Rob's Journal

Lisa Shepherd  My recovery from heart surgery was the first time in my life when all I had to think of was getting better, it felt really indulgent

Mary K  Hi Rob, I am enjoying l8fw, feeling better than I have in years. I will drink a Guiness and toast your recovery. Congratulations!

Linda Crawford  Good to hear from you again. Glad you are continuing to move forward. I am going to tuck your comment about those down days into my "good advice" play book.

Jason Leber  Wow Rob, that sounds like quite the adventure! So glad to hear things have settled and you get to do some well deserved surfing. Did you end up with a repair of the valve or replacement?
~Happy Thanksgiving.

Adam Pick  Back living the surfer life, huh? Next time you paddle out, let me know! I'm a long boarder. You? But seriously, welcome home. Sounds like a bit of a roller coaster with that AFib. Glad it is under control and now you are home Rob. Keep on tickin! Adam

Jason Leber  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOvDTCbcHe0
here's the link for you to enjoy! we can all use some motivational music and no better time than now!
I'm in your corner and cheering loudly!

Adam Pick  Rob, You are going to do great!!! Jason, thanks for being the honorary, motivational DJ. That was fun.

Daniel Spurgeon  Hopefully it reassures you that you're being treated by the doctor who invented the valve-sparing aneurysm repair technique. Please tell him thanks for inventing the procedure, from a patient who benefitted from it.

  Hi Rob!

Thanks so much for writing to me. There are days when I decide not to be so strong and take something to help "relax my brain" - keeps the anxiety away. Other days I am fine and in a good mood without it. I am glad you found the best approach for yourself as well. I was much more at peace when I found Dr. Stewart. I know what you mean about testing your strength and stamina. I had to really fight hard to find my strength for this as I had just left a 13 year marriage (good for me) and even though I wanted it, did not realize what emotions would follow. But, I learned a lot about myself, huge positive, and made sure I would never pick the same man again! So I am doing well, and then wham! I need surgery. I am secretly mad at my cardiologist for not going over different options. He actually told me the more I looked around, the more confused one would get. I hung up the phone and said..no, I believe quite the opposite. The more research, the better. But I know he cares enough about me to have said "go see a surgeon". How big is your aneurysm? This sight has helped me quite a bit in just the few short days I have been on it. I agree with you, laughing is good, and I am taking it very slow as well. I feel like I have a time bomb in me. I stopped going to the gym two months ago, I do not want to feel what I felt again. And not always feeling the best. I can't tell anymore if it's stress or this - probably both. I do not normally feel this way. The surgery can not come soon enough, the waiting is the worse part. When is your second baby due? I know we will both be fine due to the great outcomes..... and I am sure your surgeon has shared the same info. I know that they are not god, and I have a hard time trusting anyone. Wish I was a child, those were the days when I did not worry and trusted. I would love to keep in touch with you, if you don't mind, up until the surgery, and post surgery - would be great to have a "partner" to share with, maybe complain with or laugh with., or say we did great and passed with flying colors! By the way, I never have a good outcome with the dye. After an MRI about 5 years ago, I seriously became fatigued for many months - of course the doctor thought it was all in my head (TN). What does a woman know :). After that, in CT the doctor agreed with me and said stay away from it, you can try a CT scan and see how you do with the dye. That was a year ago, and I made sure I detoxed for a while until I did it and I was fine. However this last one, July 21st - it kicked in again. Inflammation, fatigue. I hate it. It takes months to leave my system. But I know CT scans are great ,clear pictures and I wanted to have them done. Glad I did. But hate that they equal 400 xrays! How are they repairing your valve? And last question, why did they have you drink cranberry juice? Interesting about the cucumbers, as I was eating a ton as I grew them in my garden. Thanks again for reaching out. Have a great day, and adding you and your family to my prayers.

Rob Broley  Hey Christine ya no worries keep in touch it will be good to have someone along for the ride. I didn't ask my surgeon about how he just said he could repair. Hindsight tells me that would have been a great question to ask oops, hehe. The cranberry juice was my mother in laws. It helps flush the system. She is a retired nurse who did a lot of years on the heart floor. What luck I tell you. Heh keep the kick a$$ attitude and we will whoop this surgery . Keep in touch and we will walk to you on the flip side. Oh yeah and munchkin number two is coming down the tubes at the beginning of March.

  I like the attitude, Rob and feel the same way. Good times are waiting for us on the other side. Keep in touch and good luck on the 29th as well. It's going to hurt at first, but I will take recovery over what could have happened had I not known. I think the hardest part could be the waiting! Every time I feel "off" I think, Ok not right now, I only have a few more days left. You will be in great shape by the time baby number 2 comes. That is great.

Rob Broley  Nice that waiting feeling is weird huh. Unless we have the worst luck in the Iuniverse I better be able to survive 6 more days after what I have been putting my body thru all these years. Keep on keeping on(KOKO). Talk soon and kick some butt on the 29th as well race you outta the icu. Heheh.