Turner  Joan, this is wonderful! Thank you for this great progress report. You are well on your way to a smooth recovery. My surgery date has been moved up to this Mon, 1/31. Your success story is so encouraging!

Ana Brusso  I used the spirometer forever and still use it once in a while. Congratulations Joan and continued good health God bless you 🙏❤️

Richard Munson  Ana just curious why you still use it once in awhile. I only used mine for about a month after i got home till i got going on the treadmill.

Civita Fahey  Brigham and Women's didnt even give me a spirometer.. they said it did nothing more than what you could do taking deep breaths every half hour or so.. It worked ok for me.

Rose Madura  When I couldn't sleep and I didn't want to wake up my husband, I would take deep breaths to help - just like Civita said.

Ana Brusso  In my head it kept my lungs strong. Just want to check once in a while if my breathing has changed. It still the same, and got to see the little red ball. I didn’t have anyone next tome to disturb (blessing!)😊

Richard Munson  I had and have gerd before and after surgery. Take omeprozole for that. Not sure it was a heart surgery factor. They continued to give it to me in hospital. The only med i had to stop before surgery was eliquis. Blood thinner. Went back on it a couple days after. One of those meds has cough as a potential side effect.

Susan Lynn  Joan - No worries. Your recovery from heart surgery will probably be easier and less traumatizing than your car accident. You're also likely to experience improvement in your breathing after your procedure. I didn't realize how many symptoms of a leaking valve I had until it was fixed. You're going to do just fine!! All the best to you! ❤

Joan Terry  Thanks so much, Richard and Susan. It’s amazing how much it helps to hear from other people. ❤️

Ginny Turner  Joan, the fear you're experiencing is normal as you approach surgery. Here are a few things that help me let logic rule over emotion as I wait for mine:
1. My surgeon is very experienced and skilled, as is the team who will care for me. They do this EVERY DAY with great success. Even though it's a big deal for me, it's routine for them.
2. I don't need to worry about the technical aspects or details of the surgery. My job is to go to sleep, then wake up. I can do that.
3. I'm grateful to have a condition that can be taken care of with surgery. Not everyone is so fortunate.
4. Almost every heart patient story I've read says the waiting is the hardest part. The big event will not be nearly as bad as I feared.
5. I immediately flip the switch on anxious thoughts and think of something to move my mind away from the fear - a funny grandchild story, beautiful sunrises on our lake, a new recipe I want to try, a trip we want to take.
6. With my surgery plan in place, I avoid too much reading and research on the subject. I already know what to expect and am prepared.
7. I view the surgery as a key that will open the door to many more good years to come. I'm blessed to be in my mid-70s and in good overall health. But after surgery and recovery, I expect to have more energy and feel even better than before. 80 is the new 60?
7. I start each day with a grateful heart. I have the support of my family and friends, Adam Pick's wonderful site, this caring community, and the teachings of my faith. I feel the good wishes and prayers of others and know I'm not alone. (Thanks, Adam, Kathy, George, Esther, Lisa, Richard, Deena, Lauren, Susan, Ana, Marie, Rose, and so many others!)
Joan, I have every confidence that you will do well on Monday - strong and steady wins the race. We'll all be celebrating your successful surgery and you'll be on the road to recovery next week. Here's to the Class of '22!

Richard Munson  Ginny, i’ll let you know next month if 80 is the new 60. I saw a guy today at the dentist who was 60 and thinking it was the new 80. My nasty side

Joan Terry  Thanks, Ginny. Very, very helpful. It’s amazing to me how often I forget to use the tools I already have at hand to quiet my mind and to remember the importance of gratitude and positive belief. I’m seeking out the reminders... thanks so much for offering them.

Thomas Brusstar  I had a persistent cough for years before my mitral valve was fixed. I now know that my mitral valve went "flail" in summer of 2017, and it resulted in a bad, wet cough which was diagnosed as pneumonia at the time. Apparently mitral valve prolapse is mistaken for pneumonia due to severe coughing. My heart kind of worked around the problem and it got a bit better; but finally we had a fresh echo done (after months of still feeling pressure in my "lungs") and saw that the mitral valve was "flail," meaning partially torn and really flapping in the breeze down there. And after the successful repair in 2018, my persistent cough is absolutely gone. So it was the fluid in my lungs due to backup/ incomplete clearance of the lungs when the left atrium is stressed, and pulmonary hypertension results. My left atrium bulged up to something like 4 times normal size when the mitral valve was at its worst, and it reduced immediately upon surgery (like even before I left the table they did an echo and it was getting better). So yes, it's hard to know all that your heart and lungs have been doing to "work around" your mitral valve insufficiency, so just get it fixed and you'll be good! I went in on a Tuesday morning and was home for dinner Friday. The anticipation is worse than the recovery. The recovery is kind of energizing, because it's amazing how your body will heal.

