Joey 's Journal

Greetings, heart warriors!! It has been quite a while. I missed last years update and must apologize for my hiatus. I have no real excuse. Just busy with life and becoming a grandpa recently (or more accurately a "Papa Joe"). I pray all of you are doing well and those approaching their procedure have a peace about it. Hard for me to believe but 5 years ago this past June, I had my aortic valve replaced along with my ascending aorta. I have the Edwards Inspiris Resilia Aortic Valve. It was done at Duke with Dr. Jeff Gaca. Just had an echo and all is normal and working fine. Still getting out for (almost) daily walks or run/walks intervals. Now I have a 20 month old Golden Retriever that goes with me. Trying to get 3-4 miles each time. Gearing up for a 5K next month and then a 4.1 miler the week of Thanksgiving, which I think is always so perfect because I truly am thankful my defect was discovered and I am able to complete a 4.1 mile race for what will be the 5th time now since my replacement. Don't fear the procedure. Look forward to the improvements and attack your rehab (always do the prescribed rehab - so important!) You'll be amazed at how quickly its in your rearview and you are feeling better.

Take care everyone!! I will honestly try to not be so scarce around here :-))

3 Year anniversary! Well, I'm late again, as usual. BUT - It was roughly 38 months ago that I had my Aortic Valve and Root replaced. The last year I have felt very good. I have some PVC/PAC beats. I had a few hours of afib not too long ago and they put me on a blood thinner. I'm actually hoping that they will let me come off of it soon since it was a short episode. I'm still running. Mostly indoors since its so hot but I get outside in the evenings. I've run a few 5K's and have another on the schedule in November. Playing some golf. Might pick up pickle ball soon since that doesn't require as much movement as tennis :-)
I went with a bioprosthetic so I know there is a lifespan to the valve. I am hoping to get 12-15 years out of it. I set myself up to be able to have a TAVR replacement when the time comes. I am excited about the advancements in that area of heart valve surgery. I check in from time to time and hope and pray you all are doing well. This is the best place for anyone preparing for heart valve surgery. I cannot tell you how much information, advice, comfort and confidence I received from all the wonderful people on this site. I'm very grateful to Adam for his passion for helping people. Starting and maintaining this site is a true blessing to so many. Keep the faith!

Well - 2 years in the books (Actually its been exactly 25 months) since my Bentall procedure at Duke University Hospital. My Edwards Inspiris Resilia aortic valve is doing well. So thankful for the progress I have made to date. I played tennis in a Spring League and that season ended in May. Felt great to be back on the court. I have played several rounds of golf this year and I have done 2 official 5K's and scheduled for another in November. I continue to get my workouts in every day and I am back to weight training too. I walked my oldest daughter down the aisle last year and watched my youngest graduate high school last month. So many blessings and I am so humbled by it all. I have to give credit where its due. This site is so awesome and is made up of so many great people with great stories. The amazing advancements in valve replacement technologies is not only saving lives but greatly improving quality of life. Cardiac rehab is a must, in my opinion. I made most of my progress while in Cardiac Rehab. Such talented therapists really helped me build my confidence and gently pushed me to achieve more each session. Such a critical element to a full recovery. Do your research and choose the best option for you. Do not fear the corrective procedure. Its a bump in the road. As I told my wife - NOT having it corrected isn't an option. Take good care of yourself leading up to and after your procedure. Prayers for all of you in the waiting room and those recovering.

