Martha's Posts

I, too, feel every beat in my chest and in my neck, and often in my throat. If you are sitting next to me you can hear it. I'm only 12 weeks out, but I can't imagine that it is going to improve much more. Following to hear anyone else's suggestions.

Hi Martha and Sommer. I've had 2 mechanical valves for 4 years now. I remember a post by a friend and fellow 2 valver who wrote about wanting to design a t-shirt that would muffle sound. I feel for you.... and sadly I don't have any suggestions except that it does get better, or one stops noticing it. I feel unaware now of my heart.... but I certainly slept with a small pillow against my chest for a long time and used it when I was sitting and reading and really wanted it most of the time. Now, years later, I'm okay without it. And my heart is no longer central in my life. But that pillow seemed essential for a long time - almost like a barrier between my heart and me. Wishing you some peace.

For me it wasn't too annoying about feeling and hearing every heartbeat but the fear that my heart wasn't quite right because I thought it was beating too hard. I've slowly come to accept that is the way it will be now and that there is nothing wrong or nothing I can change. For me it's like a metronome that can be soothing at times. I notice that it gets louder and firmer if I take a deep breath and it almost goes away when I curve my chest inward.

I have the On-X aortic valve. It's been a little loud but have gotten use to it over the last few weeks. It's weird that my GF hears it when she is next to me. I told her to call me Iron man from now on. I don't really mind it. It was a better choice for me than a quiet bio-valve.

I have the On-x as well. It is clicking away as I type this. I was sitting in a meeting room recently at work and someone asked..."what is that clicking sound?" It's one of those things that you just get used to. It was really annoying two weeks after the surgery when I came down with a-fib. It was the crazy rhythm that was maddening. Now it sounds like a watch at 60 bpm.

Hello to a fellow double valve replacement. I bridged with heparin, so stopped coumadin a few days before surgery (a breast biopsy) and went into hospital a few days early to have intravenous heparin. The operation went smoothly and I understood that it might take a few days/a week to get my INR back up taking oral coumadin again along with the heparin IV (lots of blood draws to make sure heparin levels are fine). Well, my INR took forever to get back up to speed (this also happened after my initial OHS) so I was in hospital on IV for 2 weeks after the procedure. I was fine, just on IV. Of course this won't happen to you as it must be unusual to take so long. Here in Paris one is also allowed to stay in hospital a long time so things like that occur. The problem with a mitral valve replacement (especially and more so than with the aortic) is that anticoagulants are much more necessary so some sort of bridge is always necessary. I was not allowed to give myself shots as patients in the USA do, but perhaps that is not possible with heparin which needs continuous IV and lots of blood monitoring. Wishing you a smoother situation. Take care.