Peter 's Journal

Susan Lynn  Peter- You have certainly come to the right place! You won't find more information, provided by heart warriors who have 'been there, done that, got the ... Read more

Susan Lynn  Peter- You have certainly come to the right place! You won't find more information, provided by heart warriors who have 'been there, done that, got the heart pillow' than you will here. You'll get real support and get your questions answered, promptly.

The initial diagnosis is horrifying. We've all experienced that! Also, most folks will tell you, waiting for surgery is the worst part. By the time game day arrives, you'll be ready to put it behind you. Don't worry about post-op pain - your medical team, particularly the CICU nurses, will have it cowered.

You will find that the days you spend in the hospital and the few weeks of recovery will be the best investment you will make in your health. In no time, you will be providing your story and advice to others like you who we affectionately refer to as 'in the waiting room.' The entire process of heart surgery was much easier than I ever thought. If I can do it, you can do it! Wishing you all the best! ❤

Lynn Loudermilk  Yes, this is the right place. It has been like one big family. So happy to be here. You asked about waking up in pain, I didn't but everyone is different, ... Read more

Lynn Loudermilk  Yes, this is the right place. It has been like one big family. So happy to be here. You asked about waking up in pain, I didn't but everyone is different, a day later I had more but they controlled that . CICU was wonderful.

Peter Linn  Yes, I know there will be some level of pain. I have had a few surgeries in the past but nothing of this magnitude. I have low pain tolerance, some would ... Read more

Peter Linn  Yes, I know there will be some level of pain. I have had a few surgeries in the past but nothing of this magnitude. I have low pain tolerance, some would say a big baby LOL, and just hope the first experience on the other side is not immediate agony.

Marie Myers  I also worried about post op pain. Amazingly, pain was not a huge issue for me. I complained more about my aching shoulders and upper back than anything else, ... Read more

Marie Myers  I also worried about post op pain. Amazingly, pain was not a huge issue for me. I complained more about my aching shoulders and upper back than anything else, and was just overall uncomfortable . I went home with a prescription for 10 Percocet, and I only used 3 of them.
I was more surprised by the overall fatigue after surgery. It took a couple weeks before I felt more myself.

Adam Pick  I love when I see the word "family" to describe our website. Thanks! This just made my day! I just posted a new video about pain management in your guestbook. ... Read more

Adam Pick  I love when I see the word "family" to describe our website. Thanks! This just made my day! I just posted a new video about pain management in your guestbook. Hopefully, it helps you have some important conversations with your medical team. Let me know if you need anything! Adam

Peter Linn  Thanks all. I have also read and heard about fatigue. My brother (who had something similar a few years ago) also stressed the fatigue factor. But, fatigue ... Read more

Peter Linn  Thanks all. I have also read and heard about fatigue. My brother (who had something similar a few years ago) also stressed the fatigue factor. But, fatigue sounds better than pain. Depression may be another matter though.

Rose Madura  I did not have much pain with the incision. The hospital gave me a heart hugger which was most beneficial. I did experience some shoulder pain and a heating ... Read more

Rose Madura  I did not have much pain with the incision. The hospital gave me a heart hugger which was most beneficial. I did experience some shoulder pain and a heating pad helped. I hear you on opioids. I don't like them but did take them to stay ahead of the pain but got to only Tylenol fairly soon. You can do it. Trust God and the doctors. Take care and keep us posted.

Deena Elani  I had my sternum cut and had little pain there. The back and shoulder discomfort is what I needed the Tylenol for. What was undoubtedly the most challenging ... Read more

Deena Elani  I had my sternum cut and had little pain there. The back and shoulder discomfort is what I needed the Tylenol for. What was undoubtedly the most challenging for me was the extreme exhaustion, fatigue. If I had known in three days I would be that much better, it would have helped me mentally. - though you could have told me so and I probably wouldnt have internalized!

Chris Hall  Pain was not bad until I coughed. You'll learn to love your little pillow. I left the hospital on tylenol and haven't needed anything else. Good luck. You're ... Read more

Chris Hall  Pain was not bad until I coughed. You'll learn to love your little pillow. I left the hospital on tylenol and haven't needed anything else. Good luck. You're right, this community is family and here to answer any questions. We've been there.

Dave Raynor  My greatest fear too was to cough. When I finally did, uncontrollably, I found it didn't bother me in the least and I wasn't cranked up on pain meds. There ... Read more

Dave Raynor  My greatest fear too was to cough. When I finally did, uncontrollably, I found it didn't bother me in the least and I wasn't cranked up on pain meds. There were only two very weird and troubling experiences with my aortic root and aortic valve surgery. One was when they wheeled me into the OR. A lot of the time, with past surgeries, I was almost out. Not this time. It was a bit scary to see such an environment and know that it's all yours for the next 6 hours. Plus there were about 10 people in the room and when I got wheeled in...the whole place went eerily quite. So much so that I had to ask if everything was okay. That's the last thing I remember in that room. The other was after a couple of days at home, I could barely walk around so my wife loaded me up and took me in for an EKG. I wish I could describe the look on the technicians face. There was obviously trouble. So I was taken back to the hospital. Turns out fluid had built up around my heart. They took me into the same OR I had my angiogram in and stuck a huge needle in my side and purged out the fluid. After that...it was all smooth sailing and his been ever since. That was 8 months ago.