Time flies when you’re having fun! Almost 14 months ago, I was blessed to be recovering from OHS (Bentall Procedure). As a few of you know, I had a birth defect that wasn’t fully diagnosed until 2016. The correction was to have my aortic valve and aorta replaced. So here I am at my "little over" one year anniversary and I feel very good. Most of the symptoms I was having before surgery are gone (Still have the rogue PVC now and then). I am very thankful for the support of friends, family, my work family & my Church family. I have certainly felt the love. That really helped me get through the setbacks in recovery and motivated me to keep pushing to get better. I am 56 and I opted for the Edwards Resilia Bio-Prosthetic. I know I may have to have it replaced again but next time it may be with a TAVR. I chose the valve because it is made to accept a TAVR replacement. My particular valve is 29 mm in diameter. I completed a 5K right at 5 months post-op. I had to walk some but I did run quite a bit of it. I went through Cardiac Rehab which I HIGHLY recommend. Still working on that 5K time and I have been out a few times to play tennis and I have been to the driving range. COVID interrupted my workout routine at the gym but I have replaced it with more work outside, which is tough in the south this time of year but I am getting acclimated. This site was truly a Godsend as I approached surgery. I gained so much knowledge and confidence here and the support, before and after surgery, has been awesome. I still check up on everyone from time to time and keep this community in my prayers. My oldest daughter just got married and I was so happy to be able to walk her down the aisle which was one of the things she expressed worry about when I was diagnosed. I just recently went back for my 1 year checkup and got the thumbs up from my surgeon and cardiologist. I'm still trying to get weight off and I was 6 lbs lighter than I was when I finished cardiac rehab. I also am trying to drop or reduce some medication but I am doing very well. God has certainly blessed me beyond what I could have imagined. Take care all you heart warriors and go forward with confidence! You are stronger than you may think!

ALMOST 10 Month Update Well folks, I didn't check in at 9 months so this is my "almost 10 month update" :-) I'm doing well. Very blessed. The Edwards Resilia valve is ticking right along so far. I have the occasional PVC but I know that is to be expected. No afib so I'll deal with the PVC's. Continuing to get my steps in and doing my interval run/walks. Seems like I have started feeling stronger over the last month. Running for longer intervals and have a lower resting heart rate. Trying to make some diet changes. I am about 35 lbs lighter than when I checked into the hospital almost 10 months ago and 10 lbs lighter over the last 3 weeks. Still think about and pray for all my fellow heart warriors all the time. the ones that were here before, during and after my surgery. Praying you are all staying healthy and safe! Will keep checking on you all every few days!

Merry Christmas! One of several reasons I chose June to have my surgery was so I would be able to enjoy my favorite time of the year. I must say, I am really enjoying it, too! What a blessing! 6 months ago yesterday, I was having life changing surgery to replace my aortic valve and aorta. 3 nights ago, I played doubles with my tennis buddies on an unusually warm evening here in December. Last night I did "sprint training" for 3 1/2 miles on a treadmill (because it was quite cold out). That was 25 second graduated sprints followed by 40 seconds of walking. I have done 3 of these workouts and have worked my way up to sprints at 8.2 mph. :-)) I am excited about the steady progress....There have been bad days and little setbacks here and there, but overall I am doing great! One thing I prayed about heading into surgery was that God would show me why I had this defect and how He wanted to use it and me during and after my recovery. About 2 months ago, an old High School classmate reached out to me because she saw my Facebook posts and she had just been diagnosed with aortic stenosis and was having AVR "in a week". She was freaking out. I really believe this experience prepared me to be able to somewhat calm her fears. She has since had the surgery and is doing well. I am planning to go on a walk with her one day in January. A couple weeks ago, a friend and colleague who also saw my Facebook posts, quizzed me about my symptoms because she was having some that concerned her. I advised her to get a referral to a cardiologist because it sounded very similar to my experience. We talked about cardiologists in the area and surgeons and centers. Then, Monday I got a call from a customer who was just diagnosed and has to have a TAVR or SAVR at some point in the near future. He knew about my situation because I was out for a while. We are going to lunch after the first of the year to talk further. I am blown away by the folks God has put in my path that need advice, encouragement or information. I know its not an "accident" and its very humbling. Praying for you all that are waiting, getting ready for your procedures or recovering. It's amazing what strength you will find that you have! I will update at 9 months Once again....MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Resumed a “tradition” last night! Ran with my daughter in a 4 mile run! The last time we ran it was 2015, the year before my bicuspid aortic valve was discovered. 4 years later and 5 months after having my valve and ascending aorta replaced (Edwards Inspiris Resilia) , we did it again!! So very thankful and blessed! Praying for all of you that are preparing for your procedures and recovering! Happy Thanksgiving!

