Kristine's Journal

Adam Pick  This just made my day!!! Thank you for your wonderful share, your smiling photo, and your excellent advice!!!

Amy Berger  Thanks so much for coming back on the site to post your progress! I’m 3 weeks post surgery for aortic  valve and feeling great. This site was so important to me prior to surgery, and I want to pay it forward like you are giving people encouragement. All the best!

Klara Čičić  Wow Kristine, you look absolutely amazing, the happiness shines through that photo! Great job you've done. Happy 6 months! 

Leona Resch  Kristine you look fabulous!! Glad you are doing so well and life is back to normal! Thanks for posting- makes me believe I can get there too!’ 👍

Robert Miller  You look great and everything you say is so true. When you go through this, even when the procedure and recovery is easy, you will get a new perspective of life. While the surgeon hopefully has fixed your heart for good, you realize how (other) things can suddenly change. I haven't completely changed but it definitely has changed my lifestyle, especially with the people that are closest to me. So in some weird way this journey has improved life not just in a physical way but what you make out of your life. 

Leona Resch  Well said Robert and Kristine! This whole experience has definitely made me look at things in a different way. Not sweat the small stuff and focus on the meaningful people and things in my life. That realization of what you have gone through is almost like a reset in some areas of life- I’ve thought about it as the silver lining of heart surgery- kind of weird but I appreciate and enjoy the blessings in my life even more! ❤️

Donna Casaletto  Thank you for this inspirational post!!!A picture is worth a thousand words and you are exuding pure Joy through that beautiful smile🥰‼️

Thomas Brusstar  I had that same diagnosis in spring of 2018.  The initial diagnosis triggered all kinds of fear, but within a few months my surgery was over and I was empowered by how the body heals.  A year after the diagnosis I was kayaking in the Galápagos Islands with my family.  Heart surgery is obviously a major health event, and not everybody gets a complication-free recovery (I had surgery on a Tuesday and was home for dinner Friday), but heart valve problems are so fixable these days!  There are mysterious illnesses like some cancers that sneak around in ways we cannot easily measure, and then recur — so in the grand scheme, I appreciate the amazing ability to measure, understand, and fix these problems.  Thanks for your great update!

Timothy Andre  Congrats Kristine! Getting back to doing the things you love is the best feeling. Thanks for the update, you're doing great. God bless you

Susan Lynn  You're looking fabulous and making incredible progress! Good for you, Kristine! Keep up the good work!!

Timothy Andre  Wonderful post Kristine!! So happy to see you smile and out riding your bike. Keep being positive and thanks for sharing your update God bless you

  So good to see you recovering well Kristine. Sorry you still are dealing with the pleural effusion but it’s getting better yeah! The soreness will get better with time. Look at you riding your bike, you look great! Thank you for your positive post and God bless you 🙏❤️

Rose Madura  You look so happy in this picture Kristine!  Congratulations on your continued recovery.  And you are very wise with your observations of not comparing yourself to others.  That will help you tremendously.

Adam Pick  Love every bit of this. The progress, the honesty, all of it. Thanks so much for sharing Kristine!!!

Klara Čičić  Wohooo! You look fantastic. What an amazing surgeon. Thank God all went well! I am so happy for you, Kristine! Wishing you all the best...

Susan Lynn  It's so good to hear from you, Kristine! You did it!!! YAY! Welcome to recovery! You'll be surprised how much better you'll feel in a couple of weeks!

Deena Z  Kristine, the hardest part is over!!!   You will get better every day.  Congratulations on not just being a heart warrior, but a heart gladiator.  The highest status of fortitude and bravery!  Admire.

Timothy Andre  So happy to hear from you and that everything went well.  Congrats Kristine, you did it. Welcome to recovery ❤️‍🩹 

Daniel Salzer  Congrats on your recovery progress!  Getting the chest tubes out will be a major milestone - reduced pain, better breathing, everything gets better when the tubes come out.

Susan Lynn  Kristine - Sorry to hear about your rescheduled procedure. You'll just have to wait a couple additional weeks to be our latest rock star. Glad your team is well prepared to give you another option. They can work out the logistics, you can relax and enjoy the quick nap. You've got this!

Susan Lynn  Also - July 25 is my brother's birthday, so it represents a celebratory day in our family! I'm sure it will become a great anniversary date for you to enjoy, too!

