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Just to chime back in on 2 things. Valve choice and your mood/emotions.

I have read here at vr.com that many times the patient goes in wanting one valve and once the surgeon is inside, feels he cannot use the first valve choice for some excruciatingly important reason, and a different one is installed. Others here have had emergency surgeries with no time for a choice. Please advocate for your choice. But once the decision is made, try to appreciate the reasons and let go of the angst about one valve or another. Part of your personality and denial is what is driving this feeling about valve choice. Your choice is to LIVE. You are making that choice positive by choosing a first rate hospital, a top notch surgeon. It is time for you to go with the flow after this last hurtle has been made about the valve.

Please! I must echo BonzoDog's words "Stay positive and mentally strong. To be honest, anticipating infection is not the way to go. To go into that theatre a jittery, worried and spooked man does no favours for either you or your loved ones. Be confident, take strength from all on here who have very successful outcomes. " There is a calm before this storm. Find the calm. Exhale deeply, slowly. Think about the beautiful future with your lovely wife...think about it in true, I'm gonna be there enjoying every second, thoughts. Full and free of this physical problem. Let go. It's okay. You have to do this. Let go.

If your wife could post once you become unavailable, that would be most excellent!! We would really appreciate knowing what's going on to some degree. We'll be watching, waiting. We'll be worrying. Please....let us do the worrying!

You are in my thoughts.

Best wishes.

Marguerite
 
Aaron....

I have little to add to what the rest have said except to sincerely send you my very best wishes for a smooth surgery and uneventful, easy recovery. You have educated yourself and made excellent choices for where to have the surgery and who to do it.
Try to enjoy some fun with your DW this weekend and see how everything goes.
The sooner you have the surgery, the sooner this angst and stress of pre-surgery will be over. It really is the hardest part.

Keep the spirits up and you'll do fine!

Please do have your wife (or someone) post after your surgery so we'll know you are over the mountain and doing well.
 
Ditto

Ditto

As posted above, IT IS YOUR HEART! Don't let the doctor put an un-wanted part in you. ask for a second and third opinion. Call the On-X people. MAKE A FUSS.:mad: Heck, if the steak you ordered was replaced with a piece of fish because the cook was on a "no red meat" kick, you wouldn't just eat it. (perhaps a poor example but you get the idea) :confused::mad:
Anyway, it seems that this will happen real soon, so get to work, but believe it will all come out well in the end. Prayin for all.
SHEEPDOG :D
 
Aaron, I know you are in probably in shock right now, but I am happy that they are going to ''fix'' you. In a couple of weeks you will have the worst over you, and can get on with living your life....what a wonderful thought. Praying for you and sending (((((HUGS)))))
 
I'm VERY burned out on this whole thing. I had a transesophageal echo today and a ct scan last night. Both looked relatively normal without evidence of dissection, despite the previous 2 or 3 ct scans showing what appeared to be a dissection. I was told the doctor actually had the scans delivered to him at his home last night because he was that concerned. My whole family was wigging out.

The doctor called the previous dissection looking scans a motion artifact because of the way the contrast medium moved through the aorta. I've seen the new GOOD scans with my own eyes and I believe this is probably the case too. I'm just glad that I have answers to why it looked so misshapen in the previous scans.

So whatever. I'm stopping the madness here. I'm going to forget I'm in the waiting room for a while... I'm probably going to take a long vacation very soon. Thanks for listening and thanks for the input, my friends.
 
Aaron,

I am not sure whether to feel happy or sad for you. This valve stuff is sure a roller coaster ride isn't it? I understand because one day they tell you nothing is too bad and the next everything is an emergency. No wonder many of us need anxiety meds.

I think a vacation is a great idea. Maybe a change of scenary will help you to put this aside for awhile.

The waiting room can be tough but it can also be a quiet place to reflect. Praying that you get some peace of mind.
 
Oh Boy!...have you had a crazy ride lately....I think you deserve to spend some time away from all this worry. Go do something fun and come back refreshed.
 
I forgot to thank you guys for the prayers. Who knows, maybe that's what changed things for the better.

I'm thinking the United Kingdom. I have some friends there. :)
 
AaronJ so glad you posted!

AaronJ so glad you posted!

I am so glad to read a post from you. I have been wondering how you have been doing. UofM is a great place to have your surgery done, you are in good hands! I know the feeling of not wanting the carbomedics valve, I felt the same way. The carbomedics is definetly the choice of the doctors there because of its track record I am told. If you want another valve tell him as early as you can so they have time to order one in. Thanks to ALCapshaw stepping in for me they flew mine in along with a surgeon/rep the day of my surgery. Dr. Bove put the valve in and then later thanked me for having him try one as he was very pleased with it. Be firm with what you want and make him at least have one on hand for you. After that let it go and leave it in greater hands. I know that is hard to do but it takes that burden off of you that you don't need. You are facing alot right now but you are in a facility that can handle what you have and get you fixed up. From there you will just have to be monitored and go on with life. After one unsuccesful surgery I was starting to wonder if this was going to be it for me, maybe I was unfixable and that was really scary. I told my second surgeon Dr. Bove that I just wanted to live to raise my daughter. I made all my feelings clear and turned it over to him at surgery. You can do this you have strength inside you haven't even tapped yet and you will get through it. I will continue to watch for your postings and pray for an easy time for you. Have faith.
 