Joan Terry  Thank you so much, Thomas. Now I’m really wondering about the cough I had. It’s good to get this information and especially good to read how much better you felt. It’s funny—my cough stopped when I started taking the Metoprolol. That really made me question whether it was from reflux after the airbag hit me, or if the hard, chest airbag hit somehow further damaged my mitral valve or maybe even just the stress from the accident... Anyway, I could probably analyze it forever and not know for sure. Thanks again for your response!

George Gardopee  Joan - This is the best place to post any questions you have.

Your story has many similarities to mine - the same age, no prior health issues before the mitral regurgitation diagnosis, not much in the way of symptoms, etc. I think I recovered very quickly from my surgery (two valves repaired with a full sternotomy) in part because I had no other issues. But, I have been lurking on this site for almost two years now and people report experiences that range from only minor issues during recovery to a host of complications. There are some common experiences, like fatigue after surgery that you should plan for, but it typically lasts only a few weeks. Many people seem to have benefitted from either a sleep wedge or a recliner. I purchased a recliner in anticipation of needing it but I never used it. Oddly, I was able to sleep on my side two days after my surgery, but I seem to be an outlier in that regard. The shower seat may come in handy if your fatigue is severe; it would probably be better to have it on hand. Most people indicate the sternotomy pain was not the major issue they expected it to be. I personally did not have any pain to speak of with the sternotomy, but I would caution you to be very careful not to overload it during healing. I had more discomfort from pulling a door shut three weeks after surgery than I did in ICU and step down immediately after surgery. Regarding stairs- I think if you let the nursing staff know you will need to climb stairs at home they will make sure you can while you are in the hospital. I don’t think the sternotomy will be an issue for stairs as long as you don’t use your arms to pull on the handrail.

I am wishing you good luck with your upcoming surgery. Don’t hesitate to ask anything. This is a great resource with many helpful, caring people ready to offer the benefit of their experiences.

Marie Myers  You are posting in the right spot. I will throw in my $.02 as far as post op needs go.
I rented an electric recliner for 1 month, and I loved it. Easy to get up and down, and great for sleeping because I couldn’t lay flat. I tried a wedge pillow for getting back into my bed, but it was not helpful to me. I did use the shower chair for about a week or so. It really helped me in those first few very exhausting days. As far as stairs, I did not have any experience there, so maybe others can comment. A stack of fun books to read Would be good, also. Wishing you a smooth journey through surgery and recovery!

Rose Madura  I bought a wedge but did find it comfortable, although you may. I did use if for abouta week, I suppose.. I found that I used a lot of pillows because it's difficult to sleep flat on your back with a full sternotomy. A big thing for me was a travel pillow for sleeping in the recliner. I had it at the hospital and after a couple hours in bed, I come downstairs to the recliner after I got home. It just helped with not getting sore neck on top of everything else. I did not have too much trouble with stairs, just take it slow, one step at a time. I also used a shower chair for about a week and needed assistance from my husband in the shower as well.

Delanee Durham  I had a wedge pillow that I used for sleeping. Laying flat was not an option. The wedge helped but I would find that I could sleep about 5 hours with the wedge and then I would go to the recliner for another couple of hours in the morning. I would also nap in the recliner when I was tired during the day. I used a shower stool for a couple of weeks. Mainly it was to help with washing my hair. I would sit while my husband would wash my hair. I also used a smaller wedge pillow while sitting in the recliner or on the couch. It just gave me a little extra support I needed and made it easier getting out of the chair/couch. Good luck, you will be tired but you’ll get stronger every day!

Susan McKinnis  I am 12 days post-op from a full OHS and the best purchase I made prior to my surgery is an electric recliner. I am still sleeping in it a night. I could not lay down flat or even partially propped up after surgery. The hospital bed was awful and honestly I did not rest in hospital…I cannot recommend a recliner more. Seriously the best purpose we made!!

Susan Lynn  I bought a wedge and a shower stool. The wedge wasn't comfortable for me, but I was happy to have the shower stool. I found out in cardiac rehab that hot, long showers can drop your blood pressure. Keep them warm and short and have a stool or chair on standby if you feel weak. You'll figure out what works for you very quickly. All the best to you! ❤

Joan Terry  Thanks so much to all of you for these helpful answers to my questions. I’ve rented a recliner for a month, but can keep it longer if there’s a need. Still undecided about a wedge, but no big deal to get one just in case. I’ve been told that the morning of my surgery, my husband can’t come in with me—he has to drop me off at the curb. A bit of a “bummer”, but it’s one of the travails of COVID. I believe he’ll be able to see me in the ICU.