judith's Journal

Susan Lynn  Judith - I'm sorry to hear your results, but wait to see what the cardiologist says on Thursday. You'll be in my thoughts and prayers. Please keep us posted.

Lisa Guinan  Glad you don't have to wait terribly long to see your dr. My cardiologist went on vacation right after my TEE so I had to wait extra long to find out the results. They were actually online before I saw him. Things always seem to sound worse when you read them.

LINDA ROBERTS  Sorry to hear that. Hoping your cardiologist will make you feel better by explaining things. Reports are sometimes confusing to interpret.

judith monti  cardiologist said the mitral valve ring is cinched tightly which reads on the echo as heart failure. His exam showed no water retention or abnormal sounding heart or lung. I have read a pulmonary valve can leak and no one cares how badly it leaks. The tricuspid is still a moderate leak but not of concern at this moment. He prescribed a beta blocker to help with my cardio workout.

Thankfully all is well. My mother is begging me to get a 2nd opinion but I think the exam speaks for itself....no heart failure!

judith monti  sorry about the spelling of the drug. It is Tikosyn. I am on the smallest does of 125 micrograms 2x a day. Expensive stuff!

judith monti  I was unable to take the tikosyn. My Q wave was too elongated which can throw one's heart into a deadly rhythm.

Will see EP in 2 weeks to discuss other options. I have tried all meds and only other option I am aware of is another ablation. They did an extensive maze procedure when my valve was repaired so not sure I care to have a 3rd.

Gerald Poulton  Hi Judith, sorry to hear that you are going through this, yet another one of those pesky complications of OHS. Did it come on right after surgery or take a while ? It usually goes away with medication and rest, maybe you need to take a break from the rehab and exercise. It takes longer than 2 months to totally recover from OHS and I know it is frustrating but try to relax and let your body heal. 💐

Marie Myers  I am sorry you are having this complication. I hope some rest and Meds help it soon, and you get back to feeling normal .

Anna Jones  I'm also sorry you are having to go through this. As others have said, rest and let your body heal. Make sure you are keeping your doctor informed too.

Soggy Rodent  2mos post-surgery is not that much time. I feel ya wanting to feel normal again. Everytime I had a day where I felt great, I'd end up over doing it and would land myself in bed for a couple-few days. I'm 8mos post-surgery and still working towards normalcy. Patience was and is a very difficult part of this journey - patience with ur body and with urself. Hang tough gf!

Shannon Gray  I am so sorry you are experiencing this... I went through a severe pericardial effusion ( when fluid builds up quickly around the heart) and then following that I experienced pericarditis... it took quite a long while to get through, so I sympathize. Rest, go easy, and be at peace as you heal. Hang in there!

judith monti  I hear everyone and thank you for your responses. Makes me feel better that others have gone through the same. I did some light cleaning yesterday and back to severe pain around 5 a.m. in morning. Took a colchicine and 600 mg of ibuprofen Took a while for meds to help but then I fall asleep from the drugs and didn't get up til after 11. I have such a difficult time doing nothing. I am off of cardio rehab til further notice. Meds will be re-evaluated next week.

Thanks for your advice. I will try to be more patient. Hope everyone is doing well!

judith monti  I was thinking the other day why I am so frustrated with healing. Last February I had an ablation for AFIB. I had quite a few problems after and spent most of last year not feeling great. Early March 2017, they did a T test to look better at my mitral valve. A prior echo showed my mitral valve was severely leaking. I'm not sure why we waited 9 M before doing anything about it. I knew it needed to be done but perhaps I was hopeful it wouldn't.

So since last February, I've not done my usual gym activity due to ablation and when I finally got to where I had been in strength and endurance, THe valve sugery was done.

Hope this explains my inpatience a bit. I have been good, rested, no rehab, no walking. The paracarditis is still there and I know if I returned to walking, I'd wake up the severe pain.

Hope everyone is recovering and feeling better!

Marie Myers  I did not enjoy the lesson in patience that the whole recovery process provides us. Hope you are doing better, and can get back to your activities soon!

Jeanne Bortolini  Hi Judith , I am new to this site. I had robotic minimally invasive valve repair also. My surgery was 12/7/17 so almost two months ago. I am experiencing pain just to the left of my right breast. It is sometimes stabbing pain , occurs often each day. There is also numbness and hypersensitivity in this area and in my ribs below that breast on the right side. Did you have anything like this? I’m starting to think it might be nerve pain but so far have not gotten any answers from the doctors or nurses. I hope you feel better soon! Thanks!

judith monti  Jeanne: I do not have numbness per say but I did have some in my breast after surgery. Almost 3 M post surgery. Was 1 year ago yesterday that I had heart ablation.