16 weeks and 2 days post-op and I am going to be hitting tennis balls for the first time this evening. It won't be terribly intense but I am confident we will get the heart pumping pretty good …. I am pretty excited. Hopefully I won't be too sore for Cardiac Rehab in the morning. :-)) As always, I am praying for you guys in recovery and getting ready for your procedures. What a great group of people in this community.

I still plan on running a 5K in November. I officially start my training tomorrow. I am hoping to be 18-24 lbs lighter by "race day". I am not trying to hit a time. Just want to finish. Yesterday, I went out to a local high school where I usually go for runs. It's pretty hilly. There is one long hill that usually does me in. My goal was to just walk the 5K course. That includes going up "the hill". Now, prior to surgery, I would "fast-walk" a 2 mile course where I actually went DOWN "the hill". I purposely avoided uphill grades because my heart would pound and I would usually have to slow down to a casual stroll or maybe even stop to rest. It was about the only way I could get some exercise before surgery. So back to yesterday - I decide I'm doing the 5K course and so I walked quickly. I mixed in 30 and 40 second jogs here and there but mostly just walking about as fast as I could. As I approached the bottom of "the hill" I thought, "here we go". I started and just maintained my pace. Half way up, I started to realize it wasn't kicking my booty like it did before. My heart rate was staying around 135 and I wasn't huffing and puffing. AMAZING! I got to the top and immediately jogged for 30 seconds with a giant smile on my face. I finished the 3.1 miles of hilly terrain at a 14:18 pace. To still have 2 months to prepare and to be able to do a walk/jog combination of a 5K course, that is much tougher than the mostly flat one I am shooting for in November, is really unbelievable to me. If my 55 year-old knees will just cooperate, I think I will be ready! ROCK ON, fellow heart warriors!!

What a 12 weeks its been. I am amazed and thankful to be feeling this well. I am going to Cardiac Rehab M-W-F and usually do something on my own T-T & S or S. I still check in to see how all my fellow heart warriors are doing. So happy to see so many getting stronger. Will continue to pray for those recovering and prepping for their surgery. Know that you will be amazed at your progress as you get further into recovering. It will seem slow and there may be setbacks but you will get through. Go to cardiac rehab as soon as your doctor lets you. It will be a little tough at first but don't be scared to push yourself a little as you feel better and better. Ask what you can do on your off days. They will tell you. Thanks to all for the support and inspiration. You all re an amazing group of folks!

Seems like an odd topic I know, but hang with me. We are Costco people. We go about once a month and drop an average of $200-$250 per trip so we have a good bit of stuff to bring in the house when we get home. Prior to my surgery, when I would carry cases of water in the house and put them down, my heart would pound and I would bend over trying to catch my breath. Today, I carried 3 cases of water in the house and I was actually anticipating the pounding and shortness of breath but it NEVER happened. It was weird and exhilarating at the same time! I was thrilled! I made several trips from my truck to the kitchen carrying stuff and just couldn't believe how great I felt. 64 days ago I had my ascending aorta and aortic valve replaced. I am amazed I feel this good this soon. Those that are just starting recovery or getting prepared for surgery, be confident that you WILL feel better.

I have noticed that my heart rate doesn't recover well when I go to rehab. On rehab mornings, I finish up about 10 AM. My heart rate gets into the 125-132 range while exercising. Once I am finished, I recover into the low 90's pretty quickly but my heart rate will stay in the 87-95 range for hours. This is almost every cardiac rehab day...… So, for the last couple of days I have been coughing more and feeling a general discomfort in my chest, almost like a chest cold. This morning at rehab, I did my normal routine and they increased some time and intensities on the 4 pieces of equipment I use. While changing to the last piece of equipment, my heart fluttered for about 6-8 seconds and I got that breathless feeling. The nurse said the rate jumped to 156 but recovered to what it was. She asked how I felt and I did feel OK so she said for me to continue. I did without incident. However, when I finished, my heart rate didn't drop below 100 for almost an hour. I stayed there, hooked to the EKG, while they instructed me in deep breathing :-) Finally, my rate got low enough for me to leave but I sat in the waiting area and waited until my rate dropped below 90. Its still either side of that and I have been home relaxing for 30 minutes. I am very hopeful this resolves over time. I was used to working out with my heart rate in the 140's and recovering to the 70's in about 45 minutes. :-))

