Julie's Journal

Karen ShirIey  So awesome to hear everything worked out. I agree with you fully that women can be overlooked which is why it is the number one killer of women. Also keep in mind that should something seem not right...even when there are documented issues you may have to advocate for yourself to have them look further. It could save your life.

Mike Roskowinski  Congrats on two years! That is awesome. Keep up the good find and being an inspiration to all the others on here. We all get through this together with a strong community

Susan Lynn  Happy Anniversary! What a wonderful, reassuring and IMPORTANT message about prevention! Thank you! I wish you many, many more decades of anniversary celebrations!

Susan Lynn  You certainly made it through some challenges! Glad you're feeling well and able to remind everyone, especially women, about the importance of heart health. To many more decades of anniversaries!!

John Morales  Thank you for sharing it inspires some of us who are yet to go and have fears. The many successes give me some comfort ,.

Debbie Kelly  Dr. Ruel is one of the best, here, in Houston. Thank God, you are one of his many success stories. Thank you for sharing your story, and congratulations on year one. What a beautiful family you have!

Susan Lynn  Congratulations on your upcoming anniversary, Julie! It is the greatest feeling when it's behind you.

Susan Lynn  Julie - You may want to try a large "statement necklace" - they're very trendy and would look perfect for a formal event. If you prefer to cover rather than conceal it and the incision is fully healed, you might want to stop by Sephora or Ulta and ask for a product that will have sufficient coverage. There are plenty out on the market that can conceal tattoos, so there should be no problem with your scar, You may want to try Cover FX or IT Cosmetics "Bye Bye Red." I've used both to conceal redness and they work well.

Rita Savelis  On the internet you can find information about many brands of professional makeup such as dermablend that are made to cover scars for situations such as photo shoots.
https://www.dermablend.com/body-makeup/by-concern-body-makeup/scar-cover-up

Have a wonderful time at your dressy function!

Robyn Tatu  I like Dermablend and a little powder. You'll want to place your order now. I recommend going a tad darker than you think you might need. I know what you mean. I'm proud of my scar - but it's SUCH a mess that I think it may make others uncomfortable in certain situations.

Susan Killian  This is a good suggestion. I go in next week for my 1st appoint after surgery, I was going to ask about using a scar cream now. Do you use sun protection too? I have heard that is important.

Julie Copeland  Both! My surgeon thought it was a good idea so I asked for a referral when I saw my cardiologist at home. He referred me for eval 10 weeks after surgery. Blessed to live in a city that has an established and accredited program

Anna Jones  Hi Julie, you are asking a difficult question without giving enough answers:

Supplemental life insurance is usually referring to insurance provided though an employer. These plans are typically 1x or 2x your salary and are offered free or at a reduced cost. Also, usually, because the insurance amount is a small multiple of your annual salary, the coverage isn't sufficient.... that is why it is "supplemental".

So, questions I have are:

1. Are you working with an independent insurance agent?

2. If so, have you looked into term life insurance, and whole life insurance or universal life insurance?

3. Who do you plan to make the beneficiary of your life insurance policy... and what is the purpose you want it for? In other words, is the beneficiary your husband and you want it to replace your lost income in the event you pass away? Do you want your children to be the beneficiary so they have an inheritance? Do you want the insurance just for the purpose of covering your burial expenses (in which case guaranteed life insurance should work)?

Willie Radl  Julie, I looked into this prior to my surgery and what I found was that it is very difficult and or very expensive to get life insurance after surgery. Some companies won't even consider it. I actually think Adam P has some blogs on this on the site. If I remember correctly from reading his blogs he did get life insurance but pays ~3x the average rate. Other health factors (i.e. smoking, diabeties, etc.) can also play a big role in being approved or not. I think for a lot of us who have been through the process and feel great or better than we did before surgery find it puzzling that now that we are technically healthier we have a harder time getting coverage...go figure.

Anna Jones  Wille Radl, the reason is that insurance companies are basically placing bets on your life. For products like life insurance they are betting that you will live a long life and not need it. For products like annuities they are betting that you will live a short life and therefore use less of it.