I know it's not easy to be in the waiting room, but I agree- a vacation is in order and the United Kingdom is a great choice- go in peace- you deserve a good time!
 
Hang in there buddy, so it's back to the waiting room like me. A vacation sounds like what you need right now. Go and enjoy. I am going on one in about 3 weeks and it will be wonderful to escape for awhile. This aneurysum roller coaster is quite the ride!! Best wishes to ya;

Jjay
 
AaronJ said:
Hey guys, thought this might be interesting to you:

I went to an initial consult with Dr. Deeb from UofM today... everything was going as I expected and he kinda poo poo'd my 4.5 cm aneurysm a little bit until I showed him the scans that I posted in the "help me analyze this ct scan" thread. His eyes got real wide and he started talking about having surgery on Monday. He called it a "type 2 b chronic dissection".

He said that at some point I should've died, and it's pretty unusual for people to have a dissection of the ascending aorta and just be walking around afterward. 40% just drop dead... or maybe it's 40% that live, I can't remember.

He had me do a CT scan at 8pm tonight and we're doing a TEE tomorrow... from there it's either "surgery in a week, or surgery in a week." I'm also not allowed to lift more than 25 pounds...

So I'm in a nice hotel with a jacuzzi suite TRYING to enjoy the time with my wife. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings when I go see him again. I certainly wasn't expecting to stay here in Ann Arbor.

So I guess the moral of the story here is listen to your body. :)

Cya guys.
Click to expand...

Aaron,
That had to be hard to hear. Well it's a good thing you were there. I am consulting with Dr. Hirsch in Ann Arbor and having my aortic valve replaced there on August 28th. It is a great hospital especially for heart issues, you are in good hands. Please know that my prayers are with you and your wife.
 
UofM is a nice, big hospital. They just built a new cardiovascular center last year and they're working on a new children's hospital. They all seem to "know their stuff", and alot of them went above and beyond for my case. Dr. Deeb is a passionate man about his work.

I went to the hotel room praying that I just wanted the whole dissection scare to go away, and basically it did. The restrictions are no lifting greater than 25 lbs, no motor or contact sports like jetskiing, no more tattoos or piercings, and to keep my heart rate in the low 100's. He referred me to an electrophysiologist so I might be able to reduce the tenormin dosage, and he also referred me to a hypertension specialist for some medication tweaks. I'm going back for a ct scan and consult again in 6 months even though I've had so many CT's I glow in the dark.... So the visit, despite the horrendous scare, was positive and probably beneficial.
 
AaronJ said:
UofM is a nice, big hospital. They just built a new cardiovascular center last year and they're working on a new children's hospital. They all seem to "know their stuff", and alot of them went above and beyond for my case. Dr. Deeb is a passionate man about his work.

I went to the hotel room praying that I just wanted the whole dissection scare to go away, and basically it did. The restrictions are no lifting greater than 25 lbs, no motor or contact sports like jetskiing, and to keep my heart rate in the low 100's. He referred me to an electrophysiologist so I might be able to reduce the tenormin dosage, and he also referred me to a hypertension specialist for some medication tweaks. I'm going back for a ct scan and consult again in 6 months even though I've had so many CT's I glow in the dark.... So the visit, despite the horrendous scare, was positive and probably beneficial.
Click to expand...

That is good news. Glad to hear it all went well. I'm actually going to be in the Children's hospital... something about since it is congenital they want me there instead... I know they are building a new one that should open in a couple years. I too have had a good experience at U of M so far. Good luck to you and keep us posted:) Enjoy the 4th!
 
Aaron....you gotta be pleased all things considered. Granted your still playing the waiting game and your still under restrictions but at least you don't have to worry about an imminent dissection. Vacation sounds like a good choice, you have certainly earned it. It also sounds like you've found a surgeon that your comfortable with which is great, I think beyond an accurate diagnosis that finding someone your cool with is the next most important step.

Maybe you should talk to Dr Hirsh about performing a procedure on U of Ms football program. How bout them Buckeyes ?

Best of luck to you...

Scott
 
Dear Aaron,
Have a good time on your vacation & put everything else aside for the time being; you can deal with it when you return & perhaps with a better & more refreshed perspective!

Best of luck & you're in my prayers!! :)
 
Oh poop! Now I have to move this back to heart talk cause you ain't going to surgery. :mad::D

What I don't understand is why he feels your safe enough to wonder the planet without being fixed for 6 months or more?
 
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