Martin Smith - Heart Valve Journal

My Journal

98 days ago

3 months post aorta replacement (Inspiris Resilia) and ASD repair and recovery seems to be going according to plan and the doctors are happy with my progress. ...Read more

3 months post aorta replacement (Inspiris Resilia) and ASD repair and recovery seems to be going according to plan and the doctors are happy with my progress. Until my next scheduled checkup I have a couple of questions that hopefully this hive mind can help with.
1. I have some 'stiffness'/aching in my shoulder blade/rear ribs area and also some occasional minor discomfort in a couple of front ribs (in the obvious area). I tried cycling recently which really didn't help especially on slightly uneven roads and any jolt while walking also causes some unpleasant discomfort.Does anybody else have experience with this. Obviously I'll also discuss this at my next scheduled checkup.
2. Mental health: After the surgery I was delighted to be getting back to normal and to my original level of fitness but very recently, I've had flashes of thoughts of 'my own mortality' which kind of weigh heavy on my mind, which is kind of annoying.Anyone else?Is this usual?
Thanks everyone.

Robert Miller 1) I did have discomfort in that area plus neck, plus lower back mostly because I had to only sleep o ... Read more

Robert Miller 1) I did have discomfort in that area plus neck, plus lower back mostly because I had to only sleep on my back. After 3 months you should be able to sleep however you want, though. Maybe you got used to sleep in a certain way which still affects your body? I have no idea. Just guessing.
2) That's a pretty complex area. Yes, a heart surgery can and probably will elevate your consciousness of your mortality. That's a good thing. It pushes you to finally do that will/trust (which I did long before), sort out your things, re-emphasize your priorities. e.g. go out and do things, spend time with kids if you have kids, spend quality time with your partner, etc. Make the best out of every day. If you have fear of mortality and this affects your life, you might want to talk to someone.

Martin Smith Robert, thanks so much for such a quick response, you've definitely helped. I have always been fit an ... Read more

Martin Smith Robert, thanks so much for such a quick response, you've definitely helped. I have always been fit and healthy (until I wasn't!). From initial diagnosis to waking up after surgery was a total of 4 weeks so I really didn't have any time to dwell on things. Thankfully not having been in hospital ever before, this is all a new experience...'every day's a school day'

Richard Munson My right shoulder has never been the same since my 7 hour surgery 4 years ago. I was told that my arm ... Read more

Richard Munson My right shoulder has never been the same since my 7 hour surgery 4 years ago. I was told that my arm was raised in a somewhat unnatural position the entire time. On the bright side, my mitral valve is still working.

Robert Miller As Monty Python says: "Always look on the bright side of life"

John Cook 1) I too am having a lot of back stiffness and rib pain as I’m trying to return to my pre-op level ... Read more

John Cook 1) I too am having a lot of back stiffness and rib pain as I’m trying to return to my pre-op level of activity. During the day it usually isn’t bad but it wakes me up at night. At Rehab, they told me it’s the connective tissue between the ribs getting used to stretching and moving again. I manage it by preheating an electric heating pad before I go to bed. Then I turn it off and drape it across my chest as I fall asleep.
2) All the websites say that emotional upheaval & anxiety are normal post-op. I cried at least once a day over random things for 3 weeks after my surgery. It still happens occasionally. Worry, anxiety, & depression are all normal post-op. Talking about your worries to someone you trust is better than trying to hold them all inside.

J Alexander Lassally Hey -- regarding 2.) there are no rules on the mental health recovery. We are have all been through a ... Read more

J Alexander Lassally Hey -- regarding 2.) there are no rules on the mental health recovery. We are have all been through a war of sorts and we need to let things happen as they happen. I found that the Drs I encountered post surgery were poorly trained to handle any aspect of this... It takes a long time to process the experience.

Be good to yourself (as Journey sings) and give it time! It will evolve.

Martin Smith A BIG THANK YOU to everyone. Just to know that others have experienced the same or similar really hel ... Read more

Martin Smith A BIG THANK YOU to everyone. Just to know that others have experienced the same or similar really helps. I have a suspicion that I tried to do too much too soon, gonna be taking it a bit easier for now 😁.All my cardiologists have been great and my GP has been absolutely brilliant, I feel lucky.

