Rena's Journal

Well HVJ members, I am pleased to announce that all the steri strips are off and am doing great! Incision still looks great, energy levels are rising, and I start cardiac rehab next week. I am looking forward to it. Prior to surgery, I had been working out at a gym since January. I miss it. LOL. I bet that is something you don\'t hear people say, but I do. I have been battling a kidney infection for the last 2 weeks and am on my 2nd dose of antibiotics but other than that I feel great. I am looking forward to the rain stopping so that I can get in the pool.

Today was a great day! I am feeling much better. Actually it been two great days in a row. Yesterday, I went to Brianna\'s 8th grade graduation. It was great to be out of the house and among friends. I got to see my students and my colleagues. I was tired at the end of the day but it was well worth the effort. I did use a wheel chair because of the distances I had to walk and the amount of time I had to be up. Today, I went for three walks on my block. I walked 14 driveways 2x and 7 driveways 1x. It made me feel really good to be able to do 3 walks. Other than a little lower back pain I am doing well. Thank you everyone for all of the support and help. You have no idea how truly helpful all of it has been.

Been a good first week and a half but the last few days have been pain days. Each day I have woken up with bad pain in my chest and extremely uncomfortable. The pain goes away with the next dose of medicine but I will be relieved when I no longer wake with pain. I will also be happy when I am not so stuck in the house. I have ventured out a few times but it is so hot that wearing my tad hose out is too much. I keep busy reading and watching t.v. but will be glad when I have other options. My scar is beautiful. I think Dr. McCarthy is secretly a plastic surgeon also because I have only a hairline scar. Much thanks to him as I am only 34 years old and a small scar on my chest is much appreciated. : ) Thank you to everyone at work and to family and friends who have sent meals, gift cards, flowers, and other gifts. All have been very helpful in either lifting my spirits or feeding me and the kids. Thank you also to those who have visited it brings some light into my long days.

Just wanted to see if anyone else has had this experience or to give a heads up for those approaching your surgury date. I started after surgery on morphine and then moved down to Norco which is a generic for Vicadin. I was on that for probably 24-36 hours but had to be taken off of it because I was itching all over my entire body non-stop. When I began to break the skin a bit they started rubbing bendryl cream all over me and when that didn\'t stop they stopped the Norco and started me on Tramadal (aka: ultram). Tramadal gave me an instant headache with the pleasure of hallucinations. When mom and Jerry went into DQ to get some ice cream on the way home they came back to me yelling at a lady in a mexican restaurant for making fun of Aiden. Lol. I was alone but hallucinating. Those went on all night Saturday and Sunday morning. Sunday morning, a home health care nurse from Methodist, came to check on me. It was great to have a medical person in my home. She talked with my drs. and they took me off of the tramadal immediately and started me on Tylenol 3 with Codene. It kept me up all night. I mean litterally laying in bed all night, Not in pain just awake. Ugh. So now I have to call her today to see if I need yet another pill.

First, everyone should know that I am home. I got home Saturday night and have just been too worn out and sore to do much. Surgery was not bad (I was asleep lol) but even for my family it was over much sooner than they had anticipated. Dr. McCarthy, aka the best surgeon ever, was able to repair the valve beautifully through a lower mini-thorcotomy with a line so thin that it will hardly show when it is healed AMAZING! I did have a few complications after surgery my potassium dropped and my blood sugar increased. I also gained about 20lbs of water weight! So as you have probably figured out I am taking potassioum and lassix and stopped my insulin on Saturday when my number was finally low enough to do so. I also had a very painful Friday. One of my drainage tubes was pushed into deep and began feeling like I was being stabbed between the shoulder blades. When Dr. McCarthy came in he said to go ahead and get that drain pulled out because he was sure that was what was bothering me. They did put me on about 4 different pain killers for about 6 hours to try to figure out if that was what it really was but as soon as Jen came in and pulled the drain out I relaxed and fell asleep. Other than that everything else happened pretty typical to most patients. The ride home Saturday was long and difficult. We stopped 2x just to get out of the car and go to the restroom. It also helped to change position a few times. I ached so bad when I got home that I pretty much took my meds and went to bed.

