Help from any 2nd timers out there

[Tank]

I am going in on Aug 12 for my 2nd OVR and am going mechanical this time, I am 54 yo and am wondering if anyone has any words of encouragement. I stopped working 3 months ago due to severe low back pain due to fail fusion and the heart thing come up, so I need to get through this, strengthen up and get ready for a few rounds of low back surgery. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.

 

[DebbyA]

Tank, you do have a lot on your plate! I got through my 2d surgery (6 years after the first) as well or better than the first time, and I'm 68. One of my neighbors is a cardiac surgical nurse. She said I would see improvements in patient handling even in that short a time. I'm not sure how long ago your first surgery was, so I'll offer some maybe unneeded advice: Speak up to everyone in the hospital about your back issues and get the extra assistance you may need. Don't assume anyone already knows just because you've answered questions multiple times. They are well-intentioned, but (my experience anyway) is that the patient load is big, and they are dealing with the 'standard' patient of necessity. I'll be away from internet access until the day after your surgery, so I'll be looking for your successful report soon after my return. Best wishes for a successful surgery and a smooth recovery.

 

[pellicle]

Hey Tank

I am going in on Aug 12 for my 2nd OVR and am going mechanical this time, I am 54 yo and am wondering if anyone has any words of encouragement.....

well I've had a homograft put in at about 28 which lasted till I was about 48. I'm now on a mechanical valve which is an ATS (now Medtronics).

When it happened (spurred on by a discovery of an aneurysm) I had not really given much thought to "what next" but had been just consious of and wondering about when the homograft would degrade. I suspected a mechanical would be my next step but had really left all knowledge of that to the surgeon. I'd known him since I was a kid, but he had retired on this one and one of his understudies had stepped up to the plate. It was only after the requirement of a valve change I started researching mechanicals and warfarin therapy. It took me a year or so to work through it all, as the medical professionals in warfarin management really don't know much.

I can say that (by way of encouragement) that almost nothing has been a problem with life with the mechanical. I'd say that almost everything is made easier and less fearsome with some knowledge and information. I spent a lot of time learning about warfarin and managing my INR so that now I'm totally unflustered about the whole thing. To be honest I wish that I could have had the mechanical back when I was 28 if the home testing stuff was around back then too.

I think that you'll do well.

what's your other health like? No matter what the healthier and fitter you are the better you fare in any major surgery.

Keep your chin up and focus on goals as long term. Make the short term goals simply doing what you need to, and then the long term goals will happen



When you're out and settled (it can take a few months) and past the depressions (don't let them bight you, it can seem like you aren't depressed but everything feels wrong and bad emotionally) and your body has "healed" more then your INR can stabilise. I've got a blog post which you can read (and re-read) which will help you come to terms with warfarin (coumadin) therapy.

http://cjeastwd.blogspot.com/2014/09/managing-my-inr.html

Best Wishes

 

[Tank]

Would like to give a little more history. My 1st AVRment was done in 2005 with edwards bovine and replace of ascending aorta at 52mm. 3 low back surgeries, 1st in 1999 and 2 more in 2000. Unfortunately the last 2 failed and have been dealing with chronic pain since. Taking pain meds which has helped with continuing to work but pain increased and had to stop work due to pain/ It appears that the bone spurs are getting deeper into muscle and are starting to touch off on the spinal cord on occasion. Only found out about severe stenosis in aortic valve on the 29th of July so it must be bad enough to have surgery scheduled right away.