Martin Smith posted a journal

191 days ago

Well, that went from 0 to 100 real quick. At 61 years old, from never knowing of any problem to being diagnosed with calcified bicuspid aorta and an ASD on ...Read more

Well, that went from 0 to 100 real quick. At 61 years old, from never knowing of any problem to being diagnosed with calcified bicuspid aorta and an ASD on the 25th April to being 4 days after surgery on the 16th May. I think that's impressively quick.Ouch! But it's getting better and moving around is getting easier. I've got to say that I think I've received great treatment here in Bulgaria. Shame about the hospital food 😞 and some stronger pain meds might have been nice.

Richard Munson Glad you are better. Hospital food is never 5 star anyplace. Its done on purpose to get you to leave ... Read more

Richard Munson Glad you are better. Hospital food is never 5 star anyplace. Its done on purpose to get you to leave faster.

Richard Munson Since reading you are from bulgaria, i checked it out on line. Sounds like an interesting place with ... Read more

Richard Munson Since reading you are from bulgaria, i checked it out on line. Sounds like an interesting place with a varied historical past. I assume you are not a native bulgarian but only base that on your name. Hope you are turning the corner heart wise.

Marie Myers On the bright side, at least you didn’t have too much time to dwell and worry on the upcoming surg ... Read more

Marie Myers On the bright side, at least you didn’t have too much time to dwell and worry on the upcoming surgery! Welcome to recovery!!

Pamela Gregory I have been to Bulgaria twice. Glad you are already on the mend! For me the worse part was waiting a... Read more

Pamela Gregory I have been to Bulgaria twice. Glad you are already on the mend! For me the worse part was waiting and thinking about it. You will do great

Rose Madura Wonderful news. Glad all is better.

Martin Smith Thank you everyone for your kind words. And yes Richard, I'm a Brit, I wonder if things would have ha ... Read more

Martin Smith Thank you everyone for your kind words. And yes Richard, I'm a Brit, I wonder if things would have happened so quickly in the UK

Susan Lynn Martin - Glad surgery is behind you! Welcome to recovery!!

Fidel Martínez Ruiz Very good your news Martin, welcome!!

Martin Smith posted an update

198 days ago

Warfarin!I'm sure I wrote this before but I can't seem to find it.3 weeks in from aortic stenosis diagnosis to surgery (next week) and I'm still trying to process ...Read more

Warfarin!I'm sure I wrote this before but I can't seem to find it.3 weeks in from aortic stenosis diagnosis to surgery (next week) and I'm still trying to process all this I lead a fairly active and boisterous life (no contact sports), and I am really quite concerned about taking warfarin...for ever!Are there any long term warfarin users, who lead a similar life. How do you deal with minor cuts and scrapes and how serious are they. What about more serious (hopefully rare) injuries.I'm not saying I'm clumsy and thankfully injuries are rare. But warfarin obviously makes you more vulnerable. Thanks

Brian Leonard I have been on warfarin for nearly 6 years with no issues - and I’m not worried about my valve wear ... Read more

Brian Leonard I have been on warfarin for nearly 6 years with no issues - and I’m not worried about my valve wearing out like a biological valve - that was the trade off or so I’ve been told betting on my mechanical valve now

Martin Smith Hi Brian,
Thanks for that. I'm not planning on slashing myself with knives anytime soon 😂 but ... Read more

Martin Smith Hi Brian,
Thanks for that. I'm not planning on slashing myself with knives anytime soon 😂 but occasional accidents do happen. And it sounds like more than a sticking plaster might be needed. Any experience of that?
Also, currently, I I do like a few glasses of wine or whisky occasionally, and it sounds like that might be a problem?

Rita Savelis I've been on warfarin for 10 years with no issues. I remember being so stressed and worried the first ... Read more

Rita Savelis I've been on warfarin for 10 years with no issues. I remember being so stressed and worried the first year and then just getting on with my life. There are some special bandages you can buy (forget what they're called) that help one coagulate faster when you get cuts and scrapes. It's not an easy med to start because it's normal to be worried. Also it can take some time to get stable on it and one needs a blood test at least once a month. I eat what I want and do what I want. I do bruise easier.