Rose Madura  Kristine, it's disappointing that you have a delay but as you said, we are re so blessed there are options and we have great doctors to care for us. Best wishes and God bless you!

Rose Madura  Hi Kristinem waiting can be hard but you can do it!  Try to stay busy, enjoy yourself and your loved ones and do something fun.  The odds are definitely in your favor and you will do fine and feel better once it's all over.  Godspeed. 

Timothy Williams  I'm 11 weeks post OHS for mitral valve repair.  You are truly in the hardest time - waiting! Trust your surgeon and their team for the technical stuff.  Prepare yourself with nutrition, rest, exercise.  Plan where you will recover, what you might want (sleep options, etc.), friend/family support and prepare mentally to focus on recovery.  I hope your experience is like mine.  I felt progress frequently!  I walked everyday, did stretches 3x daily.  Once stretches became easier, I introduced very light weightlifting.  For sure every 3 days I felt progress, sometimes daily.  Week 2 was hardest for me (exhaustion/emotion), but by week 5 I nearly felt like my old self.  Stay positive!  

Marie Myers  I just read your story, and thought it was so interesting that a gastroenterologist found your murmur. God bless those gastro docs! They must have been paying attention in “heart murmur” class, because a Gastro doc found my murmur way back when I was in my early 20’s . We are all guided and protected, I believe. So you are right to let things unfold in their own time. Wishing you a smooth wait for your surgery in July!

Neal Syverson  When my cardiologist said it was time for surgery I wanted to get it taken care of right away and get it all put behind me.  I would have gone into surgery the next day if they would have let me.  I went through delay after delay and I think it was 7 months later before I had my surgery.  July is not really that far off.  The waiting is the most difficult part of the whole experience.

Kristine Schroeder  Thank you, Marie and Neal. I really love this support group. I was just thinking it’s been 10 weeks since my diagnosis and 10 weeks potentially until my surgery. Now I’m planning to fit in the Mindfulness classes they just started offering at the hospital. 

Rose Madura  Kristine,  welcome to the site.  I'm sorry you have to wait, but at least it's not an emergency.  I wanted to wait until I officially retired but my cardiologist wouldn't hear of it so I had surgery within about a month after it was determined that I needed it.  All in God's timing.   Please keep us posted.  Godspeed!

Heather Kelly  Read your story tonight as it has been a bit since I have been on our site. I know you will do great I have a sense of that. I was so glad to hear about your optimism and positive experience with Tampa Hospital. I myself had AVR on Feb 4, 2022 in Nashville TN and am gratefully 90+ days post op. I could not have anticipated it going better and am living back in FL again. There may come a day I will need another valve and/or TAVR so knowing there are great doctors near by is great news. You are 100% right, God's timing is perfect and your July day will come and pass and you will be recovered and living life. Be patient with yourself and do exactly what they tell you... we are so blessed to live in this time when these types of surgeries are even possible and saving lives every day. God Bless you. - Heather Kelly

Kristine Schroeder  I just learned the surgeon I have been referred to has been training for robotic mitral valve surgery for 15 years and just recently successfully performed the first one here at Tampa General Hospital. I am a wheelchair user and if I qualify for this procedure it would be incredible.

Neal Syverson  Hi Kristine, keep in mind not everyone can have robotic surgery.  There are certain aspects of the anatomy that might prevent it.  I was told the day before that mine would likely be robotic but if they ran into difficulties they would switch to the sternum.  Fortunately it worked out for me.

Neal Syverson  Also note my surgeon said robotic is more painful since they are going through soft tissue instead of bone but the recovery time is much shorter.  I find the pain easily managed with Tylenol.  I have less pain than what I expected.

Neal Syverson  Since you rely on upper body for mobility I can see a huge benefit in robotic surgery.  In recovery they stress the importance of getting up and walking.  I would ask your surgeon lots of questions on what your recovery would look like.

Kristine Schroeder  Thanks, Neal. Dr thinks I am perfect candidate for robotic or minimally invasive procedure that won’t compromise my shoulder girdle and chest.

Kristine Schroeder  Thanks, Neal. Dr thinks I am perfect candidate for robotic or minimally invasive procedure that won’t compromise my shoulder girdle and chest.