Hi, This is Linda Belcher, Rena\'s Mom. I\'m adding this update for Rena while she is sleeping. The day started out pretty well. She ate a little yogurt and had some apple juice for breakfast while sitting in a chair. Around 11 a.m. they got her up to go to the bathroom for a sponge bath, etc. By the time she got back to bed, she was having a severe stabbing pain in her upper back. They gave her Narco, morhine, zenex, and tramadol. Nothing really helped. When they gave her a little more morphine around 1:30 she got some relief. Got up again to go to the bathroom around 2:30 and the sever stabbing pain started again. Dr McCarthy had said earlier that it was probably pain from the drainage tube and that it should probably be backed out a bit. Not quite sure why they waited, but when the pain started again, the Dr was called and came right away and removed the tube. It was instant relief for Rena! No more of that pain and she has been able to rest well. Physical Therapy came in around 4pm and she went for a short walk. That wore her out so she is sleeping and will eat a little later on. Rena had planned to do updates herself, but, unfortunately, her laptop and cell phone went back to Peoria with the kids today, so I\'m not sure when she will be able to do this herself. Thanks to all for your support. Linda Belcher (for Rena)

Rena asked that I post in here for her. Surgery was yesterday and started around 12:30. Around 12:50 the nurse called to report the surgery had started and that it was going well. The nurse expected to be calling around 2:45 to let the family know that they were done. Around 2:45 Dr. McCarthy called to report all had gone well and that the heart was functioning well with no leakage. It took about another 30 to 45 minutes for the rest of the surgical staff to finish closing her back up. Then she moved to the ICU and the family was able to see her around 5pm. She doesn\'t remember this because she was pretty out of it. She was still on the ventilator. The nurses told mom and sister Kenzi that the reason she was still on the ventilator was because when they had tried to remove it earlier, she had stopped breathing. The nurse said \"it was nothing to worry about\". Mom disagreed. Around 8pm a smaller ventilator was put in and she was able to be elevated in the bed. Jarred and Brianna were able to visit and they were real troopers. Around 11:15 Mom called and was told the ventilator had been removed and that she was eating ice chips. Little did Mom know at that point, Rena had demanded it be taken out. This morning Rena had two cups of apple juice, some broth and two jello chunks for breakfast and was able to handle that well. It has been on a steady uphill climb since then. Around 11 am they had removed the large drainage tubes. Around 1pm they removed the neck IV and the right hand IV. For lunch she had chocolate pudding and ginger ale. We are now waiting for the a room to open up so that she can be moved off the ICU floor. She was already given her room number 1148. Hopefully the next update will come from Rena herself :) Thank you all for your love and support durning this time. It means alot to us all. Kenzi, Aiden, Jarred, Brianna, Dad, Kristen, Mom and Jerry

Today is the day. It has been a long journey getting here but it is here. I am scheduled to be at the hospital at 10 am and surgery will start at 11 -11:30. I was able to walk over and spend time with my student who had a heart attack in my classroom last month because they moved her here to Chicago for rehab. It was fantastic! She talked to me and she said, \"Love you.\" I will post pics in a little bit. She is a beautiful girl and it made me feel better to see her. Had a very nice dinner at the Cheesecake Factory last night with my family. Topped off with a scrumptious strawberry cheesecake with chocolate sauce to drizzle and dip it in. YUMMY!! We came back to the hotel around 9 and I took my shower with dial soap and 2 Benedryl. I am so happy that I could take the Benedryl because it knocked me out. I don\'t know how I would have made it through the night without it. My son came up from his shared room with my sister and cried with me for awhile but by the time he left his tears had stopped. I fell asleep peacefully actually and had a good nights sleep. Woke up around 5:30 but stayed in bed until about 7. I thought I would be a wreck this morning but thus far am ok. We are getting ready to walk to breakfast where I will watch everyone else eat. (not fair...lol) I am not sure if I will post again or if the next post will be from my mom or sister. Thank you again for all of your support and help leading up to this big day. I am going to take a deep breath, maybe a few, and say a prayer. I know I am going to be ok. Love you all, Rena

