Kevin's Journal

Adam Pick  Congrats Kevin!! Happy Anniversary!!! Not sure if you saw this story yet... But, you and Fred Hoiberg have something very much in common.  https://www.heart-valve-surgery.com/heart-surgery-blog/2016/01/13/coach-fred-hoiberg-patient-success/

Kathy Blank  I agree Kevin. I am so thankful for the medical advances that gave us a new lease on life. Very grateful!

Paul Kurf  Just some of the inspiration I needed to see today! Congrats! This former hiker wants to be a frequent hiker, again. :-)

Adam Pick  Happy Second Birthday Kevin!!! Post a picture of you at the top of Mt. Baldy! That would be awesome!!!

Conrad Skowronski  Kevin - Congrats!!! My 2 yr. anniversary is coming up on July 25. Dan, you and I were within weeks of each other at Mayo Clinic having our valves repaired/replaced. I’m so glad you are doing well. Everyone out there with upcoming hospital stays - there are great times ahead on this side of surgery. You will make it through with flying colors.

Dan Marcantel  You to Conrad we almost met at Mayo. I was going in and you were leaving one day. I live in Austin now. Miss Phoenix but not the heat.

Anna Jones  That is fascinating. I was guessing that the surgeons and team would be more well-rested and more alert in the morning during their first surgery of the day. I am going to make sure I am the afternoon surgery now!

I wonder if there is a way to do a mini poll on this site to see if there is a difference depending upon time of day among us.

Russell Knox  I’m very much a believer in the notion that “everything happens for a reason”. I was originally scheduled for AVR surgery during the morning but had to be rescheduled for his last surgery of the day. Surgery went well, but they had to take me back to surgery and reopen me and find out where the bleeding was coming from. I know hospitals and doctors have contingency plans for things such as this, but my belief is that it was meant to, so the surgical team could take their time and find “the leak”. We all have to have something to believe in.

Gerald Poulton  Interesting article, I had morning surgery and have done great, operation went faster than planned which is a good thing, hospital stay short because I was doing so well, one minor complication that was short lived and post hospital recovery has been excellent. Worked just fine fine for me.

Bob Fessler  I'm like Gerald. Morning surgery. No pain, easy recovery, no adverse events (other than a couple hours of afib). After 3 months, I've still got my fingers crossed and still thank God for my health.

Darlene Smith  Very interesting! I was asked whether I wanted to be 1st, 2nd, or 3rd case and chose 3rd. I guess I chose wisely!!

Phyllis Petersen  I was first surgery of the day and have done very well. I don't know if that's luck or maybe my circadian rhythms are different. Several years ago I worked the overnight shift for two twelve hour shifts, and one day shift, so maybe my body has it's own weird rhythm.

Gina Fiorentino  Wishing you the best in the coming year. Your cycling trip sounds fantastic. How long did you have to wait after surgery before it was safe to ride a bike again?

Paul Wells  Kevin after my first surgery my sternum was closed by passing the sternal wires through the sternum on either side of the saw line . Then twisted to pull the sternum togerthet.
After second surgery the closure felt different so I asked.
This time the sternal wires were passed intercostal.
That is- the wires pass between the ribs and just lateral of the sternum. So this time the wires pass through the muscle between the ribs. It's a better closure , less chance of the wires pulling through the sternum , but more painful.
Three years later those wires still bother me when I drive the Tractor. Because when I drive, I have my left hand on the steering wheel, my right Hand on the lift lever,and I'm looking behind.
That position rolls shoulders back and stretches at my chest.
Have you done any thing lately the stretch your chest?

Corey Sines  I am guessing you got clearance from your driving comment. If its closing up fine, make sure your posture is good as much as you can, and stretch your chest muscles and ribs as well daily. You will have some paint /soreness in ribs chest, not unusually at only 2 months out. Now by 4-6 months, you should have only minor discomfort, anything else you should talk to your doc.

Sophia Ridley  Yes, I had it. Got much worse when I tried to sleep on my side (I didn't for months until stronger).

Corey Sines  Intense Weight Training causes your blood pressure to soar, its actually one of the most strenuous strains we put on our bodies. Look into very light weight/ no weight resistance training and talk about it with your cardiologist. It will still build muscle strength and tone, just differently.

Elinor McCullough 
Magnesium. Specifically Dr. Carolyn Dean's Remag. Go to this webpage to learn:  http://drcarolyndean.com/2014/02/an-atrial-fibrillation-testimonial/
You would as well, do good to read her latest book on AFib and Magnesium. Dr Dean is a real expert on magnesium (as opposed to a faux expert of which there are many)

Elinor McCullough 
Why do doctors of all stripes continue to discount the problem with magnesium deficiency in the entire population? Ego, its not in their medical books (as if they read them on a regular basis), total resistance to natural mineral supplementation. Magnesium does work if you get enough into the body. The body requires it for life. There are other minerals, but magnesium is the most important mineral.

