I am a 66 year old female diagnosed with bicuspid aortic valve as a child. In 2010 I was diagnosed with mild stenosis that has progressed to severe stenosis. ...Read more
I am a 66 year old female diagnosed with bicuspid aortic valve as a child. In 2010 I was diagnosed with mild stenosis that has progressed to severe stenosis. I will be having valve replacement in mid-August. With my bicuspid valve I am not a candidate for a TAVR. Of course, the nerves are a little on edge. I was wondering from others what I need to take with me to the hospital and what I need to do to prepare my home for recovery? Thank you in advance for any advice ( and prayers for peace!:)
Mike Larson I wore shorts, tshirt and flip flops. My wife then brought in my iPad, cell phone, 3 clean choonies a ... Read more
Mike Larson I wore shorts, tshirt and flip flops. My wife then brought in my iPad, cell phone, 3 clean choonies and bathroom supplies which included toothpaste, toothbrush, comb and deodorant. Wore my same cloths home that i wore there. You will not wear anything other than a hospital gown due to all the central and peripheral iv lines and a chest tube until post op day 2 for me. I did bring a book, some magazines and snacks I thought I’d like. To be honest my appetite was not great, I dozed in and out, did my daily walks around the floor, watched some soccer. SAVR on Monday, discharged Thursday. Oh.. don’t worry when they pull out the chest tube or central lines, it did not hurt and was more of a relief!
Anna Ma There are quite a few great lists shared by some members on this site. For home, a power lift recline ... Read more
Anna Ma There are quite a few great lists shared by some members on this site. For home, a power lift recliner will be very helpful. You can buy one from wayfair or amazon for only $300 or less. For hospital, it depends on your hospital, I tried to prepare for everything, but in the end I didn’t really need most, my hospital provided very nice welcome gift packages. I never needed additional robe or most stuff I prepared. I did like the slippers for walking around. I bought extra bigger size but still can’t fit in after surgery, so my husband ran to the store and bought me a new pair. They will give you socks for walking, but I prefer more comfortable shoes. Have your family members bring your phone and charger and long charging cord on second day when they can visit you. You are not going to be awake to use it on first day anyway.
Anna Ma Oh, buy some button up shirts if you don’t have enough already. I learned that from this site. Doct ... Read more
Anna Ma Oh, buy some button up shirts if you don’t have enough already. I learned that from this site. Doctors or nurses will never tell you these kind of tips, but were so helpful to me. After surgery some motions are painful or challenging like dressing yourself. The button up shirts helped a lot so I didn’t need to raise my hands.