My first day at cardiac rehab, they did testing to get "baselines". For my second day of cardiac rehab, I guess it was "learn the equipment day". They started me with several warmup laps around the "track". Then I did 7 minutes on the treadmill, 6 minutes on the recumbent bike, 5 minutes on the seated elliptical, 3 "brisk" walk laps and then 6 minutes on the seated stepper. My heart rate got up to 126 and I didn't have any chest pain or shortness of breath. I didn't feel any arrhythmia either, which I felt all the time during exercise prior to getting my valve replaced. I'm not sure if the leaky valve was the cause but that's really the only difference. They know I want to run a 5K in November so I think they will push me a little bit harder. At least I hope so. I am excited to see what I can do on Monday.

Tomorrow is 6 weeks from my surgery. Had a full Sunday and didn't get too tired. Went to Church and then visited with family for lunch and most of the afternoon. On my feet a good bit. Almost felt normal......almost :-) Quite excited to start CR later today. I still have some sternum "tightness" at the top of my inhale and some strange "coming and going" pain in my left trap running down to my shoulder. It seems to be positional but kind of hard to tell. Sometimes it intensifies with a burp, which seems odd. Other than that, I feel like I am doing really well. I took my last amiodarone last Tuesday morning and no Afib so I am very happy about that. I have the occasional visual disturbance but I now have an appointment with the eye doc in a couple weeks so we will check that out. Driving restriction is off this Thursday. I may get up before daybreak and drive to my favorite breakfast place, if I can remember how my truck works. :-)) Thinking of and praying for those going into their procedures and recovering. It's definitely a process so my biggest piece of advice is to be patient with the healing and give yourself rest and time. Listen to the medical team and your body. Thanks for all the support!

Part of me finds it hard to believe its been 5 weeks. Still struggling with a few things but gradual improvement has been happening. I had a good weekend. Went to the store Saturday and then over to visit my mom. Didn't really feel tired at the end of all that whereas 2 weeks ago it would have wiped me out. Went to church on Sunday and stood for a while talking with folks. Still felt fine and steady on my feet. Didn't really make me tired. I have noticed over the last 2 or 3 days, when I get in a certain position and cough, it feels more tender than it did the first couple weeks after surgery. I'm not really sure what that's all about. Just feels a little raw. If it doesn't resolve I will call my surgeon. I hope the fluid is off my heart and lungs now. I do feel better. This morning, I took my last of 30 amiodarone. Pray the a-fib does not come back. I'm a bit nervous about that. I am meeting my cardiac rehab therapist tomorrow so I should start rehab on Friday. Praying for alll with upcoming surgeries and those just out of surgery. Be strong but be patient with yourself.

Well, I guess it was going too well. Yesterday was 4 weeks from my surgery and I also came home from a 2 day hospital stay. Monday morning I woke up sweating and it felt like my BP was high. Took my BP and it was 194/101 after running completely normal or even "low normal". Called Duke and they wanted me to get to the local hospital. The enzyme that shows a heart event was elevated "slightly" but came down over my stay. After numerous tests, it was determined I had some fluid build up around my heart. I had been taken off the diuretic a week earlier so they got me back on it right away. BP gradually came down Monday but they kept me overnight for observation and repeated blood draws. I am back at home now and feel about like I did before. Maybe just a little more tired. This may delay cardiac rehab. I'm worried maybe I pushed myself a little too much. Gonna take it easy for a day or 2. Thanks for all the support, folks. Continuing to pray for those with upcoming surgeries.

I am going on 8 minute walks today. I have completed 2. at a little quicker pace. in 8 minutes, I do between 1,040 and 2,010 steps. I am gonna try to do at least one more today. Submitted my order to my cardiologist for Cardiac Rehab. Praying it starts next week.

