My surgery was scheduled for 1130 today. Got a call cancelling it at 900! My surgeon had had an emergency case a 300 a.m. and an inpatient case of someone he ...Read more
My surgery was scheduled for 1130 today. Got a call cancelling it at 900! My surgeon had had an emergency case a 300 a.m. and an inpatient case of someone he was taking back to surgery this afternoon. Disappointed but thankful I am not one of the emergencies.
Jim Kelly-Evans Sorry, Susan...hope things get back on track for you.
Lenore Mitchell Susan - hard to hear, when you're all set for the gurney ride, but be glad you're not the emergency c ... Read more
Lenore Mitchell Susan - hard to hear, when you're all set for the gurney ride, but be glad you're not the emergency case. Try to use this extra time to gather yourself and get all set.
Penny Prichard Sorry to hear you have to wait. It has to be hard to go through the adrenalin surge of anticipation o ... Read more
Penny Prichard Sorry to hear you have to wait. It has to be hard to go through the adrenalin surge of anticipation only to have it ripped from under you. Positive thoughts your way
Jim Hernandez Sorry to hear of your delay, we share same surgery date now!
Terry Shermeister Hi Susan, I'm new to your posts, but my mom would always say everything happens for a reason. Hang i ... Read more
Terry Shermeister Hi Susan, I'm new to your posts, but my mom would always say everything happens for a reason. Hang in there and all will be fine. Thoughts and prayers, Terry
Kathleen Peterson I am sure the wait was hard but time is coming up fast now. Prayers for smooth surgery and speedy re ... Read more
Kathleen Peterson I am sure the wait was hard but time is coming up fast now. Prayers for smooth surgery and speedy recovery.
Jennifer Bramlett I hope that you sleep well tonight and your surgery is 100% successful. Feel peace.
Praying for a surgery without complications....and a steady recovery.
My surgery date is almost here. I need to stay calm and get things ready. Obviously, writing this at 12:30 at night, sleep isn't that easy. That is when my ...Read more
My surgery date is almost here. I need to stay calm and get things ready. Obviously, writing this at 12:30 at night, sleep isn't that easy. That is when my mind just races.
Duane Beeman Susan. My dad went through a quad bypass AND valve replacement at 85 years old. They pulled the ve ... Read more
Duane Beeman Susan. My dad went through a quad bypass AND valve replacement at 85 years old. They pulled the vent out and asked him how he felt. He said, "I'm ready to ramble". I asked him if he meant "rumble" and he told me to shut up !!! You got this thing. As I move closer to an event that has me nervous, I have found that focusing on it is the best thing I can do. People say "take your mind off it". But I can't so I don't even try. I start to increasingly block out everything else that is going on and I focus on THE event. I visualize every part of it over and over in my head (in my case, arriving at the event, changing clothes, walking from the locker room to the ring, smell the smells, hear the sounds, bell rings, fight starts). When it finally happens I have been there before. I'm calmer and more comfortable. It works. I promise. And in the process of visualizing it, you'll probably get bored and fall asleep so it has an added benefit !!
Duane Beeman I do the same thing these days when I'm getting ready for a trial (I'm a lawyer now.....a different k ... Read more
Duane Beeman I do the same thing these days when I'm getting ready for a trial (I'm a lawyer now.....a different kind of fighter I guess). But the lessons of long ago stay with me.
Susan Nelson I will have to try that Duane! They told me everything will be the same as when I had the cardiac cat ... Read more
Susan Nelson I will have to try that Duane! They told me everything will be the same as when I had the cardiac cath a couple of weeks ago, just go to a different area and it takes longer!
Duane Beeman It's just like a pedicure.......just takes longer and you sleep through it.
Robin Szymanski Prayers for a speedy recovery Susan. Just remember God is big enough to take care of your family and ... Read more
Robin Szymanski Prayers for a speedy recovery Susan. Just remember God is big enough to take care of your family and you. And He will. Your heart brothers and sisters will be upholding you in prayer.
Edith Dim I wish you a very successful surgery, and a smooth recovery.
Edith Dim I was wide awake through my cardiac cath, which surprised me. Didn't feel anything, of course.