I\'m a bundle of nerves this morning because I am leaving for Chicago in about an hour. I turned on some soft rock while getting ready to try to help me stay calm. I have an appointment at 1:00 at the surgeons office. Then I have to get typed crossed. My dad will be here at 7:30 and I will ride with him. I plan to keep everyone posted throughout today. Rena ****When you leave a message please also leave your name because it will not automatically show up. Thanks.

Yesterday was my last day at work. It was bitterweet. I was so relieved to finally have one less thing to worry about. My lesson plans are finished, my room cleaned and ready to be turned over to the sub. I had planned to use the kitchen and bake a cake during my first hour prep, but was called to the office instead. My boss Dave started talking about interventions and brought in Jackie and the two of them went on and on. Then, my newest friend Georgie, came in and said that my friend Cathy needed help with the math lesson for the day. It was then that I realized they were all up to something. Cathy and I have been friends for 6 years and I know that I am THE LAST PERSON SHE WOULD EVER WANT TO HELP HER WITH A MATH LESSON!!! LOL!!! I am an English/Social Studies/Spanish teacher. Lets just say that my strengths do not lie in math. I chuckled to myself and walked to her classroom anyway. She was in the middle of a review so I sat at a table in the back of the room. She got the kids started and came over to ask me for my sister\'s and mother\'s cell phone numbers. We talked until the bell rang. She smiled and said \"you do realize I was babysitting you.\" I said that I thought as much. ; ) I went down to my room and the window on the door was covered. I knew something was up but I had no idea what. When I opened the door, my homeroom and Georgie and Rick all yelled \"Suprise!\" I burst into tears because the room was decorated with paper streamers and balloons in my favorite colors. There were posters all over every wall with things like, \"We love you, Get well soon, etc.\" There was even a great big banner that said, \"We love you Ms. Musgrove!\" All of the sixth grade had signed it. (As the day went on the rest of my kids came in and signed it also. : ) )On my desk was a coffee Georgie had gotten me and on my counter were treats and refreshments that she and the kids had brought in. Some of my girls ran up with gifts and there were cards from everyone of my students. As the tears rolled down my cheeks, Janihya said, \"See I told you she would cry. She loves us!\" I was so touched. It was as if heaven had sent me little angels to keep me company and remind me that I am loved. Janihya is right, I love all of them very much. They are my extended family. I will miss them and pray that He will also provide them with peace and take away their fears. One of my girls said, \"How will we know if you are ok?\" I told them all that my sister or mother would call the office and the teachers would let them know. The day was so hectic and I didn\'t have time to read the cards until last night. Some of them were so moving that I cried again. One card said, \"Ms. Musgrove, You have given me support when I was down. You are my favorite teacher in the 6th grade because you are very caring and nice. Janihya\" Another said, \"Thank you for teaching me this year! I really appreciate all your hard work even when you were dealing with Ivy. I know it was very hard on you. Also, thank you for coaching us in Scholar\'s Cup. It was very fun. I hope your surgery goes well and you heal fast. I will miss you so much! Olivia\" Juan said, \"Ms. Musgrove, I will miss you and I hope to see you again because you are my favorite teacher and I love you.\" Jania said, \" I wish you could stay and teach us at school. Thank you for the candle and bubble bath. It really does make me feel better.\" Amanda\'s card was really unique. There was a picture of her on the front crying and saying \"Why ? WHy?\" On the inside it read, \"I too will have to have heart surgery because you leaving will break my heart in two. I will miss you sooooooooo much! You are my favorite teacher. Thank you so much for a great year.\" And just one more student card to share from Brenda. \"Dear Ms. Musgrove, I will miss you. You are like a mom to me. I hope everything goes well. I love you with my heart. I hope you do too. Good luck. I love you. Brenda\" My Georgie also sent me a beautiful card about the love and strength of Jesus. In in she wrote a couple of versus from the bible that I would like to share. \"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything be prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God: and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and mind through Christ Jesus.\" Philippians 4:6-7 \"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.\" Philippians 4:13 Thank you Georgie for EVERYTHING. You too have become so dear to me through all of our experiences this year. I love you. Rena I will take these cards with me to Chicago so that when I am feeling down and in pain someone can read them to me and lift me back up. It feels good to know that beyond learning in my classroom we have become a family. Our classroom is a safe place where my students, and myself , learn and grow each year. I truly look forward to recovery and returning in the fall.

