Tim's Journal

Susan Lynn  Tim : Happy 6- month Anniversary! You look amazing and alert for a few hours after surgery! You're proving to all the folks in the waiting room that they can do it, too!

Deena Z  You look crazy good for only several hours after surgery. You are even wearing your glasses. Awesome! So glad you are doing well. And...this has to be the best photo I have seen on heartvalvesurgery.com that really shows all the many wires and other stuff that is going on right after surgery. Looks more intimidating than it really was. -- mostly because you can't really can see them because they are behind you and it is not your job to deal with them!

Klara Čičić  Amazing picture, you looked unbelieveble for first day after surgery. Happy 6 months and wishing you well! 

Heather Kelly  so sorry as I am sure that is frustrating. Try to look at all as a blessing and in two weeks the day will be better for you. God bless

  So sorry Tim, I know exactly how it feels to be rescheduled for surgery. Mine for tomorrow is now moved up one week. In your case feel good about the fact that they are being cautious about your bloodwork results. It’s important that your body is ready for surgery to minimize complications later on. God give you peace while you wait. 

Rose Madura  It's tough. I had my surgery postponed as well.  But I believe there is a good reason and it will all work out in the end.

George Gardopee  Hey Tim.  Your situation sounds like mine - I had 18 months to be terrified of having OHS.  All I can tell you is that it is not nearly as bad as our imagination allows us to believe it will be. In my case I was expecting a 10 and it ended up being about a 3 or 4.  Luckily I had no complications and after about two weeks of feeling fatigued it was like it never happened.  Good luck on Thursday!

Marie Myers  Wishing you a smooth journey through surgery and recovery! Like George said, the whole experience for me was not as difficult as my worrying mind led me to believe. 

Ginny Turner  Wishing you all the best with your surgery, Tim. Hope all goes perfectly. You'll be on the road to recovery by tomorrow at this time!

Debra Keife  Good luck, Tim! I too had a bicuspid aortic valve and an aortic aneurysm.  I had surgery 1 year ago to replace the valve and sheath the aneurysm. Your fear and anxiety are normal. This will be behind you soon and you will feel so much better.

Joey Hardee  Hey Tim! You're gonna do well. I've been in your shoes.  Also sounds like I'm just down the road from you in Columbia, SC. Message me if you have any questions. 

Marie Myers  Tim, I had the same surgery as you will have, with the extra added bonus of an ascending aortic aneurysm. It was my first time admitted to the hospital in my 63 year old life. You can get through this, and I will be waiting to see your post-op comments. For what it is worth, my whole experience was not as bad/scary/awful as my worrying mind would have me believe. Have a smooth journey!

Greg Lewis  Hey Tim! Piece of cake! You can do this standing on your head! Stay focused on where your going, not how it feels getting there! This life is really one day at a time....your mind makes this scarier than it is. Remember your out for the whole thing. Let them do the work they are good at! Ps..take the drugs! Lol

Richard Munson  Thank goodness you are out for the whole thing. It might smart a little. I thought about just biting on a nail like removing a bullet on gunsmoke but decided against it.

Greg Lewis  Haha..could you imagine..." here ya go pardner, just bite down on this here willow stick, and we'll pour a little wiskey on er fer ya too " haha! 

Civita Fahey  Its a personal choice really. for me a tissue was valve was the right one. I personally didn't want to be on a blood thinner for the rest of my life. With my surgeon it was decided that the risk of another surgery, hopefully a TAVR is less than being on a blood thinner for say 20-30 more years. I was 55 at the time and its been 5 years. I don't regret my decision at all, especially seeing all the  advances in the past 5 years. I hope this helps. 

Tom Everson  Hi  your final choice will be the correct one. Don’t second guess.  It all depends on your age and life style.  Both have advantages and disadvantages.  Mechanical are usually chosen by younger ( maybe below 60). One and done) . Currently you must take  warfarin ( or something similar) that requires getting used to the routine of keeping your numbers in line. Lots of people have no issues with that once they get in a routine. Some people complain about the ticking they hear , some do not.   Some say  this valve  is better for their active lifestyle   A Tissue valve will  wear out and will require another operation but the second  operation MAY. be less invasive.  I have a tissue valve and at night I hear my heart ( if it is real quiet) and that is fine with me    I was old ( 78) so a large tissue valve was a easy choice There is not a wrong choice 

Marie Myers  I went back and forth for weeks on this decision. At first I was sold on the Onxy, one and done mechanical valve. Then I finally decided on a tissue valve, mainly to avoid Coumadin. I hope I don’t wear my valve out too soon!  I was 63 at the time of my surgery, and it was the hardest decision I ever made. Wishing you peace during your wait…

Rose Madura  As others have said, it's a personal decision and whatever you decide, go with it. It's the right decision. I went back and forth from Onx to tissue and at age 59, got tissue. I'm glad for my choice.  It is one of the most difficult decisions I've had to make.  Do research online and discuss options and pros/cons with your cardiologist and surgeon.  Best wishes and God bless you!

Lilian Peña  Hi everyone! I’m 45 and 5 mths post op, I choose mechanical SJM aortic and mitral valve replaced. There are times I heard the ticking sound in my heart at the right side of my ear and it reminds me that it gives life to me and for the rest of mylife will take warfarin. Definitely its a personnal choice since I dont want to have another OHS, aside from being too expensive it was a huge shock to human body. Thanks God I recover well and baby steps back to what I used to be. 

Rita Savelis  I got 2 mechanical valves 7 yrs ago at age 53. My stenosis was radiation induced and more surgery was not advised. I trusted my surgeon. Whatever decision you make is the right decision for you. Everyone is singular, everyone's body is different. No one can tell you what is right for you. I'm sorry that you have to go through this. Take care.