Rita Savelis As far as alcohol goes, it's okay to drink just not excessively. So if you drink a lot, perhaps warfa ... Read more

Rita Savelis As far as alcohol goes, it's okay to drink just not excessively. So if you drink a lot, perhaps warfarin is a bad choice, but then I guess drinking a lot is a bad choice for many reasons. I drink occasionally - a few glasses of wine or a few cocktails. It can make my INR go up so I try to avoid it the night before a blood test.

Rita Savelis I'm sorry that you have to make a valve choice - it's not easy for anyone and there is no right or wr ... Read more

Rita Savelis I'm sorry that you have to make a valve choice - it's not easy for anyone and there is no right or wrong choice. Just the choice you make and then you have to move forward. I imagine you are young (in the cardiac world) if you are thinking of a mechanical valve? I had radiation damaged valves (3 of them) so already my first valve surgery was difficult (at age 53) so I was advised by my surgeons to go with mechanical to try to avoid future surgeries. In a perfect world I wouldn't be on warfarin, but it is manageable.

Martin Smith Rita, thank you thank you so much. Oh and am 61, so I don't know where that puts me on the scale. For ... Read more

Martin Smith Rita, thank you thank you so much. Oh and am 61, so I don't know where that puts me on the scale. For me, all this has happened only in the past 3½ weeks, it's good that everything is happening so quickly, so I'm told. But it means that everything is a bit of a whirlwind and my head is spinning.
No, I'm not an every day drinker, but I do like a drink every now and then. But if I was limited to say, 1 glass, that would be kind of depressing, a 2nd beer (or 3rd 😁) with friends is currently so enjoyable.

Susan Lynn Martin - if you're 61, you may want to consider a bio valve, specifically one that's large enough to ... Read more

Susan Lynn Martin - if you're 61, you may want to consider a bio valve, specifically one that's large enough to accommodate a TAVR, if needed in the future. The newer bio valves have a pretty significant life span and a future TAVR procedure is not as traumatizing as OHS. Just curious if your surgeon fully covered the options.

Martin Smith Believe it or not, I haven't spoken to any surgeons yet. Prior to 3 weeks ago,I was a fit and healthy ... Read more

Martin Smith Believe it or not, I haven't spoken to any surgeons yet. Prior to 3 weeks ago,I was a fit and healthy guy, who'd never had any health complaints. I'm going to the cardiology hospital on Monday and hopefully the surgeons there will help me decide the best course of action.

Susan Lynn Martin- Don't panic, yet. You're just starting your research. It's easy to jump to the conclusion o ... Read more

Susan Lynn Martin- Don't panic, yet. You're just starting your research. It's easy to jump to the conclusion of a mechanical valve and the blood thinners, but that's only one choice. Make a list of your questions for the cardiologist and you can always come back to this site for more input. Also, we routinely recommend multiple surgical opinions - It's always good to hear multiple points of view.

In addition to discussing bio and mechanical valves, you might want to ask about the Ross procedure. Good luck with your appointment!

Susan Lynn https://www.heart-valve-surgery.com/ross-procedure-aortic-disease

New Ross Procedure Patient Education Center

https://www.heart-valve-surgery.com/ross-procedure-aortic-disease

Learn new medical insights, patient experiences, and durability research about the Ross Procedure for aortic valve patients.

Rita Savelis A 2nd or 3rd beer is fine Martin. Cheers!

Martin Smith Rita...perfect answer, thanks ♥️

susan harris i was going to say pretty much what susan lynn said-must be in the name. i’d suggest asking surge ... Read more

susan harris i was going to say pretty much what susan lynn said-must be in the name. i’d suggest asking surgeon and cardiologist about TAVRs later. a cardiologist at john’s hopkins said he’s seen a bio tissue valve and then two TAVRs. a surgeon at cleveland clinic told my 26 yr old son he’d suggest a mechanical valve then plan to take it out at age 60. and put in tissue valve. net, if that reco was at age 60, you’re past that at 61. lots to think about and sounds like you’re short in time. lots of great videos i. the learning center in this site. there is no right or wrong!