Doesn’t seem possible that it’s been 3 weeks since surgery. No wonder football season goes by so fast :-)) Followed up with Dr Gaca yesterday. Did labs, X-ray, EKG, etc. He said everything looked great and he was super happy with my progress. He ordered cardiac rehab ASAP so I am getting that organized today and will ask if I can start later in the week. I still haven’t gotten that “burst” of energy I hear about. Maybe it just hasn’t been long enough quite yet. Walked around Duke yesterday (my choice) and I was wiped out last night. That last walk to the parking garage got a little tough at the end. I am happy about my progress. I’m a little impatient with myself so I just need to get over that. Doc said all restrictions lifted on 8/1, so a little bit more than 3 weeks. I asked Dr Gaca about my valve and he said it was classic bi-cuspid aortic valve. Said it was heavily calcified so there was no chance to do a repair. Aneurysm was 5.3 at its largest point but most of my ascending aorta was enlarged. Overall, I’m feeling very blessed. 3 weeks into recovery. It just doesn’t seem possible. Thank you all (and Adam) again for the wonderful support system hear at HVS.com.

This afternoon, I had a 2 minute bout of afib. Caught it on my apple watch. Heart rate jumped up to 131. It seems to have calmed back down. I am on amiodarone to control it. Scared me a little bit because I was in afib through most of the second day after surgery but have been in sinus rhythm since. Hope this is just a one time instance.

I know as a heart surgery patient that we limit our sodium but I am super sensitive to sodium. I ate a bagel and cream cheese this morning and it was the saltiest tasting bagel I've ever eaten. I looked at the sodium content and it made sense. I had a P-nut butter and honey sandwich and the p-nut butter was almost too salty to eat. I have not been adding salt to anything I eat since I've been home and most things still taste like they have too much salt. Not sure what that's all about but hopefully it resolves itself because it is negatively impacting the taste of what I eat. I am also down 17 lbs since before surgery. I know a lot of this is fluid. I am also eating much smaller meals since I've been home. Still eating good food but my meal is smaller and I'm just not going back for seconds and thirds like I used to. I'm gonna keep on doing and eating what my body "asks" for. Hope the extra salty taste thing resolves soon.

Second attempt to post this. Had it all typed up before but when I added photo, everything I had typed vanished. Here we go again. Good days and bad days but overall I am feeling good. Had a dizzy spell today and BP was 89/63. Various visual disturbances (double vision, etc) that last 1-3 minutes and then go away. Surgeon took me off of 2 of the 3 BP meds I was on BP was averaging 145/85 before surgery on the 3 and averaging 109/66 after surgery on the 1. Finally started sleeping the last 2 days. I was only able to sleep in 1-2 hour increments until Sunday afternoon when I slept for 4 hours. Last night I slept for 5 hours in a row. It is like my body finally remembered how to sleep I did manage to muster the energy to make breakfast for the family this morning which was an accomplishment. Gonna try to walk again soon. Feel pretty steady on my feet even though the "dizzy spell" made me a little nervous. I feel like I am progressing slowly but surely. Can't wait to get that first real energy burst. Thanks again to everyone for the support and prayers. Means a lot to me!

Well, I’m not sure if it’s the diuretic I am own or a side effect of the procedure, but my salivary gland‘s do not appear to be functioning well at all. Mouth stays very dry - Going to call the nurse this morning.

1 week ago right about now I was trying to shake the post op fog in ICU. Here are a few thoughts from my week: - I am loved way more than I deserve. - My family will rally when the chips are down - The HVS.com community is such a wonderful group - I had heard the waiting was the hardest part. I now agree. - Dr Gaca's team is truly a "well oiled machine" - Duke is a great center. - Hospital food has gotten worse - Prepare to lose all modesty - Headache toward end of stay in hospital was rough - Spirometer progress continues - First shower today was absolutely exhausting but worth it, napped off and on afterwards. - I made a walk route inside my home - Have a dry cough and the pillow helps only a little :-) - The lift chair I bought pre-surgery has been a HUGE blessing. - I am comfortable but still haven't slept more than 3 hours in a row. Overall, I am so blessed to be one week in recovery and have been home for 2 1/2 days of that. Gonna try to figure out this sleep thing and start week 2 off strong, Praying for all of you in the waiting room and recovery.

