Judy's Journal

It's now 4 1/2 months post-op for me. In January, I had mitral valve replacement at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Unfortunately, there were major complications. I was supposed to get a tissue valve, but it didn't take. I was put back on the heart/lung machine and they replaced the tissue valve with a mechanical valve. After that, my left ventricle started massive bleeding. They patched it up, but told my family that I had a very low chance of survival. The surgery lasted almost 12 Hours and they had me in a medically induced coma for two days. When I woke up, I had no idea of what I had been through and what my family had endured. I was in the cardiac ICU for 11 days and then in the cardiac care unit for a week. I'm so thankful for my physician and the staff at BWH. I would not be here if it wasn't for their diligent care and compassion. After being discharged, I went to a rehab hospital for 2 weeks. I had to learn how to walk and take care of my own basic needs, again. The physical and occupational therapists worked with me and were so encouraging. When I went home, I could walk short distances with a walker and could climb stairs one step at a time. Now, I can climb stairs just like everyone else, and can walk on my own. I have such a great support system - especially my husband who helped me through the whole ordeal. My children do not live nearby, but they were with me through my hospital stays. Now, since I have a rapid and erratic heart rate, I have to have a defibrillator/pacemaker implanted to ensure that I don't have sudden cardiac arrest. I'm hoping that my resilience, family and faith will help me make it through another experience. I've always been a fighter, which helped me through all of this, so I'm not giving up yet. Your thoughts and prayers are welcome.

We leave today for Boston and my surgery is scheduled for 7:30 tomorrow. My grown (from Australia and Montauk) children are here and we watched the New England Patriott's win the AFC Championship last night and they are going to the Super Bowl. One of my goals is to be watching the Super Bowl with my family and friends in two weeks. I have been listening to my relaxation tapes twice a day and they have really helped me. I'll have my daughter write a post about my surgery. All your thoughts and prayers are welcome.

Nine days until my mitral valve replacement surgery. I have my pre-op at Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston on Monday. I'm glad that I Chose this hospital and Dr. Shekar. They have been excellent. In their information packet they included a brochure for a book and CDs and eBook/MP3 entitled "Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster by Peggy Huddleston. It is available for purchase (less than $30.00) at www.HealFaster.com. It provides relaxation techniques for use with any stressful situation. It has helped me with my anxiety and I highly recommend it for use before and after surgery.