Sherry's Posts

I thought I would pop back in as this year I am going to reach (God willing) my 14th anniversary (October 2012) for my aortic valve replacement and aortic aneurism "patch". The cow and pig tissues are holding up and still very little regurgitation or other issues. It is truly a miracle to me that this has been stable for so long! It has been exciting to see how surgeries have evolved in this time. My original surgeon - who was awesome (Dr. William Ryan), passed away too young at 73. I'm 73 now, myself, and have already lived longer than most of my direct relatives - all who eventually died of under- or un-treated heart conditions. My only regret is that I have not taken as good, consistent care of my body and brain since the surgery. I keep forging ahead and if I had anything to "wish" for those in the midst of recovery now it would be to do your very best to continue to exercise and eat well and give your body the best possible chance to fully recover and to be healthy as possible.

Just passed my 13th anniversary for aortic valve replacement! Recent checkup shows a bit of calcification (to be expected and not causing any issues) but otherwise fine. I am having some issues with odd rhythms but lots of tests and nothing showing up. Cut back a bit on coffee and that has been somewhat helpful but not resolved. My heart rate dips very low and I feel dizzy but then it returns to normal. Just keeping an eye on it for now. Feel very grateful for the longevity of my cow valve. We live in marvelous times for heart issues!

Saw my doc - dizzyness just plain old vanilla BPPV and unrelated to my heart. All continues to tick along fine. This October will be my 12th anniversary! My goodness how time has sped by. My one recommendation to all - and for myself - is try to keep up a good physical activity regimen. It doesn't matter what - just move, move, move. My weight has been a problem most of my life and I'm hoping that as I move into the 70s that I can get it down a bit - but mainly that I can strengthen my legs and arms. When I think about what could be needed for a good recovery if I end up with a second surgery - I know that having as much strength in my limbs as possible will be a big plus. Hugs to all!