Anna Jones  julie, I am going to Houston Methodist for my surgery. I wanted to ask you some questions about your care at the hospital. Would that be possible?

Julie Copeland  Well, to clarify the insurance issue- I’m wanting to purchase a term policy on my own as I feel we are under insured. I keep reading 10x your income is a good figure. I have a small policy from work and a whole life policy I got almost 20 years ago when I bought my first house. My youngest son has special needs and will likely need some help the rest of his life. The beneficiary would be my husband and kids. I’m pretty healthy other than the heart valve stuff which I feel is resolved - I don’t smoke, no diabetes, cholesterol is 120, my blood pressure runs 100/60. I exercise and I’m a registered dietitian who practices what I preach almost all the time. I’m a compliant patient who is now stable on medications (Coumadin). My doctors anticipate a long full healthy life for me. I was advised to wait 2 years and apply for life insurance again as I was denied by one application. They also said it would be easier to issue a policy if I only had 1 valve replaced rather than 2... I worry I’m uninsurable and am at a loss as to how to deal with future planning in this aspect. Still considering investing the $ I would spend on a policy...

Anna Jones  Hi Julie, I doubt you are uninsurable. You may fall into the high-risk category depending upon which life insurance company is insuring you, which only means that you will be paying a high premium. However, not all insurance carriers look at exactly the same things. So, your best bet would be to work with an independent insurance agent who represents a lot of different insurance companies. He can shop the market for you. You can also contact an agent at Northwestern Mutual. Their agents are not independent but Northwestern Mutual pays dividends to their insurance owners that are applied against the premium, and that helps to lower the cost a tiny bit.

The second thing you can look into is an annuity for legacy purposes. To do this I would contact Stan Haithcock (Stan The Annuity Man) at 800-509-6473 or email: stan@stantheannuityman.com He is probably the most knowledgeable person I know in setting up annuities for specific purposes. He's also very good at educating his clients. You can find his articles all over the internet. And, he is probably the most honest salesman of annuities and he is scathing of agents who push the variable annuities. Also, as a caution, he is also probably one of the most obnoxious people I have ever met, and you just remind yourself that you are picking his brain not being his friend. [Disclaimer, I don't work for Stan, I have no ties to him, I just think he is excellent at figuring out how to achieve your ends, and if it can't be done he will tell you so.]

Anyway, the point of the annuity (for legacy purposes) would be to provide a monthly income (think pension) for your son and/or you and/or your husband for your son's lifetime. You and Stan could work out the details and he could price it for you. The nice thing about working with him is that once you have the information he doesn't push you to buy it. I'd ask him to send me his relevant books (which are free) so you can educate yourself on what exactly an annuity is and ask more detailed questions. Keep in mind that once you purchase an annuity contract, they are costly to break. But it seems to me that if your son will need additional help this might be beneficial rather than giving him a lump sum life insurance payout. Keep in mind, annuities are constant payments while the person is alive. They are meant to prevent someone from ever running out of money.

Make sure you ask about the insurance company's ratings before making any purchase. Stan can provide the Comdex report which will show AM Best, S&P, Moody's, and Fitch financial ratings (i.e. health of the company)

So, my questions regarding Houston Methodist are:

1. Were the nurses very responsive to your needs? Did it take them a long time to answer your call button?

2. Was your pain managed well?

3. When your drainage tubes and pacing wires were pulled, did they give you additional pain medication to manage the pain during removal? Were they very painful to remove? How were the drainage tubes and pacing wires removed?

4. Did you have a private room?

5. Was the bathroom kept clean?

6. Was the food really terrible?

7. Did you have any complications after surgery? How quickly were those complications addressed?

8. How long was your stay in ICU and in the step-down unit?

9. How soon did they have you sitting in a chair? How soon did they have you walking?

10. In the city where I live, when we go into the hospital we are given a "patient code". In order for a relative to call in and get information on the patient they need the code, otherwise no information is provided. Do the patients at Houston Methodist get a "patient code"? or can anyone just call in and get information on the patient?

