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I joined early in 2002, a couple months after my surgery. I still check in most days.

I listened to a lot of music yesterday canning grape juice. A couple more: The Bird and the Bee, Love Letter to Japan, contains the line: "Here is my heart, my beating heart." Lenka, The Show, contains the line: " Slow it down, make it stop Or else my heart is going to pop."

I use a fan at night for white noise, so I don't hear my valve. Otherwise, it's usually very comforting to hear the valve, much better than hearing it stop.

I like Goldfrapp, Alive, and Metric, Help, I'm Alive, which reflect my thoughts after surgery. I think the Leona Lewis song is "Keep Bleeding." Avril Lavigne, Anything but Ordinary, " Somebody rip my heart out And leave me here to bleed."

I had a life expectancy of about three seconds at the beginning of surgery, but that's been over eleven years ago now. It's still one day at a time.

I took a St. Jude mechanical because that's what my surgeon recommended some eleven years ago. I knew nothing ahead of time, that is, had no time to research in advance of the surgery, but I haven't regretted the surgeon's choice.

One concern would be getting your INR checked regularly. There is a website, http://www.acforum.org/clinics_us.htm, which lists only some of the clinics available; not all of them use a finger stick; some are only a regular hospital lab. Good luck!

There is a wonderful brewpub in Port Huron, which may fit into your drive back to DEtroit Sunday evening: http://quaybrewing.com/.

I, too, think you would feel better if the echocardiographic technician had measured an EF higher than 40. I am very impressed with what they do, but not very impressed at all by the EF number. I would suggest insisting of asking a question or two more about it, especially if your treatment is...

I started homebrewing several years after surgery. Some of it tastes pretty good, but I do taste all of it. The problem comes with overindulging, but there is no problem with moderation.

Feel free to vent! Much of this is life-changing, so different from what anyone else understands. We understand here. It would be great for you to have someone to talk to face to face about this, but barring that, go ahead and vent here.

I contacted Roche and let them handle all the doctor and insurance questions for me. Here's a link with a telephone number: https://www.poc.roche.com/coaguchek/rewrite/content/en_PT/10:10/article/POC_general_article_04.htm

Have you checked out Marfans Syndrome?

I share the problem, although I don't understand it. I wouldn't say that it's a severe problem, and it's not consistent, but there are times.

I'll contribute just a couple things. You will never get all the answers, but eventually you do what the surgeon says, at least based on my experience. I was also 46, but very symptomatic. Shortness of breath for me meant sitting down halfway across a room to get my breath back. Shortness of...

I wouldn't want to take away a good excuse, so feel free to ignore this. I would be rather careful with that aneurysm, however. Don't shovel unless you doctor specifically says you can. I was told after my surgery that I should not shovel snow. The same physical therapist told me that no one...

You are certainly safe to return to work, however, sometimes even professionals are ignorant about coumadin. For example, there are people who ought to know better who still think that because it's called a blood thinner, it actually does thin the blood -- and I supppose therefore the blood...

INR = It's Never Right. Don't worry, but do keep increasing your dosage each week (at least by 1 mg a week) until you reach that "sweet spot." The correct dosage of coumadin needs to be worked out for you, since everyone is different, that is, we metabolize the coumadin at different rates. Some...

Hi Tiger. I would guess that "refraction" is "ejection fraction," and, if so, 70% is very good, since the scale doesn't go to 100. Talk to your card about the gradient numbers, or wait for someone more knowledgeable to come along. I did a lot of pondering and studying my health issues after my...

Honestly, they do a lot of stuff at first that is soon forgotten, at least by the patient. We benefit from this wonderful drug called versid, which makes you forget all the stuff they do to you. Perhaps they should give some to the family, as well. He's in good hands; trust the doctors, and...