30-Year Anniversary of First OHS

[johnnycake23]

Hard to believe it's been 30 years since my first valve surgery. That one was for an aortic valve repair to address aortic insufficiency for a bicuspid valve. I was four days shy of my 27th birthday (right before I got wheeled in to the OR the crew sang Happy Birthday to me) and I remember when talking to the surgeon, my biggest worry was "will I have a scar"? Ahh, to be so young and carefree. Truth is, that was one event that I use to delineate my life: How things were before that surgery, and how they've been since; kind of like remembering life before you could drive or being single vs. married.

Now I'm coming up on my 57th birthday. I have two OHSs under my belt, and a different perspective on life. Truth is, if I was born just 20 years prior, I probably wouldn't be typing this now. So after 30 years of being an OHS patient, the one word I can use to describe how I feel is "grateful."

Just thought I'd share.

 

[Chuck C]

Congratulation!

That is quite a milestone!

 

[Seaton]

Lovely post, Johnny!
Big congratulations to you.

 

[dornole]

Many congrats!!

 

[tom in MO]

Congratulations. May you have many more anniversaries.

 

[Deepak khanka]

Very nicely expressed J.

 

[treichert0312]

I’m thinking - Happy Birthday! Maybe still a couple days early.
More than half your life was after AVR.

 

[Superman]

I have much the same story, just a couple years earlier and two days before my 18th birthday.

Congrats on the milestone.

 

[johnnycake23]

More than half your life was after AVR.

Yep, it's spooky when I think about it like that. And that scar I was so worried about back then? Now when I look in the mirror, it's so old hat that I don't even notice it.

 

[treichert0312]

I’ve got the scar with 3 OHS and it is fascinating to see the last scar that healed amazingly well on top of the keloidal mass from my first scar. Also, the lumps / wires / calcification (?) gives my sternum a lot of - texture?

 

[johnnycake23]

I’ve got the scar with 3 OHS and it is fascinating to see the last scar that healed amazingly well on top of the keloidal mass from my first scar. Also, the lumps / wires / calcification (?) gives my sternum a lot of - texture?

Good news on the scar tissue, as I have a keloid mass almost the size of a golf ball at the bottom of my surgical cut. Using "texture" to describe the scar, well, that's one way to put it.

 

[Deepak khanka]

I know I comparison to the OHS this a small thing . Are there anyways to get rid of the scars especially the keloid ones

 

[AZATADINE]

Kinda wondering the same myself. My op was almost 2 years ago and the scar has healed amazingly well except for about 1 and a half inches at the bottom. It's not the end of the world or anything but it's kinda raised and pink. Feels like 4 little bumps when I run my finger over it. I tried Bio Oil on it but it didn't really do much for mine I don't think.

 

[Deepak khanka]

Kinda wondering the same myself. My op was almost 2 years ago and the scar has healed amazingly well except for about 1 and a half inches at the bottom. It's not the end of the world or anything but it's kinda raised and pink. Feels like 4 little bumps when I run my finger over it. I tried Bio Oil on it but it didn't really do much for mine I don't think.

I think bio oil makes it worst. I did that mistake post first surgery .

 

[AZATADINE]

Didn't help me either. I don't think it made it worse, just didn't do anything.