Woke up this morning bright and early in a bit of a panic. As the sunlight began to peak over the horizon, it dawned on me that I have only 2 days left before surgery. I will be in surgery by now on Tuesday. My chest tightened a little bit and I got a little winded. It has been a roller coaster ride of emotions since January but this is the first time panic hit me. It was unnerving. I quickly prayed and asked for him to give me peace and strength over the next few days as I approach this life changing event. I think of it that way because to me it is almost a second chance to be born. Without this surgery, I would surely have heart failure and as I have seen a heart fail in my arms 5 weeks ago, I know it is a blessing to be given this opportunity. The fact is that although this surgery is being done daily by surgeons all over the world, the reality of what will go on in the operating room is terrifying. I am 34 years old and I have 2 beautiful teenagers. I am the only parent involved with them, loving them, helping them to mature into the fine young man and woman they are becoming. I am not ready to leave them and it pains me dearly that they are having these same emotions within themselves. We have shared many tears and talked about how all of us are feeling. We have prayed and asked God to give us all strength and courage. My heart is breaking in two because I know that I am the reason for their pain and suffering. I don\'t know how to cope with that. I am their strength, comfort, protector and provider. They lean on me and in someways, now, I am asking them to let me lean on them. I love them so much. We are spending all the time we can together, went to see a movie last night, opened the pool up yesterday, and they have even slept in my room a night or two. It helps, but I know now that this is going to take God\'s intervention to give me the strength and poise to get into that operating room without panic. I pray he will fill them with peace and comfort throughout the entire ordeal as I can\'t imagine what it will surely be like for them and all those waiting to see that I have completed surgery successfully. Even yesterday, I was filled with thoughts of I need to this thing or that in order to be prepared, but this morning I just want to be with my family. I want to laugh and cry and just feel like home because I cherish each and everyone. I turned the air conditioning on this morning so that I can spend more time with my dog Cosmo. He is a Keeshond and extremely hairy so the warm, muggy weather typically sends him to the basement to hide on a cool floor. A few minutes ago he ventured upstairs to go outside and then came to lay down at the foot of my bed. He is as much a part of our family as my children and myself are. Tonight, my mother has arranged a family dinner at a nice restaurant. It is a family favorite. I am looking forward to dining with everyone and seeing all my nephews and my niece. My dad will not be with us tonight but will be in from the Quad Cities first thing in the morning to drive me up. I wish he could make it tonight but it helps to know that he will be with us tomorrow and for the next fews weeks. I just want to say again that all of the love and support that I have received from family and friends and HVJ is wonderful and when I am feeling down like this morning I am especially greatful. Thank you all. I love you.