Adam Pick  Hey Peter, Regarding pain... You might want to ask your surgeon whether or not they are using cryoanalgesia or rigid sternal fixation. Here's some info about ... Read more

Adam Pick  Hey Peter, Regarding pain... You might want to ask your surgeon whether or not they are using cryoanalgesia or rigid sternal fixation. Here's some info about that. I understand these two technologies can be a game changer for post-op pain.

Marie Myers  I totally get it. I was very anxious when I met my cardiac surgeon for the first time, and my BP was 180/85 in his office. My heart was pounding! And I was ... Read more

Marie Myers  I totally get it. I was very anxious when I met my cardiac surgeon for the first time, and my BP was 180/85 in his office. My heart was pounding! And I was already on a beta blocker at that time. I told my primary doc, and he put me on 2 weeks of buspirone 5 mg twice a day. It calmed me down, and I was able to accept the fact that this was indeed all happening, and that I would eventually be having heart surgery. I, too, had an ascending aneurysm, aortic root aneurysm, and a bicuspid aortic valve. I did also eventually ask my primary for some alprazolam (Xanax) to help me sleep. I did not take it every night, because they are addicting. I eventually listened to calming videos on Utube, and increased my yoga and meditation sessions. All of this helped me to accept what was happening, unwelcome as the diagnosis was. You are doing the right thing by getting your different consultations and opinions , and you will know what your next steps will be. Hang in there! It is not an easy path, but it is easier than I thought it would be.

Peter Linn  Glad to hear that. I had tears of fear in my eyes last night, pressure in my chest, feeling of doom. I am going to get something like Xanax this week for ... Read more

Peter Linn  Glad to hear that. I had tears of fear in my eyes last night, pressure in my chest, feeling of doom. I am going to get something like Xanax this week for use as needed. I have also been running with meditation rather than music. I stumbled upon this condition as I was training for a marathon. I feel perfectly fine which is in a sense contributing to the frustration and fear (will I be the same afterwards?’). Thank you for the reply

Else Reed  Keep with the facts— surgeons are able to fix you, and do it all the time. It is great this was discovered, having no symptoms! You are very healthy to begin ... Read more

Else Reed  Keep with the facts— surgeons are able to fix you, and do it all the time. It is great this was discovered, having no symptoms! You are very healthy to begin with, so your recovery will be a breeze.
When you have your brain wander off in the “what if’s”...catch it with fun images in your brain: vacation, friends....religion. Accept, and get it over with. To me, this was and still is a total mental and physical challenge.

Deena Elani  Peter, like all of us, we were in shock upon the initial diagnosis. Knowledge is power and helps overcome the anxiety, at least for me. I found it a form ... Read more

Deena Elani  Peter, like all of us, we were in shock upon the initial diagnosis. Knowledge is power and helps overcome the anxiety, at least for me. I found it a form of "control". Go to a renowned, superior hospital and surgeon for your procedure when the time comes, ask for the statistics to compare your top three or so surgeon preferences, and know that you then have a 99 percent chance of successful outcome. You are being improved, not downgraded!

Lisa Coombe  Hearing the words “you need surgery” is scary and no matter how far away it is that anxiety is there , I had it even in the waiting bay on Monday, but there ... Read more

Lisa Coombe  Hearing the words “you need surgery” is scary and no matter how far away it is that anxiety is there , I had it even in the waiting bay on Monday, but there are many amazing people on this site that will support you through this journey. Yes it’s hard but I now understand this that once it’s done you will feel so much better. Let the surgeon and their team do what is needed. You got this

Paula Romero  Hi Peter, I totally understand your fear and anxiousness. I meet with 2 Surgeons on Tuesday and I am so worried about which surgery they will recommend. But, ... Read more

Paula Romero  Hi Peter, I totally understand your fear and anxiousness. I meet with 2 Surgeons on Tuesday and I am so worried about which surgery they will recommend. But, at least my condition was found and I can get it fixed and move on. Just think if you had gone on without knowing - it would catch up eventually and be much worse. Hang in there, you’ll be back running in no time. 😃💜

Chris Hall  I spent a lot of time reasearching and found this site. The resources here are outstanding and the community here is overflowing with people who know exactly ... Read more

Chris Hall  I spent a lot of time reasearching and found this site. The resources here are outstanding and the community here is overflowing with people who know exactly how you feel. I planned my recovery to keep my mind off of it. Thinking about mortality is something we've all gone through. Many of us here have months and years post op and we'll be waiting for you in recovery. Keep Moving!