OK - question - I had a full sternotomy and I have the short horizontal scar for my tubes up by my right collarbone. In the area from my main scar and the tube scar, I have ZERO feeling. Its a section about 6" x 3 1/2". I'm wondering if anyone experienced this and if it is forever or if it gradually comes back? I think it feels like it might be coming back a little today. :-))

Well today was walk day at Duke heart center I made double digit laps and put in a little overtime on the spirometer. NP and PT said I am ahead of schedule. Thinking of all of you with upcoming surgeries. Praying that all goes smoothly. Thanks everyone for your kindness and support! This is such an awesome community!

Joey is making progress each day. Today is the first day he's been out of afib. He walked 2 "laps" this morning! They have been removing tubes and lines throughout the day. Still hooked up to some. Pain is slowly getting better and he's off oxygen. Thank you all for your prayers and support!

Hi, I’m Shayne, Joey’s wife. First, I wanted to say what an absolute blessing this community has been for Joey. He feels very connected to each one of you and always prays over you. I personally am in awe of how supportive you all are for each other. It’s amazing to see! Thank you so much for being there for him! Now for what you’ve been waiting for... Joey is doing great! They finished his surgery in about 3 hours; half the time we were expecting so everything went like clockwork. He has been doing well since yesterday. He’s had some Afib, but they said that was normal. He took a leisurely walk around the ICU floor and did very well. Having the breakfast of champions this morning- popsicle and ginger ale! I think Joey will post from here on out. Just wanted to say thank you for your kindness and prayers. God is amazing and we are so thankful!!

Got the thumbs up from my Cath today. Doc said he could “drive a truck through my arteries”. :-)) He also said my heart function looks great, except for the leaky aortic valve, of course. Just gotta try to sleep tonight. Got an early start tomorrow. Said they would roll me down to OR before 6:00 AM. Thanks for all your encouragement! I’m ready

This Father's Day is a little different for me, to say the least. :-) My upcoming surgery has me thinking about Fathers. The first father that came to mind is the first that usually comes to mind...my own father. He was an awesome man. We lost him in January of 2012. He would have been 94 this year. One of the "Greatest Generation", he fought in the Normandy campaign and was wounded in the battle of St. Lo, France. He was not only a hero, he was my hero. He loved me and he was crazy tough on me. He wanted to build toughness in me and I knew what he was doing. I know he had high expectations for me and it bore itself most glaringly at sports events. I could hear his voice in the stands above everyone else. He was always there. I know he will be "in the stands" Tuesday and he will expect toughness from me. He will expect me to "persevere". I plan to make him proud. The second father I thought about was me. I have 2 daughters, one in college and one in high school. Both are "daddy's girls". My dad used to tell me that I would not truly know how much he and my mom loved me until I had my own kids. He was so right. I can't even describe how much I love my girls. I know they will be so very nervous this Tuesday and I need special prayers for them. They are my motivation to get well. I have to walk them both down the aisle and take care of my grandkids when they go on date nights with their husbands. :-)) The 3rd Father I think about is my heavenly Father. I know He would not give me anything I can't handle and I plan on handling it. I know He's got me and He will see me through. I just pray He makes it clear to me why I went through it and how He plans on using me after my recovery. I know that at least part of the reason I am going through this is so I can be an example for others. I hope and pray that I will be able to be an encouragement in recovery to those that are approaching their surgery date just as you all have been such an awesome encouragement to me as I head into my surgery. Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there. You guys are awesome.

Today is my last day at the office. I am tying up loose ends and turning things over to my assistant for a couple of months. Feels odd to be "letting go" of responsibilities, even if its just for a brief time. My job isn't physical. Mostly behind a desk with certain days requiring me to be on my feet most of the day. I feel sure I am going to want to re-engage before my leave is officially over. I took 9 weeks away, which I felt should be enough but it might be too much. What has been your experience? Do you think 9 weeks is too long, too short or about right?