Nasser's Journal

Marie Myers  I totally understand your anxiety, as i had your same surgery 8 years ago. I found that guided, calming meditations helped me, as did yoga. I hope you have as smooth a “journey” as I had.

Susan Lynn  Nasser - You've got it exactly right - stay positive!  Let your surgeon and team worry about the details.  All you have to do is show up, they'll take care of everything. This will be in the rearview mirror before you know it! We did it - you can, too! 

J Alexander Lassally  Hello. Nasser - Yep, good  to strike a balance and find what feels right for you. A lot of info overload and some of it is not accurate. Do make sure you have a recliner that you can sleep in ready and on hand. I've noticed men especially have trouble sleeping in a bed post surgery. I certainly did ! 

Suzette Schear  Luckily you found this website prior to surgery. Everyone’s journey is different.  Agreeing definitely get a recliner you will only be able to sleep on your back.  I remember when I was told what they were going to do and writing it all down and then it became overwhelming and I cried.  I kept trying to be prepared by learning everything I can. it was my way of coping, but then all of the sudden I stopped.  I knew what I needed to know and just wanted it over.   It’s good to be informed but only you know when enough is enough.  I saw things on my procedure , had expectations of my recovery and mine was different from most.  It took me a year and 4 months to be somewhat normal.  This website and the wonderful people who always respond helped so much.  Wishing you the best sorry for the long post. 

Rose Madura  Nasser, your thoughts process is good.  Remember that the odds are very good for a successful surgery.  I have the same surgery eight years ago and I remember the sAme feelings as you are having. Best wishes to you. Godspeed.

Robert Miller  Are you getting surgery from Dr. Woo? His staff is quite nice and informative but I won't elaborate about him because it wouldn't be nice. There are a lot better options like Dr. Castro.

Look at all the videos and all the information you can get. Be familiar with possible and unlikely consequences Having said that, I never felt safer than going into surgery. You have two surgeons during surgery and you have 24/7 monitoring after surgery. If something should happen, you have a nurse within footsteps and a doctor within 1 minute or so. You could not be at a safer place. 

Dan Fouratt  Nassar, you are in the hardest part of the journey - waiting.  In this period I spent time getting ready for surgery and recovery.  I spoke with a dietician who provided advice on my pre and post surgery diets.  My surgeon said I should exercise (not strenuous) as much as I could, I did.  I prepared meals for post surgery in line with he dietician recommendations, even though my wife could cooked them.  I completly stopped drinking alcohol. I went shopping for recovery clothes (sweat pants and a front button shirt) as I was not planning on wearing the gown. I bought dietician approve snacks for the hospital recovery and home (good thing as the food was awful at Duke). I did everything I could to distract me from thinking about the upcoming event  and give me some sense of control. Good luck on your journey you are in a great hospital system so you will do well.  PS recovery is the fun part as you actually do have control on what is done.

John Cook  I found out that I would likely be having SAVR in February and in April was schedule for a Ross Procedure in 27 days.

The more I’ve found out about the surgery and the statistics, the less worried I am about the actual surgery.  We have a better than 99% chance of our surgeries going well and having normal or close to normal longevity prospects as people who don’t have valve problems. Reading lots of information and watching videos helped me get over the anxiety of the surgery.

What worries me is the recovery process.  I have difficulty not working for two weeks when I take a vacation.  The prospect of having to take 4 - 12 weeks off for recovery is daunting. 

Then there are the other questions: When am I going to be able to return to full duties? When will I be able to run again? How much medication will they have to put me on to keep my BP below 110?

I’m having dreams about both the surgery and the recovery and I know it’s just me working through my anxiety.

I’ll see the other side of my surgery and you will see the other side of yours.

Good luck.

Daniel Bellezzo  Dear Nassar, I had a valve sparring aortic root repair Aug 4th 2023, the anxiety and wait was horrible, you can’t help but think about it, the wait was one of the worst parts, the surgery, well the surgery was no big deal. It’s the waking up and recovering that’s challenging. But you’ll do better than you think. I was at 5.1 cm , so what choice do you have. Live with this time bomb or take care of it . The time bomb  and every year watching it grow will be in the past soon. And that my friend will be a huge huge burden off your shoulders 

Glenn Tremper  Certainly understanding the challenges posed by the ramp up to surgery.  Walking the path together. . . .

Marie Myers   I was a very anxious patient during the waiting time. After all was done, I felt that the whole process was way less painful/difficult/ awful than my worrying mind would have me believe. But we are human, and it is very difficult to remain worry-free in the waiting time. I did ask my doc for some anxiety medication, and that helped me get some better sleep. Godspeed!

Grace Mason   Ditto what Marie said 😊! Your surgical team will take care of you Nasser. Another day "in the office" for them, doing what they do best. You will wake with a new lease on life. 

Rose Madura  I had a very similar surgery as you.  It is difficult to wait but I stayed positive and focused on how much better I'll feel once it is over. While I did have some complications, the doctors knew what to do and almost eight years later, I'm doing better than ever! Godspeed.

Nasser Abed  To All - Thanks to ALL of YOU for taking the time to read my entry and respond. You're ALL GOLDEN. I will keep you updated.

Pamela Gregory  Hi Nassar, I completely understand how you feel!!! You are in really good company on this site. I was so freaked out for such a long time I thought I might have a hear attack before the surgery ever came. I could not walk into the operating room like I was supposed to because they had to sadate me long before that(haha). I was begging them too because I couldn't deal with it anymore. Now, I am a drama queen and it ended up not being near as bad as my brain had me believe. You will do great and I think spending time with your loved ones and doing things you love to do helps a lot as you wait. It is truly the hardest part