Sunmi's Posts

Hi Sunmi, It is not an easy choise but as I have written I have on St Jude Regent mechanical valve since little bit more than 2 years. I have adopted and it is working very well for me. Do not be scared in the beginning with Warfarin it takes a little bit of time to get the dose right. I had to gradually increase to the level I now have had for almost 1,5 years. You will have to think a bit on what you eat and do, but do not overdo it. We have a word in Swedish which expesses it pretty well well, ”lagom”. They say it only exists with us and I should define it as not too much or not to little in all we do and all we are. What it really is, is not fully clear. If you have any questions do not hesitate to reach out to this Terminator/Cyborg. Today I started to cut the hedge, which we have to do not to get remarks from the inspectors from the authorities. More to do but started. Tomorrow golf. I hope everything goes well now and that you like me will be able to come back to a normal life. There is a great chance. The journey will not be without effort but I promise you it will be rewarding. // Terminator

Hi Sunmi. It is not an easy choice. I was recommended a mechanical valve but they stated that I could take a tissue valve but they did not recommend it. Since I was 53 in 2024 it would have meant 1 possibly 2 re surgeries. For me as for many other it took a little bit of time to get the dose of Warfarin stabilized. The trick is not really to avoid some food (very few exceptions) it is not to vary too much over time. I still eat, lettuce, broccoli, spinach and sallads for lunch a couple of days per week. They also had to adjust my dose upwards since I got back into training much more but now I have been stable for almost two years. I do check ups every 5-6 weeks and it is also quite common that you can get a machine to measure your self and then have contact with the med team to see if you need to adjust. If you are a bit clumsy do not be too worried, the worst thing is like if you hit your head bad, then you should do a check up. I have cut myself a bit, hit my self a bit but it does not bleed like crazy not at all when you are in the range. Normal good plasters do work. When I go away and do things like skiing, building etc I always bring a small emergency bag but never had to use it really. I still do sports, ski etc and live a normal life. Did I do the right choose I do not know but this is who I am right now. I bit of a Terminator/Cyborg with a mechanical valve and some other stuff in my kidney artery like stents and coils to try to repair it.

If you’re under 50 and you’re not a candidate for a Ross or can’t get one in your location, a mechanical valve is probably your best option. Going with a biovalve would mean the potential for a lot of resurgeries. If you’re between 50 & 60, you’re aging out of the Ross surgery but if you’re healthy it can still be an option. Biovalve vs mechanical are equally good options based on valve durability vs life span. If you go with a biovalve, you will probably need at least one resurgery. If you’re over 60, biovalves tend to be the better option because there is less concern of the valve wearing out and there are valve-in-valve replacement techniques if they do.

Hello! I went with a bovine tissue valve. I am glad I am not on blood thinners, and dont hear the ticking of a mechanical valve. (I know a guy that hears it all the time). My surgery didn't go as planned, and after that, anything I do is a walk in the park. 😂 So possibly another surgery, doesn't thrill me, but I am still glad I went with tissue. That said, that was for ME. do what you feel is right for YOU. you really have to follow your own heart on this one. So that you are living with the decision that YOU made. ...Even if i hated my decision, down the road, at least I would know I made it. Its a tough one, but you will make the best one for you, if you remember its for you, and not for anyone else. Good luck with it!

Thank you all so much for the thoughtful and encouraging comments. I am going to see my surgeon tomorrow for my last consultation before my surgery, and I want to be able to tell him what kind of valve I want. I'm getting there, and you know what, you all are right. No matter what I choose, it will result with me still being here, living a beautiful life.

in my opinion it is all about age, at least the most of it. as I am 43 yo and don't want to get second surgery I most probably will choose a mechanical valve. It is a very personal choice either way I hope you get the most convenient one for you.

Sunmi, Good luck with your last consultation. What ever you take you will be fine, only you decide. When it is done try not to look back , only look forward and you will realize that there is a future that is really nice and you can really decide how it will look. I have had my ups and downs but I decided to live the new life that I got the privilege to get.