Thank you for answering my questions.

Julie Copeland  Thank you so much for the info!
Answers to your questions:
1. Yes but politely vocalize your needs. Icu was great! But know that in icu you are among 6 other patients unless the new icu is open. You don’t care much though as you’ll feel tired. On the floor, It did not take them long at all, especially with a room close to the nurses station.

2. Yes, for me all I really needed was Tylenol after moved from icu. Avoid narcotics if you can. You will be sore.

3. Drains and pacing wires were removed Day 4-5. I only had 1 drain which is uncomfortable but better once removed. I had complications. Had a heart rate of 30 one night but that resolved on its own, my right lung filled with fluid and had to be tapped on day 3. My stay was longer because of it.

4. Yes to private room as insurance paid for it and it was flu season

5. Yes, housekeeping was great for me- they came everyday and cleaned really well... it was flu season and they were through, also left me a container Clorox wipes when I asked.

6. Food was ok- it’s select menu. I tried everything on it while I was there. Omelets were great! Don’t get the salmon. The chicken was dry.

7. My complications were addressed promptly. My dr and surgeon and/or the pa visited with me at least 2x day and the nurses were always available to pester. I felt well cared for. Discharge with the med changes were challenging. I called my home pcp to help get my labs. The Houston Methodist Coumadin clinic nurse helped till I got everything transferred over. Make a post op appt with your home cardiologist as soon as you discharge.

8. Complications kept me longer than anticipated. 3 days in icu, 5 in step down

9. Day 2 I was up and went for a walk- felt like a marathon. Not gonna lie, it was hard! But you’ll prevail.

10. HIPPA requires you to authorize release info to who you want. My husband and dad were there and passed info on to others. There’s no phone for you in icu. Visiting hrs in icu are very limited. You’ll be glad for that as you’ll need rest, which is hard in the icu as they are always doing something. Admitting will take whatever info you want though. Do NOT bring anything valuable to the hospital- jewelry, computers etc... you don’t need it! There’s not a secure way to store it. They will furnish everything you need. Just ask!

Anna Jones  Julie, I am very happy that you found an insurance policy. I figured if you shopped around you would find one :-)

Thank you very much for answering the above questions. I really appreciate it.

Rita Savelis  I had that too, and didn't know what to blame it on (drugs, anasthesia, life...). It did stop after a few months. Do bring it up with your doctor though...

Michelle E  I read that one of the drugs they put you on will do that. Amiodarone for regulating the heartbeat. I've been watching that myself but think it's too soon to tell.

Clayton Mcarthur  I think that's normal after surgery that affects you like that I had to take amiodarone for 3 months and noticed it as well but once stopped the hair thickened up again

Mark Wilbur  My wife has been on amioderone for the last 15 months for afib and had noticeable thinning hair. She mentioned it to her cardiologist and has had less hair loss since dosage was reduced. She'll be off it soon, thank goodness.

Lilly Black  I lost my hair like crazy! I used to have such gorgeous thick hair and people always commented on it. After my last surgery, I lost a lot of hair....every day I found hair all over my laminate floors! I was devastated. Although I still lose hair on a daily basis 3 yrs post surgery, I gained a lot of it back. However, much of it is coming in as white hair, after all I will be 67 years old in September. So it may or may not come back....but there's not much you can do about it. Some things are: don't freak out, don't over wash, don't over brush, massage your scalp, eat healthy and get some decent sleep. I take Buried Treasure liquid vitamins. I wash my hair with very diluted shampoo. I don't put dye on my scalp, and my conditioner is made of argan oil. I have noticed that my hair is getting thicker and shinier and less hair is falling out. Good luck!

Julie Copeland  My hair did stop falling out about a month ago, and is slowly growing again. I had it cut shorter and highlighted based on the advice of my hairdresser. And I’m still on the b complex vitamin.