Elinor McCullough  .......If you cannot afford Remag the next best magnesium is L-Threonate, next best is L-Glycinate, next best is Natural Calm (but Natural Calm can cause diarrhea in high doses although good for you to and if suffer from constipation this'll fix that). These types of magnesium should be available from a health food store or amazon dot com online.

All, and I mean all, magnesium supplements from grocery store, big box stores, and common drug stores contain nothing good or usable by the body so you do need to buy elsewhere and buy the best you can afford.

Sophia Ridley  I had it post MV repair op, got rehospitalised for 3 days, left and then back in for 3 more days! My surgeon got me out as I was better off at home recovering. I can only describe it as my heart felt like a bag of angry snakes.
Get all your electrolytes checked and your iron levels. I had IV magnesium (ER first time) which reverted me to sinus for a day and then it returned. I think I wasn't strong enough and had low BP. It lasted 2ish weeks and the shock of reading the TEE and cardioversion letter fixed it. Mine was rate managed with beta blockers, I couldn't take amioderone as I have an under-active thyroid. I have had two two day long incidents since, and possibly a hour the other night.
It's very tiring, but gentle exercise is good. Try and get a good night's sleep and carry on best you can, dwelling on it can bring you down (believe me!)
Elinor - thank you, I'll check out the magnesium supplements.

Robert Osmachenko  Hi Kevin. I'm with Elinor totally. I take 300 mg a day along with Ca. I also take Iodine along with a multi mineral capsule. I am two years out and can count my minor A fib episodes on my left hand.
I was good for pain until about six weeks out then all of a sudden I was getting 9/10 pain in my shoulders and back ribs. Remember, healing is not "linear" heart brother. Be well.

Petey Bello  I was on medicine for a fews weeks straight from the hospital for my afib ...Have they put you on meds for it?

Kevin Shackelford  Thanks All, I am on Amioderone and Magnesium. The Afib is still hanging with me with a slower rate. I am just trying to get used to it....it is frustrating. I meet with docs on Wed. to discuss plan of action.

Wanda Mroz  I had convention OHS and was supposed to be released five days after surgery but then I had 8 seconds of afib (common after surgery) and the surgeon, being very cautious, decided to give me Coumadin until the afib resolved itself so I had to stay because I was bridged to Coumadin with a heparin drip. In hindsight, I'm glad I did. I was nervous to be home the first couple of days. In the hospital everything is monitored. Wonderful to hear you are doing so well after surgery. Blessings for a smooth recovery!💞

Petey Bello  Glad you are doing so well, good luck with the Afib, thankfully you are still in the hospital where they can take care of it & monitor you! There really isn't a rush to get home until you are in the clear!

Alan Lonsberry  Just got my on x valve Monday. I feel wonderful. So grateful to Dr Peter Knight and his team at Strong Memorial hospital in Rochester NY. Good luck, you will do great.

Petey Bello  The best to you Kevin for a successful surgery & quick recovery. I had surgery 2 months ago & feel great & so thankful :)

Tonia Earley  Good luck! I had survery 2 months ago today and I am doing fantastic! Just take it day by day. I will be thinking of you and hope for a successful surgery and speedy recovery!

Chris Vereb  I still have not decided either. I am 51 and have a heavy manual labor job. If I could get a guarantee of 20 years with Bio then hands down I would. A lot of people with the mechanical say the warfarin is not a big deal. I have my tests and consultation June 3rd at Mayo's in Rochester. I will see what they say there. Good luck let me know.

Elaine Cutri  Well this is my 2 cents: if you can have a biological valve, do so. I had a pigs valve for 12 years (the last 3 years I ended up on blood thinners, but at a lower dose than a mechanical valve). I had so much freedom, more than I ever had as a kid with a bum valve. Now I have a mechanical and I have to be more careful and responsible for the Coumadin take, food I eat and activities I do. I am very grateful, but it's noticeable in my lifestyle.

Petey Bello  Kevin, I had chose a tissue valve beforehand (thankfully they were able to do a repair). But my reasoning was: I am very active, ride horses, do dog agility & clumsy (at times). So blood thinners would not be a good choice for my lifestyle. I never heard a tissue valve only lasting 5 years. They tell you 10-15, but can last up to 20 (they just won't state 20). I know a couple people who are at the 20 year mark with theirs tissue valve. I figured in 10-15 years, then maybe they would come out with new technology. I wasn't willing to give up my active life.

With that said, there are a small percentage of people who go with the tissue valve & end up on blood thinners due to blood clots. Then on the other side there is a very small percentage of people who get the mechanical valve, it fails & they have to go back in for surgery...Then some people pick tissue & the surgeon gets in there & needs to put a mechanical.