Tomorrow I start a 5 day dose of Bactroban. It goes in my nose twice a day for the next 5 days. Yuck. I am almost ready at work and at home. I am greatful to have the next few days to finish up and make sure I have everything covered. I have been overwhelmed this week with emotions. I should be on an extreme emotion flip flop show or something. Crying a lot but not all bad tears. Many of my HVJ friends and all of my family have been sending me notes on here and facebook to remind me that they love me and they are praying for me. It makes me feel so good I cry. I love my family and friends. Thank you all so much for your love and support. You give me comfort. : ) Rena

Its finally happened. It is 3am on a Saturday morning and it has finally all hit me emotionally. I am a very strong person. I handle what life throws at me and I keep on moving. I always have but I have never felt the worry, fear, and anxiety that I am feeling right now. For the past several months, I have kept myself busy with appointments, teaching, and just being mom. I have been praying for a little girl in my classroom that had a sudden heart attack and died for 20 minutes on my classroom floor. The last month has passed in a blur as I rushed to finish final appointments, visit Ivy in the hospital, take care of my students at school, and my family at home. I have been exhausted but strong. That is who I am, who I have had to become. Three nights ago, I realized that all of my pre-op appointments were done, Ivy began to talk again and is being moved to rehab, my classroom is cleaned, and I had a lot more time to think about what all of this means. That same night I began to have bad dreams. The dreams did not relate to my surgery but just produced fear. I haven\'t slept well or ate well since. Last night, I was restless. No bad dreams just couldn\'t seem to get comfortable. Tonight it all came out. I have been so strong for so long but as I lay here in my bed tonight unable to sleep again tears began to roll down my cheeks and a torrent of feelings came rushing to the surface and spilling out. I am afraid. I have chosen an excellent surgeon, Dr. Patrick McCarthy in Chicago. I feel he is going to do a wonderful job and that I couldn\'t be in better hands, but that still doesn\'t change the fact that I am human and I am so nervous. I said a prayer tonight that God would stay with my when they close my eyes and put me on that machine to keep me alive. I prayed that he would comfort my children and my parents and siblings as they wait for news that I have come through surgery. I prayed for strength because it seems to be slipping away. I prayed for comfort because I know that stress and worry will not be good for me. I prayed for sleep. It was then that I remembered my journal. It is an outlet. I may not be willing to share my thoughts and feelings face to face for fear of a breakdown but here I can let it all out. I need that. I know that it will do no good to keep it all in and in fact, I may just hear from others that they might have felt the same as I do. I am 10 days away from the most serious surgery I have ever had to face. I am a single mother of two beautiful, healthy, happy children of my own. I am a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a cousin, a niece, and a friend to many. I am a school mom to numerous children. It is from all of them that I can gain strength. God has reminded me that He and many others are there for me when I am not strong and that it is ok to rely on Him and the strength of those whom I love and love me in return. I am so greatful tonight for all of the blessings life has given me. Goodnight. : )

Today I went in for my CT. I started by taking a pill called Atenolol to slow my heartbeat. Then I went to the hospital for the testing. When I arrived, I had to check in through registration and pay my part of the bill. Then I went to the \"special tests\" section of the hospital where I had to have blood drawn and a urine test. I changed into a gown and they inserted an IV. At this point, I began to feel a little bit sleepy. Nothing new but really was ready to sleep. A nice retiree came in and wheeled me to the CT area where I sat in a hallway freezing for about five minutes. Then they wheeled me into a room with a big flat square looking machine with a body size hole in the middle and a table that slid in and out of the hole. The two ladies hooked me up with EKG looking things and then shot saline into my IV. It burned like crazy and one of the ladies looked at me and said its going to hurt when the medicine from this machine shoots in through your IV. I kept thinking great. When the test started I closed my eyes and tried to relax. I had to do a series of breath in, exhale, deep breath, hold it. And everytime she said hold it I would get liquid pain through my IV. OUCH. On the last one they injected IODINE, I think, and my entire body heated from head to toe. Weird. Soon after I was done. I was exhausted but I hadnt eaten so I went to meet mom for lunch. Didn\'t eat much once I got my food. I was a little nautious. After lunch, I picked Bri up and headed home for a nap. I was so tired but couldn\'t sleep. I really needed the rest because I was worn out. I never did fall asleep and I am hoping to do just that when I get off of here. I had a moment today when they were taking blood and hooking up my IV that it occurred to me that this is really happening. I am going to have open heart surgery in less than two months. Wow...it nearly took my breath away and I teared up a little. The first thing I thought of after that was my kids.