Julie Copeland  From my FB page
4 weeks ago today (yes, on the texas ice day) I had open heart surgery... I feel like I’m a walking/talking miracle. Still recovering, but doing much better! PTL! Thankful for each day! Thankful for my medical team, family, & friends!
#recoverymode
#mattersoftheheart
#congenitalheartissues

Fatema Yaqubi  Glad you’re doing fine, I’m waiting for my surgery to replace my two valves, very nervous but hopeful, by the way my story is exactly the same as you and we are the same age.

Cathy Zuber  Hi Julie!! Great schedule idea!! I took a nap every afternoon for a while!! I like the PJ idea..but I had home health care visiting..and one was a younger guy..so I just stayed in sweats !! Yes, I had lots of swelling in my legs and feet!! I couldn't wear my great tie shoes..in the Winter..I was wearing summer sandals with the straps made bigger with Velcro!! No fun. I took 3 different water pills each day...no fun!! This lasted several months for me..then the water weight finally started to disappear!! Follow up with your primary care docs and/or yr cardiology team!! This is common after surgery. Hang in there.....take time to enjoy those naps!

Bonnie Stone-Hope  So sorry to hear that you have this issue.
I assume that you have already advised your physician of the swelling and that you have been keeping your feet up when sitting.
Perhaps your pharmacist could let you know if this could be a side-effect of one of the drugs you are talking.

Soggy Rodent  There is no way I could've dealt with my care alone after surgery. My mom and brother were very supportive. Having friends take me out for lunch or little walks really helped to boost my mood and keep me positive. Hooray for our support teams!!

Therese ODell  Hi Julie! So glad you have had excellent care! Will you be able to go home soon? Did you have complications that have kept you in for longer than "normal" whatever normal is...... hope you are doing well and on the road home!

Anna Jones  Hi Julie, I'm also very glad that you've had good care. I'm sorry you had to be at Houston Methodist for so long. My Cardiologist thinks that is the best hospital for cardiac care and he would like me to go there for my surgery. I'm currently interested in interviewing another surgeon. Would you be willing to let me know who your surgeon was if and you were happy with his skill and attention? Thank you for any information you will provide.

Julie Copeland  My care was awesome! Historically, Houston Methodist has done this a long time and is highly ranked, and for me was only 3 hrs from home. I’m a complicated case as I have severe RA & needed 2 valves replaced. One was bicuspid. Over the year + awaiting my procedure I was seen by many of the team. At first I was annoyed, but I got several opinions this way, which helps. My cardiologist was awesome! Dr Little and Barker are great, and they arranged recommendations/interviews of surgeons. I chose Dr Ross REUL- who I recommend as he’s got a lot of approaches to surgery and will give you his honest opinion on each for your case/medical situation. He is kind, confident (but not Godlike), experienced, and a good listener. He’s been doing this surgery about 18 years and knows his stuff. His stats are really good. Ultimately, I trusted him to his recommendations- I didn’t push him into an outcome he wasn’t comfortable with. He’s the surgeon, not me. He took all the time to answer questions, give info, etc.
The surgeon you’ll only really see the most the first year, then yearly after that for checks. You need an awesome relationship with your cardiologist who you’ll likely see forever... keep that in mind as you decide. I love my cardiologist at home, trusted his judgement of Houston Methodist, and went from there...

Also Houston Methodist is set to open an entire brand new state of art cardiac icu etc at the DeBakey heart & valve hospital this spring! I just missed experiencing it! You can view it online.

Brenda Bryson  Julie, glad too hear you are doing well. Just take your time. I do recommend that you start your cardiac rehab as soon as possible, it does made a difference.

Debra Langford  So very glad you’re doing well. I go for my surgery on Feb 15 so I’ve been reading your updates. Prayers for a continued recovery.

Bonnie Stone-Hope  One day at a time............
Follow your body's lead. I felt very tired some days, and walked a bit more when able. Good piece of advice I read on this blog is...........measure your progress weekly, not daily.

Soggy Rodent  Emotional, exhausted, and sore. I was all of those too. I cried so much I became sick of myself. A common statement was "I don't know why I'm crying..." OHS is a highly traumatic event as is being put on bypass... Sounds like ur doing great. Sending u healing vibes :)