My surgery is on March 3. I feel ready to get this done and get back to my life feeling healthy again. The thing that is tearing me up is saying bye to my husband, ...Read more
My surgery is on March 3. I feel ready to get this done and get back to my life feeling healthy again. The thing that is tearing me up is saying bye to my husband, son and daughter when they take me to surgery. I think I'm going to just lose it and probably scare them.
Pat Bluemel Ask for something to calm you down while they are prepping you and your family is waiting. When the g ... Read more
Pat Bluemel Ask for something to calm you down while they are prepping you and your family is waiting. When the goodbyes come you will manage well and be calm. It happens very quickly. I was saying goodbye and in the OR. They do a good job of keeping you distracted. You'll be fine.
Philip Goddard I'm sure you'll be fine, and the staff will do their best to help keep you calm
Susan Bach That's my fear, too. Don't want to scare the family anymore than they will already be.
Got my surgery date today, March 3. Two more weeks to go. The cardiac cath last week has been rough afterwards, pain at the site in the groin, but found out ...Read more
Got my surgery date today, March 3. Two more weeks to go. The cardiac cath last week has been rough afterwards, pain at the site in the groin, but found out today I could use heat on it for 15 minutes at a time. I have been having some slight chest pain all day too. Figure that must be from the bad valve. I will be glad to get this all behind me. Even thought every night when I go to bed my mind starts wandering!
Hello all,
i have been hanging out here and reading your stories, read Adam's book. In September of 2013 I found out that my heart murmur I had had since birth ...Read more
Hello all,
i have been hanging out here and reading your stories, read Adam's book. In September of 2013 I found out that my heart murmur I had had since birth was in fact a bicuspid aortic valve with severe aortic stenosis. I was really not having much in the way of symptoms other than if I walked too fast I would get some chest tightness. But never figured it would be cardiac related! That happened to "other people"! Well sure found out I was wrong about that! When I was sent for my stress echo we got as far as the first echo and the tech went and got the cardiologist on call in the department and in he came. After looking at the screen he tells me "you will need open heart surgery one of these days." Yeah, okay, WHAT??? They called off the stress portion of the test and sent me on my way and I was to make an appointment soon to see him for other testing. Got that done and over with and had a year return appointment as I was not having any other symptoms. So last year in September I had become more symptomatic as far as really being done in after walking steps or long distances. The echo had shown my opening I think they said was now 0.68 down from 1.25 the previous year. It was time to get ready to look into the surgery. I wanted to wait until the first of the year to get going on things. Unfortunately in the meantime I found out I had a tear in a tendon in my right elbow and surgery on that the end of January and just got cleared after 2 weeks to proceed with the cardiac stuff.
So, tomorrow is my cardiac cath, report to the hospital at 8 a.m. for a 10 a.m. procedure. I'm not really nervous, as the office said I would get sedation like you get for a colonoscopy. That works for me! Beings I work in the medical field I would love to watch but just don't think I can, so out I will go! Then hoping to see the surgeon soon after and get the surgery scheduled.
I will be at OSF St. Francis Hospital in Peoria and I have great faith in them, my doctors and surgeon, and working in the medical field I pretty much understand all that will happen. And reading this site has helped tremendously also.
So I thought I would get my journal started and start making friends here to correspond with and help support them and hopefully support me too.
I am having such trouble going to sleep at night! Immediately my mind goes to this stuff and just whirls! Has anyone else had this problem? I am going to look up any bible verses to say to myself to help comfort myself and not let the bad thoughts in. I know I have seen some of you post verses here too.
So "Hello" from me here in the Midwest in Peoria. Blessings to all of you as you go about your journeys. Susan
Edith Dim I will pray that all goes well with your cath, that your arteries are clear.
Mine will be coming up w ... Read more
Edith Dim I will pray that all goes well with your cath, that your arteries are clear.
Mine will be coming up within the next couple of weeks. Glad to hear that. get to be out for it.
Jim Kelly-Evans Wishing you a smooth and successful procedure, Susan!
Susan Nelson Everything went well! A lot easier than i thought it would. Found no blockages just couldnt even get ... Read more
Susan Nelson Everything went well! A lot easier than i thought it would. Found no blockages just couldnt even get the cath through the aortic valve. Waiting to hear from surgeon about surgery date.
Susan Bach Do we have the same problems of fear and no sleep? Hell yes. Lol !!