CT has been rescheduled to next Wednesday. Apparently there are only 2 doctors in Peoria who can do the test and my cardiologists office was having trouble coordinating everything with the hospital. So I have to take another day off Wednesday. She prescribed me a drug called Atenolol to take 1 hour before the CT. It will slow my heart to around 60 beats per minute. I can\'t have any caffeine for 24 hours before the tests and no solids 4 hours before the scan. Insurance has preauthorized the test and medicine has been okd so I guess its on for Wednesday.

Yesterday after work I met with my lawyer and created a will. Perhaps that is why I am feeling a little down today. Even though I am sure that I will be fine it is difficult to think about who will take care of my kids if something goes wrong. I know my choice is a sound one and that the people who would care for my children should anything happen will have the love and support of my entire family. As I was discussing everything with my lawyer, I choked up. He added to the almost daily comment saying that I was too young to be facing this surgery. I tried to keep the tone light by replying that my age is on my side. I am glad the discussion part of the will is over. Now all I have to do is go in to sign papers sometime next week. I know everything is going to work out.

I have been very busy over the past month getting various appointments out of the way in order to be ready for surgery. I needed to have my blood drawn and a yearly physical...done. I need approval from my dentist...working on that 2 cavities to fill. Finally, Nikki from my cardiologist called today and it looks as though my 64 slice CT scan will be done this Friday. Time is flying by and I am feeling a little stressed. I have up days and down days. It never fails to take my breath away when someone wants to talk about my upcoming surgery or tell me how serious it is. I know it is serious, I am the one living it everyday. I try to stay positive but somedays I just want to cry. I have come to the conclusion that it is sometimes better to let it out then keep it in. I want to take a minute to say thank you to my family and friends for all the support you are giving me. Joann we are overdue on a girls night out...call me soon because I need some girly time. Thank you Mike for being easy to talk to and for caring enough to listen. Ced, you are my big brother and I love you very much. Thank you for checking on me...you always know when to call and cheer me up. Mom and Kenzi, I don\'t know what I would do without you to vent to. Thank you for putting up with me. Dad, you have no idea how great it has been to spend a little extra time with you. Sometimes a girl just needs her dad. As the date approaches I will keep more frequent journals.

I thought I would take a few minutes to explain a little more about what I found out in Chicago. Besides finding a brilliant surgeon and surgical team, I found out more about my condition and how it will be repaired. Both the anterior and posterior leaflets of the mitral valve are prolapsing. The posterior leaflet actually pushes past the anterior leaflet. Dr. McCarthy will shorten the elongated chords that support the leafleats and repair the ones that are broken. Then he will put in a teflon ring to support the valve and hold it in place so that the repaired leaflets will work together properly. This procedure is done open heart. I will have a lovely 4 to 6 inch scar to show off when I am done. I have many things to do to prepare for surgery tests, preparations, etc. It will take me some time to recover but my age will probably help speed that up. After the surgery I will have a 3 month cardiac rehab program to go through to help regain my strength. In the meantime, I am working out daily and trying to lose 15 lbs. before surgery and gain some extra strength. The better shape I am in before the surgery the better I feel I will be after. Thanks again for all the prayers. They are comforting. The next step is to get a 64 slice ct scan done. I will keep you updated.

