Tom's Journal

Mike Roskowinski  Hey Tom.... This would be awesome to get us back to life again. I know this break has been somewhat nice but I miss real life and time with friends and other family members.

Mike Roskowinski  Thanks for the update my fellow Minnesotan. Keep up with the recovery we are so far along and doing great! Pochettino and his team are amazing!

Joey Hardee  I can already tell I am gonna have a disdain for the chest tubes. :-) Glad he got those things out. Making progress! Keep working, Tom! Getting better!

Rose Madura  I vividly remember removal of pacemaker wires and chest tubes. Not fun! But once they are out, you do feel much better!

Rob Sparling  Congrats to Tom, Kelly! On the right path! “In the direction of goodness.”

Joey, the chest tubes are your friend and nasty all at the same time. Without them my respirator exercises were much more fruitful. Walking with the tubes was a bit more of a hassle, but it’s only a couple/few days. A hurdle, but a necessary one and once jumped, the pace of recovery picks up.

Michael Greco  We just found out about the external pacemaker after surgery, which was not a thing done 17 years ago when Mike had his most recent cardiac surgery. Mike was not excited about it... Glad Tom is doing so well his came off already! Every step brings him a little closer to that full recovery!

Mike Roskowinski  Awesome to hear about Tom. Getting all those tubes and wires removed was not fun and such a weird feeling. Glad that it is really quick getting everything out of you. Sounds like Tom should be going home soon. Hope he is getting used to the new ticker. It was hard at first to hear it but you get used to it. Congrats on the great progress.

Joey Hardee  Thank you for the update, Kelly. Great news to get out of ICU. Great progress. Continuing to pray for Tom, you and the med team.

Michael Greco  This is Andrea. We’re very happy to hear Tom’s doing so well, as we prepare for Mike’s surgery on Monday. Hope his recovery will be just as uneventful! Good luck springing Tom out of ICU today. Will you be the getaway driver?

Susan Lynn  Kelly - Thank you for the updates. It sounds like Tom is doing great. Don't forget to take care of yourself - you're probably getting less restful sleep and none of the good drugs that he is! 😉
I can't express how grateful we heart warriors are for our caregivers! You and Tom are going through surgery and recovery in your own ways and sharing the success of every milestone. It's a team effort! All the best to you, both! ❤

Mike Roskowinski  Thanks Kelly for the update. I was in step down unit 5D and they were all great there. You guys will like the nurses there.

Mava Reif  Thanks for the updates! We all remember how strange and unreal those first few days & weeks feel! Quite a Rollercoaster ride. God bless you both in this new adventure together. 👍🙏

Mike Roskowinski  Awesome news Kelly. So glad to hear that Tom is out and on the recovery side. Pochettino is a great surgeon and I am sure that he will take awesome care of you guys. Nurses and everyone there were amazing and great to have. Congrats to Tom so happy he is done.

Karin Carter  Hi all I'm Karin I turned 65 this past SundY(25) a d I'm32 days post surgery and I am doing GREAT. I had a double valve replacement and a repair.I live in South Georgia and had my surgery done at Phoebe Putney in Albany Georgia. My surgeon was Frances Herrbolt,I'm new to this site and by the way I may have to have a permanent pacemaker put in around the middle of next month,has anyone else had to have a permanent pacemaker to control there heart rate

Mike Roskowinski  Hey Tom you got this my man. See you on the recovery side. You are in really good hands so no worries. We share the same surgeon so I know you will do great.

Mike Roskowinski  Hey Tom I read that also a few days ago. I eat fruit daily and blueberries are one of my favorite. I have grown up eating blueberries. Love muffins, pancakes and blueberry pie. Hope things are well for you in Rochester. I am sure your anxiety is on the high side right now but you will do great. If you see Pochettino ask him if he remembers me. I am sure they all do since I spent a long time there and talked to all of them so much. You are in good hands and everything will be just fine. Make sure you go to Newts and get a burger they are delicious there. I pray for a great surgery and quick recovery for you. As you go in for surgery I will be starting cardio rehab. All the nurses are awesome there. Yeah they wake you in the middle of the night to take vitals and check stuff but they are all great. Only thing I recommend is that you get your own food brought in. I ate two meals there and swear I have PTSD when I think about them. Food was not good so I had my wife stock me up on stuff to keep in the freezer and fridge. Good luck and Godspeed we are waiting for you to get on the recovery side!!

Tom McDonald  Thanks Mike for the info, Continued success in your recovery! Blueberries are one of my favorite berries also.

Civita Fahey  I've been having blueberries with my oatmeal for years. I truly feel its one of the reasons, I never get colds!

Susan Lynn  Kelly - That's beautiful. Tom will surely find it inspiring. You will get through this together. We'll be keeping you both in our thoughts and prayers! ❤

Susan Lynn  This is the time it starts to feel real, but you're going to be on your way home before you know it! We look forward to welcoming you to recovery!

Rob Sparling  Knock down every putt! Every test and every needle is just part of the process! High fives every time you meet a new member of your team and get over one more hurdle! 👍

Scott Ainsworth  All the very best Tom, relax and rest up as much as you can this week, it will serve you well on the other side of your operation. Looking forward to some awesome updates! God Bless

Mike Roskowinski  Tom you got this man. Enjoy the last few days before you go in for surgery. You will do great and be in recovery with us soon. The team you have is great and will take good care of you.

