Shanna's Journal

Kathleen McClung  It's good to have a date so you can prepare and know you can start healing too. I am 3 weeks post op now. I am doing pretty good. Starting to be able to help my little ones some now too. Just no lifting. Best Wishes!

Tammy Pilcher  Congrats Shanna on getting the date set! I only had to wait a month from the first time I knew I had to have surgery, but it seemed like forever! I was blessed though to get the surgeon I wanted so fast. I met him for the first time on a Monday and had my surgery on Friday that same week! I had a bicuspid aortic valve that had critical stenosis. I'm doing great now! 5 weeks post op. I'll keep you in my prayers for a successful surgery and recovery!

Suzanne Hunter  You will be fine and now you know a date keep busy great time of year to be busy!! I am now 4 1/2 months post op for new valve and today I made my Xmas cake and mowed lawns. Take care and all the best.

Linda Crawford  I am waiting for a firm date. I have officially moved from "I want to put this off as long as possible" to "let's get it over with" I think I will also feel a bit more in control when the date is set.

Lenore Mitchell  I agree about feeling both nervous and excited. Sometimes I'm tempted to just pack a bag and run away.... But my heart wouldn't like that. So onward to all of us who're facing surgery soon. Let the countdown continue!

Julio LaSalle  Shanna, one touch of God's favor will give you the peace and calm you need. In Psalm 41.3 it states that the Lord sustains them on their sickbed, and restores them from their bed of illness. I pray Jeremiah 17:14 over your body "HEAL ME, O LORD, AND I SHALL BE HEALED, SAVE ME, AND I SHALL BE SAVED: FOR THOU ART MY PRAISE" Amen

Bill Hendrickson  My thoughts go with you tomorrow and hope for a smooth journey.I wanted an early Dec 14 date but the earliest date avail was the last week in Jan. I'm at peace with this thanks to the HVS family and all the web site videos plus Adam's book. Great resource! We at least have a chance for a better quality of life. I just lost a lifetime friend on Saturday who had an MI while watching a wrestling match.

Joseph Ballett  Don't worry to much they may not let you use those gowns you made as with many of us the gowns need a big front pocket on it

Daniel Spurgeon  UCLA provided ear plugs and a sleep mask to cover my eyes. If they hadn't I would have had a difficult time sleeping with all the activity going on at the next patient's ICU room.

Daniel Spurgeon  The front pocket is for the portable EKG monitor that sends data to the nurse's station while you're out of bed. Sort of a Sony Walkman size, at least the one I had.

Nancy D  was happy I packed my pj bottoms- one was capri and one was boxer type sleep shorts- for walking in the hallways! I was also glad I packed some lip stuff like chap stick or your favorite- lips get real dry from surgery and tubes.
I actually overpacked, and used very little.

John Noriega  I packed tooth brush, paste, mouth wash, chap stick, pj bottoms, hair brush, etc. The hospital,supplied me with everything I packed. Had my wife bring my jeans and a shirt to wear home - that was it! But it's good to be prepared!
Onward & Upward!

Clare Auten  Charger for electronics like your phone. Nice to be able to contact people. Pen and notebook to write down things you don't want to forget or for your questions, etc. Also good for family to write updates in so other family will know when they visit. It took a few days for me to be clear headed with all the meds

Melinda Hacker  These are things that helped me in the hospital: PJ pants or shorts, button up shirt and stretchy pants to wear home, toiletries, no valuables, shower shoes, charger, hair brush, lip balm. Once I got home, these helped me: hand held shower head, shower chair, power recliner to sleep in, several button up shirts and having things I need down low and not up high in a closet or pantry. Some ladies need front closure bras. For me, a bra is too uncomfortable, so since I'm staying home anyway, I'm not wearing a bra until incision is healed (I'm 13 days post op). I was fortunate to have someone with me during my first week back home. I'm on my second week and I don't gave much help during the day. It's working out ok for me because my recovery is going great. It seems like day 10 was a pivotal day in my recovery, as I began to feel somewhat normal again. Not being able to drive is beginning to wear on me though, so plan ahead. Simple things that I would normally just hop in my car and take care of has stopped for now. I have to rely on my husband for everything requiring a car. He's also doing all our laundry. We have front loaders and the doors seal very tight and there's no way I can pull the doors open. I'm enjoying not doing laundry until he messes up something of mine😊. Be sure you have thank you notes and stamps for when you get back home too. Oh, one last thing, laxatives! My plumbing was very backed up from all the medicine I got while in the hospital. I hope this helps!

Pat B.  Today is the end of my 2 week post op from my Aortic valve replacement. Personally I found that I was more ambitious with my pre-surgery planning on what I thought I'd feel like doing to pass time while in the hospital. Honestly, I did not want to do that much the 4 days in the hospital. Nurses were GREAT helping you be as comfortable as possible and OT made sure you were prepared to be at home. Where I wish I had spent more pre-consideration was once I got back home and how best to be comfortable both during the day and night. For me the 1st 4 to 5 days home was difficult finding ways to sit / lay and be comfortable. I spent the first couple days trying to figure this out with varying levels of success. After 2 days, and for both our sakes, my wife started sleeping in the spare bedroom so I didn't worry about keeping her up with all my moving around and she was more rested during the day. I would call her (via cell) if I needed something during the night. Good news, the discomfort diminishes and everyday gets better and better. Friends have brought dinner during the past week and a half which has been a blessing. Today 3 walks totaling 6 miles and for the last 2 days no pain meds. Best of luck... Pat

Joan Napier  Thanks to all for your tips and recommendations. Since my HVS date is 5 days away, I am in the middle of trying to figure out all of these details. This is helpful :)

Shanna Farley-Judkins  Thank you everyone! I seem most worried about the hospital and hand't been thinking about all the time recovering. We live a two story house and when I had surgery on my leg last year, I was stuck downstairs whenever I was left alone. I will now start to prep the house and see how I can make life a little easier. I also think I might buy a few different kinds of pillows and maybe a wedge pillow, to help be more comfortable. Any other thoughts are always welcome. I plan to ask Santa for some nice comfies (PJs) for the holidays! :) Hoping everyone a nice Thanksgiving too!