Just back from a trip to Chicago. This trip was planned specifically to meet Dr. Patrick McCarthy, a renowned cardiovascular surgeon at the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute located at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. I had 2 surgeons on my short list and wasn\'t sure who I would end up with. I have to say that the night before and the walk to the office had me feeling like a bundle of nerves. I felt like this could be one of the biggest decisions of my life. I didn\'t know that I wanted to or could possibly choose the right surgeon. Whoever I chose would quite literally be holding my heart in his hands. Whew! I must say that after my experience today, I have made a big decision. I have found the \"Chosen One.\" Dr. McCarthy (cardiovasuclar surgeon), Dr. Silverberg (cardiologist), and their entire team spent many hours today sharing information, asking questions, answering questions, and calming my nerves (for the time being). We set a surgery date of May 24. This date allows me to recover and regain strength before the beginning of the following school year. This is very important to me because I DO NOT want someone else to start a new year with new students and end up coming back to chaos and stress. So 3 months from today I will be back in Chicago doing last minute preparations the night before this life changing surgery. I have many more details to share with everyone but for tonight I must say that I am glad that I found my \"chosen one\" and am confident that on that big day my heart will be in the right hands.

Well, hotel is reserved and plans are made to meet with Dr. McCarthy on Wednesday. I am happy that the time to meet him is near because I feel that it may relieve some stress, just having more answers. Mom, pops, and I have decided to make a night of it. We are going up the night before and having dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. Mom and I are hoping to hit the hot tub and relax for a while Tuesday night. After a day of appointments, we are going to drive back to Peoria. This drive is only made more exciting by a planned stop at Chic-a-filet outside of Chicago. I will keep everyone up to date with the latest information as I get it. Thank you to all of my fellow heart valve patients for all the advice and tips. It has been a blessing. Also, thank you to all of my friends and family for your love and support. I will definitely need it as I move forward. I love you guys!

Well, after talking with insurance and doing research I have decided to meet with 2 surgeons. The first is Dr. Patrick McCarthy of Blums Heart Institute in Chicago. The second is Dr. Marc Gillinov at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. My appointment with Dr. McCarthy is Feb. 23. It is a full day of echo, meet with a cardiologist there, and then finally with Dr. McCarthy. I feel that I am finally headed in a direction and that takes a little stress off of me...at least for the time being.

Visit to Dr. Kurtz was extremely beneficial. Mom, pops, and I spent time asking questions and getting answers from him. Found out that my mitral valve regurge is now severe and that the left atrium is enlarged. We also found out that it is the left ventricle that needs to be watched. So far, no enlargement there. Thats great because it means that I have time to research. I feel like I have a really big exam but plenty of time to prepare for it. So, now it is time to look for surgeons. I am willing to travel because I want the best. While Peoria offers a variety of surgeons I want the best. It was strongly recommended that I would want someone who is considered the best because that greatly reduces the risk of ending up with a replacement. An excellent repair is what we want. He also talked about open sternum vs. robotic surgery. There seem to be advantages and disadvantages of both. I will need to decide which surgery I would like to pursue before talking with surgerons. I have been looking into surgeons and have come up with the following list: Dr. Dave Adams, Mt. Sinai, New York, Dr. W Randall Chitwood, East Carolina University, and Dr. Hartzell Schaff, Mayo Clinic Rochester. These are considered leading experts and that is where I will start my search. I am also looking into Cleveland Heart Institute. The plan is to contact my insurance provider and begin the process of finding a surgeon and how to deal with insurance throughout this entire process. I also asked about limitations. The only limitation I have is anaeorobic exercise (ie. heavy weight lifting). Aeorobic exercise is great and lite toning type weights are fine. This is good news for me because I recently began working out with a very supportive friend and it really makes all the difference to have support when you want to get in shape. I am happy with this news because I want to be in the best physical shape possible when I go into surgery. Thanks for checking up on me.

Today, my family and I are going to finish going over a list of questions that we have for the cardiologist tomorrow. My mother and I have read Adam\'s book and are really greatful to have such a resource at hand. Adam has really given me more information than anyone ever has about valve disease and surgeries. It was a great way to gather my thoughts and ready myself for the cardiologist and the surgeon. Reading Adam\'s book made us aware of the many aspects of dealing with a valve surgery. So, as we get together today, I feel that we will ask the right questions and can insist on answers.