Larry's Posts

Larry- You said it - waiting is the worst! Hang in there. Medical professionals and facilities don't miss a beat. Your procedure will go off without a hitch! This virus isn't their first and won't be their last. The only people who seem to be keeping perspective are those who are knowledgeable enough to separate media hype from scientific evidence. This will all be behind you before you know it! Stay positive! ❤

Waiting is the worst, Larry, but soon you will begin counting the hours instead of days. I put together several jigsaw puzzles the week before surgery. The Medical community does an amazing job keeping the facilities virus free. The evening before my surgery was when the first case of Corona Virus was announced in the US, in the hospital where I had the surgery! Best of Luck and we will be praying.

Thank you all so much for the support. Waiting is the worst and now I'm self quarantining myself so I'm going a little stir crazy. What are your thoughts about having to take an airplane to and from my surgery? Also concerned about while I am recovering and staying at hotel attached to the hospital. We are staying on the club level specifically because they have all meals on our floor, now concerned with buffet style dining. Thoughts?

Yes, the whole thing is difficult. What does your cardiologist and/or surgeon say about traveling by air for surgery? If I was to travel, especially for surgery, I would probably wear a mask, and carry an arsenal of sanitizer with me. I know I tried not to contact anyone sick prior to my surgery.

Your mitral valve situation sounds a lot like mine. I was at Northwestern. They did a perfect repair, and the chords that had broken just got cut out with the bad part of the leaflet. Still 0% leakage of the repair last time they measured, like 14 months after the surgery. You can't go wrong at CC.

Thank you for all the feedback. As of this morning, surgery is moving forward. The doctors feel that I since my surgery is in 8 days, I will be recovered and released before any "rush" on the hospital ICU beds happens. I will certainly take all the necessary precautions not to get sick before (and after) the surgery while flying and staying at the hotel connected to Cleveland Clinic. They told me that the hotel is part of the CC network and follows the same cleaning guidelines as the hospital. That made me feel better since I don't want my wife to get sick.

John; we stayed there in January when I had my consultation and were very impressed with the convenience and staff. We treated ourselves to the club level and realized that they had a full breakfast, afternoon tea and a full dinner which was more than we expected. We decided that when I was recovering in the hospital and my wife was alone at the hotel, it was well worth the extra so she could grab a quick breakfast before visiting hours and a quick dinner after visiting hours. I am also staying there an extra few days after I get discharged waiting for my final followup and we wanted the same convenience.

I am probably staying until April 7th. We chose to drive so we are flexible. This will be our third trip out there and we just find it easier to have a car with us. 3 out of 4 of our kids went to FDU Madison which is right up the road. Don't you miss the traffic?

You won't need much in the hospital. I had loose jammie pants once the foley was out. I picked up slip on sandals to use as slippers, so I could get the socks in and have good grip while walking the floor. I also had a robe with me. My sister was staying at the Holiday Inn so she could bring me more if I needed. An extra long charger cable for your phone will make your life easier. The did have toothpaste, brush, moisturizer, and combo shampoo/conditioner in the bathroom. My surgery was robotic. I went in on Thursday and was out Monday. I was able to shower on Sunday and visit the terrace for a half hour. BTW, the cafeteria at the hospital, which is in a connected building, had an awesome omelet station where your wife can get breakfast if she doesn't get it at the hotel, like the morning of your surgery after she sees you off. There's also a Starbuck's. I'm not sure what they're allowed to have now in Cleveland and whether you need to take your food out from everywhere. The night before my surgery we went to dinner in Little Italy at Etna Ristorante. It was a great way to unwind and eat well before surgery and the salt-free food at the hospital. The most important advice I can give is to ask for anything you think you need. I didn't know that they could supply an eye mask and ear plugs if you need. I did have a problem with my back and they got me a wet heat pad connected to a machine, so I could put it on when I needed. I also don't do well with oral narcotics, which I made sure everyone knew, so they would bring me pudding before giving me oxy, even at 3 am. They really are awesome. There's also a lot of information and support for your wife. Of course, there may be some differences in light of Covid-19. They'll give you a binder which you really should look through. All the best Larry and John! BTW, I'm originally from Brooklyn, NY and misspent my youth at the Osprey in Manasquan.

Hello from San Diego I am in my 16th day of recovery from my robotic mitral valve repair with Dr Hemp at Scripps Mercy Hospital. The wait was very disturbing as I felt I had this underlining fear of the unknown no matter how I tried to distract myself. Such a relief on the other side. My input on hospital packing is definitely bring earbuds of some sort & have meditation apps on your phone. It saved me as I had 2 different roommates and each were up all night with lights on & screaming in pain. I felt terrible for them & the meditation allowed me to get my rest along with an eye pad to cover my eyes. If you have decided to do the surgery... please know it's a common procedure for these surgeons & I was thrilled when each check up my heart murmur is gone. I have learned there is a lot of power in prayer🙏🏻 Big hug from new newly repaired heart Shainy

Larry and John, assuming your surgeries aren't postponed I will say this: You will both likely be blown away by the ICU/step-down unit. Funny, while I remember a bunch from the ICU, including the breathing tube coming out, much of it is pretty fuzzy. The nurses there are incredible. We did NOT like our first step-down nurse and mentioned it to the nurse practitioner for our surgeon. We were promptly shifted to another nurse. The nurses there should be upbeat, smiling, helpful. If they're not (as in depressive, no personality) get a different nurse. This is a one-time shot.

The stepdown unit at CC had single rooms with a cushioned bench that a family member can sleep on. Of course now, with this virus, many hospitals are not allowing visitors at all. That's hard. My sister bringing me Tazo Chai with honey and milk each morning I'm sure helped with my recovery. They really have it together at CC and they are very responsive to their patients. You'll do great!