tammi's Journal

well I have plenty of questions for the surgeon. I finished my heart rythm medicine yesterday and have been feeling kind of weird since. My pulse is still normal, I have no palpation or skips of the heart just feeling kind off weird. this evening my right forearm just starting aching like it wanted to go numb. One good thing is my appetite is coming back, I\'m sleeping during the day a little less and have stopped taking the pain pills and only tylenol. I\'m not sure if coming off all of the meds is making me feel like this or not. I just can\'t wait to get back doing things with my children. Still not allowed to drive but they want me to start rehab Friday, hmmm this should be interesting being I have no ride and usually after I walk I am whooped!!! Any suggestions or input? You guys are always here for me could use you now. Thanks so much.

I\'m on my 4th week from surgery. Still have a lot of pain on the upper sides of my incesion (the muscles). I can\'t sleep on my back, or my sides, grrrr. I asked the dr. for medicine so at least I could sleep but said I shouldn\'t be in that much pain. I take nothing during the day it\'s just when I sleep. The medicine that I\'m on also makes me very nauseious and sleepy (i\'m tired of sleeping during the day). Does anyone else have this problem? I\'m suppose to start my cardio rehab next week but I\'m not sure if I can stay awake or out of pain. Any suggestions or in put. Everyone here has been such a big help. I do feel better when I\'m awake and love to walk with the breaking of the weather. Went for my first outing with the family to the grocery store yesterday and boy was I wooped afterwards. They tried to take me to dinner the following night but I ate my salad and got sick and tired so I waited in the car. Can anyone tell me when it will get better? tired of being tired, sick, pain and everyone telling me to stop losing weight-I look sick! I\'ve dropped 58lbs so far but the dr are not worried. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thank you to my heart valve family!!!!

well. I\'m home from surgery. Dr.s decided to take me in on the Feb. 18. Of course, I cried, paced, didn\'t sleep, and didn\'t want to leave me kids but I knew I had to do this. Everyone here has been so wonderful to get me ready for this. Everything went well and I was home in 4 days. Very soar!!! I have a lot of swelling in my legs and feet but they say it will go away. From the day that I went in until today I gained 25 pds.grrrr. I decided to go with the tissue valve and I feel I made the right choice. The dr.s say I\'m young, healthy, with no blockage or build up and physical so this makes me a good canidate for the vale to last probably up to 20 years.(i pray). Today was rough being the first day home, very tired and could not move around very well. I felt a pop on my left side of my incision and it is very tender to touch. Hoping it\'s just my body gettting back to normal and I didn\'t do something. Has anyone else have this happen? Any info on what I should expect in the next 2 weeks would be greatly appreciated. Right now I feel like I will never stop being tired or in pain. Well I thought I would check in just to let everyone know that I\'m doing well (knock on wood) and thanks for everything. I will keep you posted.

well I have met the surgeon and PA both wonderful people. Waiting to hear if they will definitely do surgery on Tuesday. The biggest decision is to either get a mechanical or tissue valve. At first I chose the mechanical until the surgeon gave me the pros and cons of both valve. Mechanical last forever (so told) but I am severely anemic so the cumadin(?) and taking the iron would not balance out and constanstly have to have blood work more than usual (not a fan of needles at all). The tissue would have to be replaced 15-20 years but no meds. If anybody could give me some insight on these I would be forever greatful. My biggest fear--leaving my children motherless. Just very overwhelmed