Karen's Posts

Thanks everyone for all your good wishes. I am feeling very good. I do realize that I am not as good as I was a year ago but it will take time to heal completely. Elaine, I read some of your journal, good luck on your upcoming surgery. You will do great. I just wanted you to know that I have a tissue valve, bovine valve, and I'm 66. My surgeon recommended the bovine valve and said it should last 15-20 years and if I should need a replacement that things are progressing so quickly that it wouldn't be OHS. For my surgery this time it was a mini-sternotomy and it was considered minimally invasive. Again good luck and God Bless.

Hi Karen - I can identify with some of your issues, especially within the first month of recovery. I was plagued with swollen ankles, used compression stockings during the day. It was only about 2 weeks ago, I'm post op 14 weeks, that one morning I looked down at my ankles and they were their normal size! All day long, into the evening I kept checking - they didn't blow up! I was thrilled. The potassium thing I had for the first 4 weeks of recovery - eating a banana every day is a good source of potassium. When my prescription for potassium was used up, the doctor did not renew - blood tests for warfarin showed everything normal. And the fatigue for me was normal, too. Naps were good where they would make me stop for a little while instead of overdoing. I walk an average of 2.5 miles EVERYDAY, now. Funny thing - I don't like walking, but know it is the best thing to do. Oh well. Hang in there. Both the surgeon and cardiologist told me that I would really start to feel much better 3 to 4 months out.

Thanks Liidia. Glad you are doing so much better. I'm almost 8 weeks out now and the fluid has left, my potassium is good and I'm not as tired as I was. In fact, I don't feel tired today at all. I did walk about a mile today. That seems to be the most I can go but I'm working on it and the walking does help. Let me know how you are doing.