Tom McDonald  Thank you!
Scott, Mike, Peter, and Joy, I hope your recoveries are going great and continue. I will be there soon!

Susan Lynn  Tom - The last week can be a rush of emotion. The countdown begins, but you'll be ready to go by game day next week. You're prepared. You've got this!

Dan Baltazor  You're doing great. Focus on the recovery side. Continued Peace to you this week knowing so many of us got through this and you will too.

Rob Sparling  Tom, keep busy and the schedule and prep will keep your mind in the right place. Stay positive — high fives all around for your team all day and every day — then buckle in, pray hard and take the “faith fall”. You will do great (and so will they!).

Mike Roskowinski  Hey Tom. You will do great the team at the Mayo was prepared for everything that happened to me. It can be overwhelming at first but just listen to them and be patient. All the nurses are great and will help you through the process. Make sure you beg for ice chips cause you will really want it. Pochettino knows me by name so when you see him tell him I said hi. He is there everyday checking on everyone in the mornings and doing updates. I spent two weeks there and was moved to 3 different rooms because of my situations. I will do a full scale write up of my two weeks when I decide to sit at the computer. Feeling way better today and everyday since the surgery. Good luck you are in great hands there. Trust me I met a lot of people.

Ron Weaver  I can only imagine your anxiety. I don’t even have a surgery date and I have a mini panic attack when I think about it. Hang in there. I’ll be sending good thoughts your way.

Lena Afanaseva  Please don’t worry much! Waiting is the worst, but trust me! They know what they doing! Wish u a quick recovery!

Darren Ketchley  It is without doubt a very frightening thing to face and recovery is a day by day thing. Nothing prepares you for the event and the main thing is everything you experience the fear anxiety tears are what we have been through so just know you are not alone. Wish you all the best and a fast recovery.

Joey Hardee  Right behind you, Tom. I am definitely "feeling it" on the horizon. Hard to keep it off my mind when I am doing something in preparation every day. We are going to be better after surgery. I am running a 5K in November. Can't do that without this step in the process. You're gonna do great and be better for it, Tom!

Marie Myers  I know that feeling of preop anxiety and worry, because I had it too. Wish I knew then what I know now...you will get through it all! Your medical team does this everyday , and you have to have faith. Wishing you peace in your preop wait!

Heidi Rockwood  Tom, We share the same surgery date now-June 5th is going to be a good day and we will get through this! The waiting is very hard, and I’m having a very hard time focusing! I’m 54 and leaning toward the tissue valve. What was the deciding factor for your choice?

Tom McDonald  Heidi,
both my cardiologist and surgeon recommended mechanical b/c of my young age of 53. The "ON-X "valve takes a lower dose of blood thinner. I will learn to adapt. I only want to go through this OHS once. My CTA scan on my January 2019 visit showed a possible blockage in my coronary artery. A pre op heart cath along with some other test on June 3rd will determine if that will need to be addressed during surgery. Stay tuned! Another reason OHS is the only option for me vs a tavr procedure. I'm hoping after surgery,
and once recovered, my energy levels increase so I can do the activities I love without feeling exhausted. All the best in your journey, your in my thoughts and prayers. Peace and good vibes to you! We will get through this

Dan Baltazor  It's tough waiting!!! Make plans with the ones you love to help you pass the time. Prayers for Peace for you.

GARY STANKO  I just happened to stumble on your story. We have a couple of things in common. I am also a bike rider. I did 14 today. Not riding as much as I did before surgery. I do think the riding helped my condition. It was very overwhelming for myself as I had to push my doctor into looking into why I was feeling the intermittent fatigue when riding. I was thinking it was my age and just pushing thru it. This was in 2017, I was 67. Turned out I had severe mitral valve reguritation. I went to Mayo in Rochester. They repaired my valve and I haven't had any issues since. The nursing care was awesome. I'm in Kansas, I feel like going to Mayo gave me the best possible outcome. They'll take good care of you.

Oh and the recliner, I bought one too thinking I would be sleeping in it awhile. Didn't happen. The bedrooms are all upstairs but I walked the stairs twice a day, very slowly. It is a comfortable chair though!

Julie M  Prayers for you, Tom, that all goes well. Though I know the waiting is really hard, you'll be on the recovery side before you know it. God bless...

Mike Roskowinski  You got this Tom. We share the same surgeon and same hospital. I will let you know how it goes. Awesome to get stuff done and have some fun before all the recovery begins.

Naomi Gray  Good job with your bicycle rides, Tom! I wish I could have lost more weight before the surgery like you did. Well, it didn't happen to me. Once I stopped my skiing, seemed like I'm even getting fatter... I can't wait to replace my aortic valve, and start working out. But it might not hurt have some reserve until I can start eating regularly again.

Mike Roskowinski  Awesome Tom. Yeah I just got my dentist to sign off on my dental work. All set to go. Just some preop appointment on Thursday and then show time.

Joey Hardee  Glad you got the thumbs up, Tom! My surgery is 50 days out and the surgeon's office hasn't said anything regarding a dental health cert. I will go ahead and proactively make an appointment with my dentist though. What happens if you are 4 years post op and need a tooth extracted, root canal or other major dental work?

Bradley Dunn  That is awesome.. Before surgery for me I would average 10MPH.. I haven't really rode much post but not sure I could even reach 10 again.

Grats on your progress!