Robert Miller I only have been on Warfarin for a very short time as they repaired my valve. However, I am on a bloo ... Read more

Robert Miller I only have been on Warfarin for a very short time as they repaired my valve. However, I am on a blood thinner probably forever. Warfarin is a bit harder to manage but as for bleeding side effects, I have more blue/black spots when I hit something (even if I don't realize it at the time I hit something) and I have frequent nose bleeds (don't push tissue up your nose but squeeze your nose for a couple of minutes). I don't do contact sports but do other things including handling tools (screw drivers, jig saws, circular saws, hammers, and a bunch of other sharp tools).

Martin Smith posted an update

199 days ago

Hi. As this has all happened so suddenly (3 weeks) I am kind of confusing myself. I am going to need a new aorta and while weighing up the pros and the cons, ...Read more

Hi. As this has all happened so suddenly (3 weeks) I am kind of confusing myself. I am going to need a new aorta and while weighing up the pros and the cons, I am leaning towards a biological valve, as taking warfarin for the rest of my life, scares me...a lot. Does anyone have experience of long term warfarin use.
Thank you.

Autumn Stuart I have been on warfarin for 6 1/2 years due to having a mechanical valve. It has not caused any probl ... Read more

Autumn Stuart I have been on warfarin for 6 1/2 years due to having a mechanical valve. It has not caused any problems for me. I was worried about being on warfarin for the rest of my life too when I first found out, but it was that or have to have another surgery 10 years later and I did not want to do that. Feel free to ask me any questions.

Rita Savelis Been on warfarin for 10 years after having mitral and aortic valves replaced with mechanical valves.

Martin Smith posted an update

200 days ago

Autumn Stuart, Scott Kinghorn reacted to this

61yo, in the last 3 weeks I've gone from never having been in hospital or ever having any serious illness to needing ohs to replace a bicuspid aorta and a potential ...Read more

61yo, in the last 3 weeks I've gone from never having been in hospital or ever having any serious illness to needing ohs to replace a bicuspid aorta and a potential shunt repair between the 2 atria. Terrified doesn't even begin to describe how I'm feeling.

Marie Myers I was right where you are now, back in 2017. I had never been in a hospital (except to work), no seri ... Read more

Marie Myers I was right where you are now, back in 2017. I had never been in a hospital (except to work), no serious illnesses, then at 63 years old, a routine echocardiogram of my bicuspid aortic valve showed an ascending aortic aneurysm and an aortic root aneurysm. In short order, I met a cardiologist, a cardiac surgeon, and had a modified Bentall Procedure. Fast forward 8 years, and I am good! I totally understand the terrified feeling. I was very scared also. You WILL make it through this, and there is a very good chance you will feel that it wasn’t as scary an experience as your worrying mind would have you believe. It is no walk in the park, but the odds are in your favor! And these great surgeons do these procedures every day. Read some of the stories on here, and if you have questions, there are lots of us who have been down that road.

Martin Smith Thanks for that Marie ♥️. I think that it's all so sudden, has caught me off-guard.

Rose Madura Martin, I had know since I was a child that some day I would need OHS. I was super scared every time ... Read more

Rose Madura Martin, I had know since I was a child that some day I would need OHS. I was super scared every time I went to the cardiologist for my annual visit. I was most frightened about going under for some reason. But in 2007, I needed an ablation (which successfully treated my SVT) and that procedure lessened the anxiety. Then I had to have a hysterectomy which was the first time I was completely out and intubated. That wasn't so bad so I wasn't quite as scared then. It's very understandable to feel this way but honestly, it's not as bad as we met ourselves think. At least that was my case Hope this helps.

Martin Smith Thank you Rose, my head is still spinning, just 3 weeks in and I'm booked into the hospital next week ... Read more

Martin Smith Thank you Rose, my head is still spinning, just 3 weeks in and I'm booked into the hospital next week, I should be grateful that things are happening so fast