Mike's Journal

I hope everyone is well. One year ago today I was on an operating table at Mass General Hospital. What a difference a year makes. I regularly walk/jog 3+ miles a day and am enjoying life. For all that are in recovery, pending surgery or still in the waiting room, hang in there, it gets better!

5 months ago I was on the operating table. It is amazing what a difference 5 months makes...I graduated cardiac rehab last month and am at my own gym 5-6 days a week. Best wishes to everyone for a happy, healthy 2022.

Couple questions. For anyone with a mechanical valve, is the clicking noticeable to your friends and family? Have you gotten used to it over time? Also, for any of you that enjoy an alcoholic beverage, do you still do so and how much does it take to affect INR?

Made it!! Little issue, pulmonary valve was insufficient so we have to go to the backup plan but it’s done. Pacer wires should come out tomorrow. Everything else is out. Painful but bearable.

Hi All, I just realized that due to privacy settings (I think anyway), my surgery date has not shown up on the right yet. I had intentionally not updated it for a while because as many here have said, it is just too real. Surgery on 8/3, heading into Boston tonight for an early arrival at the hospital tomorrow morning. It's been just over 3 years since I learned of my bicuspid aortic valve. At the time, stenosis was moderate and I just remember being scared of the unknown. I quickly found this site and it has been a great resource, not just for learning about what options we have but also for knowing that there are others out there going through the same thing and that there is life, long life in fact after this ordeal. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about surgery and maybe even more so about recovery but I've definitely come a long way in 3 years and much of it is thanks to this site. Having been on here for a few years, it's great to see the folks who were just going through surgery back then posting yearly updates. Very encouraging. I'll post after surgery. Best wishes to everyone wherever you are in your journey.