I would ask your surgeon more questions & do some research on the tissue valves & how long the majority actually last....Good luck in your decision!

Emily Rowley  I too spent days, weeks, months pondering which valve til I came to the decision of tissue valve in the hope of new advances being made. Only to be told I couldn't have a tissue valve so I was prepared for a mechanical valve but thankfully ended up with a re-repair. Despite this I have been on Warfarin for the past 4 months. I too am a very active person who enjoys mountain bike riding, cycling, running etc. The Coumadin hasn't held me back so much, it's the OHS that has. In older people tissue valves (esp cows) tend to last longer around 15 years and not very long in really young people such as 20 year olds. However mechanical valves aren't proven to last forever either. It is an incredibly hard decision, one that is yours, perhaps your Surgeon has a recommendation based on your heart condition/biology of your heart and other aspects to be taken into consideration. I did monitor my diet on Coumadin and kept my levels stable+had blood tests through small finger prick machine. I met other patients in my Ward with tissue valves who were on Warfarin long term. Make sure you are fully protected esp helmet when on bike as head injuries can be fatel esp on Warfarin. The interesting facts I learnt about Warfarin is it doesn't thin the blood just make it less sticky and if a blood is going to clot, the INR is time it takes. Warfarin is reservable in emergency situation with vitamin K. There is alot of information for and against but ultimately it is your decision. I talked to my Surgeon and found out with tissue valves she only uses Pigs. I hear about use of horse valves?....

Rita Savelis  It's a hard decision and depends a lot on your age. In older patients (70 and up) tissue valves last longer. Every case is personal and anything can happen either way, despite averages. I didn't have a choice (too many valves to change, too many surgeries in the past and scar tissue on lungs from radiation). One gets used to whatever kind of valve one gets, and whatever lifestyle/meds goes with it.

Meredith Bray  I was 42and not very active when I had my valve replaced 2 years ago. I chose a mechanical valve at the suggestion of my surgeon, my husband, and my desire to NOT guarantee another surgery in the possibly near-future. Since my surgery, I have:
Gone back to work in a warehouse
had a job driving a commercial vehicle
Kayaking in the Gulf (I wear water shoes anyway - who wants to cut themselves on oyster beds?)
Too many rollercoasters to list
Horseback riding
Mountain climbing
Endured several cat bites
Cut myself too many times to mention (shaving, cooking, walking by something sharp)

And the side effects: Once or twice I have some really dark bruises.

What haven't I done?
Changed my diet
Limited my activities
Bled to death

All that being said, choosing a valve type is a very personal decision. I chose what was right for me (and some old-times gave me a hard time about being on warfarin). Whatever you choose will be right for you. Good luck!

Alan Lonsberry  Kevin, I am a triathlete, and decided on mechanical valve, on x valve. With this valve, inr can be 1.5, which is just above a normal inr. Google the valve,plenty of athletes with this valve, one lady climbed everest, only one ever with a mechanical valve.

Alan Lonsberry  Kevin, I am a triathlete, and decided on mechanical valve, on x valve. With this valve, inr can be 1.5, which is just above a normal inr. Google the valve,plenty of athletes with this valve, one lady climbed everest, only one ever with a mechanical valve.

Rita Savelis  I am in total agreement with Meredith on this one (great post Merdith, that pretty much says it all, in honesty!)

  I chose tissue and I am happy with that decision so far. My reason is that my father died from a brain bleed from Coumadin after his replacement (BAV runs in my family). With that being said, my father had an older generation valve which required higher doses of Coumadin compared to current mechanical valves and he was not a disciplined eater. I am 41, take 81 mg of baby aspirin daily and have no dietary restrictions or blood draws. My surgeon implanted a larger tissue valve (bovine scented) with the plan to replace using TAVR next go around to reduce the number of open heart surgeries I will have to undergo. Before my surgery, I participated in web chats at Cleveland Clinic and read lots of articles before making my decision. Dr Gillinov said that if he were in my shoes and with my family history, he would go with a tissue valve. My hope is that technology will continue to advance and by the time I need a replacement, they will grow valves with human DNA and have those available. No guarantees, but they are growing them already! I have read in here where several folks had tissue replacements and the tissue valves wore out after a few years. Pros and cons to both. Good luck with your decision and I hope you find what you are happy with. I recommend researching on the Cleveland Clinic website.

Kevin Shackelford  Hello All, thank you so much for your feedback and advice. I am at this point choosing the mechanical valve. It seems to carry less cumulative risk for my situation. It is time to move forward and let chips fall where they may!

Chris Vereb  I have chosen mechanical as well. I will be getting a nice little Italian model from Sorin called Top Hat. It is the one my surgeon prefers for my case.