Joseph Ballett  The wedge pillow will help for sure , if you can look into renting a power lift chair . I found the one i rented was not the most comfortable but it sure helped for the first 3 weeks for me. As maybe a wheeled walker and a chair for the shower , I rented the walker and had a folding chair at home that i used even thought of using my lawn chair.

Daniel Spurgeon  I reluctantly obeyed the same restrictions prior to my aneurysm repair, and am now reluctantly obeying my post-op restrictions. One of my surgeon-shopping consults resulted in a mechanical valve recommendation (if my natural one wouldn't fit the new aorta) but other doctors understood my desire to stay active outdoors (Santa Monica Mountains mostly) so I decided on tissue valve, which fortunately wasn't required. I personally would rather risk re-operation than giving up so many activities, but to each their own. Mtbr.com has many threads on riding while taking Coumadin.

Daniel Spurgeon  If you haven't seen it yet, www.venturacountytrails.org has a trail incline comparison tool, so you can identify dozens of trails suitable for your restrictions. Wildwood is another great park with an assortment of flat trails and nice scenery with enough equestrians to keep young children entertained.

Tammi Gunwall  I totally get it, Shanna. I'm the same way! But it's key to listen to your Dr and your body for now. It's only a matter of time and you'll be back to doing those things you love again. (At least that's what I have to tell myself to get through this phase!) Not to mention, that adorable family of yours is counting on having you around for a long time too. ;)

Laura Brase  They also told me the mechanical was the best choice. I just turned 30 last week. I chose the tissue valve because 1) I want more children and 2) I can't imagine being on Coumadin for the rest of my life. It's quite a decision to make. I don't do any extreme sports, but I do regular exercise and activities.

Shanna Farley-Judkins  Hi Laura, I feel guilty for wanting to avoid the coumadin. How did your doctor react to you wanting the tissue valve? I also may want to have kids and that seems scary on anti coagulates. Shanna

Laura Brase  My doctor actually understood my reasoning. I didn't want to have the scary risks that come along with the medication so there was no other option for me. I didn't even consider the mechanical.

Shanna Farley-Judkins  Thanks Laura. I think I am now thinking I will use a tissue valve, for the same reasons. I will keep everyone posted. Thanks for the comments. It really helps!

Nancy D  My valve was the mitral valve, and my surgeon and cardiologist thought mechanical was the way to go. At 57 years old, I am done with having children, and do not do extreme anything- however the thought of being on Coumadin forever, and the subsequent diet change and the possibility of hearing that mechanical valve click made it not the right choice for me. Both surgeon and cardiologist were fine with my choice and so it was decided. After surgery, I saw my primary care doctor who is nearer to my age than the other two, said his choice for him were he to need one would be tissue as well. It is an individual decision, and your surgeon should honor your decision. Take good care!!

Joseph Ballett  I have not read the book but I have made a list things to do before my date to make live easy for my wife and kids,just odd jobs in and out of the house

Shanna Farley-Judkins  I am a planner for a living, so I always think about what to do and how to plan ahead. This is one I am having a hard time focusing on.

Michael Poe  Hi Shanna, I will be on Tuesday 3 weeks post op. As far as your list make it a simple one no sense in overwhelming yourself with too much to do. We here on this site try to do our best to stay positive about our diagnosis as well as our outcome from surgery. That being said your focus should be on yourself and family. Then your focus should be on what you want to do with the rest of your life after having been given a new start on life.

Eleanor R  Hi, Shanna. I was an HR manager before I retired, and always had a list of things to follow up on. If you scan my journals before July 14 and maybe a few written by me after July 25 I remember writing about what was useful to do before surgery, mostly to prepare your house and yourself for more comfort when you return. I also wrote in a fellow patient's guestbook some suggestions for him to do since he lives alone. You might check my note to Steven Husted, it was generic information. Much you will already know, some things just don't occur to you. I found just doing a walk around in my daily activities in the house (for you won't be going out for a while except for a ride with others), and keeping your elbows in and down at your waist, you get a pretty good idea of your reach which for me was pretty limited. I did not know that I would not feel comfortable extending my arms forward, for example. But, there are ways of re-inventing how you do things, bringing your favorite things down from a shelf or rack. And, you will have your caretakers there to reach and fetch and help you get into and out of bed, which was difficult for me at first. good luck to you all, and feel free to ask anything. Eleanor

Daniel Spurgeon  I would devise a plan to defer and delegate as much of your normal workload and chores so that while you're laying in the hospital waiting for your next walk or glucose check you aren't worrying about how your family or co-workers are going to accomplish the normal tasks without you. I knew my tasks were safely transferred to great family and co-workers so I could vege out in the hospital and pester the nurses for more walks.

Shanna Farley-Judkins  That is so hard and I know I need to be less stubborn about the whole thing. I think I need to start delegating. :)