The pericarditis is a sharp stabbing pain when I move. It moves into my neck and to my shoulder. If I lean down it really throbs. Laying down and getting up is quite painful.

I don't think it is that common. I was given the colcichine with indemethacin which has kept the pain at bay.

Let us know if you figure out what is going on. Good luck!

Rita Savelis  It took a long time for my appetite to return. Most food didn't taste good. But I continued to eat in a robotic fashion, because I thought I needed to.
A few months after OHS, my appetite came back but it took a long time for me to desire sweet things again.
I lost about 12 lbs after surgery because I ate so little.
It came back after I began to eat normally again.
OHS can really disturb appetite and temperature and various other functions. They do return to normal but it can be very weird when your whole body reacts to the trauma your heart went through.

Marie Myers  I lost about 10 lbs and did not have much appetite for a couple weeks. I only weigh 103, so that was a lot for me...Unfortunately, my desire for sweets did not diminish, and , here at 10+ months, all is back to normal...I love sweets....

Civita Fahey  I lost about the same as Marie but like her I love food in general so I put it back on ! Gosh darn!

judith monti  back to cardiologist Friday with increased chest/neck pain which was dx'd as paracarditis. For some reason it continues to come and go. i did add the ibuprofen yesterday and I think it helped some. Woke up with same pain today.

Thanks for answers to my questions. I lost 7# and have so far kept 6# off. Still not eating a great deal and so many things don't taste good. After my ablation last February I had the same reaction to food. Someone else mentioned being cold and I have had that issue but it is getting better.

I know the NP in surgeon's office said the smaller you are (I was 122#) the less reserve you have to fight with. I imagine will gain the weight back at some point.

ANyone having issues with paracarditis? I'm hoping it will settle down prior to Monday as I want to finish cardio rehab and get back to my gym. I like rehab....so many nice people there who genuinely care about you and your health. enjoy speaking with the retired cardiologist's in the program.

Hope everyone is doing well!

Bonnie Stone-Hope  So sorry to hear this, Judy. Really hope that your cardiologist can help you find the reason for this pain.

Sophia Ridley  I had Physio for shoulder and neck pain after surgery (post 8wks and agreed with cardiologist), made such a difference.

judith monti  my permanent cardiologist said it is inflammation and yes it can radiate into the neck and shoulder and more pronounced while laying down and taking a deeper breath. He prescribed 90 days of colchichine and 600 mg of ibuprofoin 3x a day. Took my off eliquid during this 3 month time. I am questioning the ibuprofin at this dose as it can give you gastritis. My appetite is still lacking and am a bit afraid of getting stomach issues.

I am also thinking of seeing a pt and having a therapeutic massage

Bonnie Stone-Hope  Hi Judy,

My family physician gave me a prescription for antibiotics, plus refills, to be taken prior to all dental work, and that was just before my surgery.

On my discharge papers, I was again reminded of the necessity to take antibiotics prior to dental work.

Also got forms to fill out for medic alert bracelet.

Glad to hear that you are doing so well. Keep in touch!

God Bless

Cathy Zuber  Hi Judith...my cardiologist and family doctor both said to have antibiotics when I'm at the dentist. You take a "mega dose" about an hour before your visit. I've had 2 teeth cleanings since my mitral valve replacement ( mechanical), and I'm fine!!

Rose Madura  Yes, take it. I think there is some confusion from when the heart association said it was no longer necessary - but I think with valve repairs/replacements, it is a definite YES. However, I had to bring this up with my cardiologist. What if I didn't already know about this? Once again I say, we have be be our own advocates and do our due diligence.

Sophia Ridley  My surgeon and cardiologist are adamant that I take antibiotics before any dental work, including a check up. My dentist did show off a bit but relented.

Catie B  I hope they're able to get your heart rate and blood pressure under good control soon, Judith. Keep on healing!

judith monti  Woke up around 4 am a week ago with severe chest pain. Took a 5 mg oxycodone provided for pain. Waited around an hour and with no relief headed to ER.

Spent 10 hrs in ER. Gave me 2 bags of fluids. ct scan, lots of blood work, blood cultures. Had 2 rounds of phetanol (sp) which didn't help pain but for 15 minutes. Percocet finally got pain under control for hours.

Diagnosed with dehydration. No answer to the chest pain. Hospitilized for 2 days. Watching my blood pressure. Meds changed to 12.5 metoprolil 2x a day. Now pressure is higher than 120 and they seem to prefer that to the low. I don't like either.

Have small amount of fluids building in plural cavity that is being watched. Had a chest xray yesterday and another visit with the surgeon's NP.

Feel pretty good. Hard to believe how quickly the body heals.
Judy