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I've been following this thread and want to add my good wishes. Try and have a relaxing week-end (easier said than done)

It will be over soon and you will be on the road to recovery. You're in my prayers and keep us posted.
 
At least you can get...

At least you can get...

...to know the nurses. You will also know how bad the food tastes BEFORE surgery. EVERYTHING TASTED BAD AFTER MY AVR. What hospital are you in? Is it in Madison or did you go to Atlanta? Which Mech. Valve do you get? I was in St. Josephs in Atl. 07-09-08 thru 07-15-08. The one thing I had to watch out for is getting "comfortable" in the hospital.:eek: Don't laugh!:D I mean, while you are in the hospital, everyone is there to help you, someone else is dealing with the day to day problems at home, work is not a worry, all you have to do is get well. That can be sort of addicting. I had to leave to break out of the "comfort zone" I was developing. I used EVERY day I had to get feeling better. Now, just over 3 weeks POST-OP I feel 100%better.
Use the time you have before to get your head straight. This will be over before you know it and you will be fighting to feel better. Make all the plans for what you plan to do with your new life while you are waiting for it to begin.
 
Sheepdog, I'm actually having the surgery in Athens Ga at Athens Regional Medical Center. My surgeon is Cullen Morris, he is an assistant professor at Emory in Cardio Thorassic Surgery, He also was on the transplant team there. I asked him if there was any need to go to St Joe's or Emory and he said my surgery is as basic as it comes so no. I will be getting the ON-X valve which makes me happy about the chance on either lower INR levels or no coumadin at all in the near future. The nurses here are great so far and seem to genuinely care about not just how you feel, but your feelings as well. At this point, I'm just ready to get the surgery done and start recovery. Thanks again for all of he kind words, they are all worth their weight in gold when it comes to emotional health.

Eric
 
Yes, the ON-X is great!

Yes, the ON-X is great!

I am really excited about my target INR being 2.0 - 2.5 for now. I know this is a REALLY small window but the lower the better. It was 2.1 on friday. I seem to be really responsive to Coumadin. :confused: I need to convince the doctor for some police dept that I won't BLEED OUT if someone looks at me in a MEAN:mad:way. (a slight exaggeration, but you get the idea) This is why I asked for the ON-X and why my doc recommended it. (You will have to get used to the sound of dripping H2O while in a quiet room (ie the hospital restroom) It isn't the shower dripping! It's YOUR HEART! When I got home, my wife and I were sitting in the kitchen when she said "shhhh, I hear water dripping!" NO HONEY, IT'S ME!!!):eek::D
It is hard to believe that this OHS is now COMMON. I was impressed when I thought Dr. Wolfe did 3 or 4 a week. His PA told me he does 3or 4 a DAY! Not all the same but he sees the INSIDE of 3-4 hearts a day. That is pretty common. I am glad to hear you have an experienced doc. Please keep us informed AFTER your surg, as well as any questions you may have before tues.
 
I'm a little behind on the list, so I am just reading this thread now. I'm so glad the fluid is draining away. Fluid is my enemy, too!

I know the hospital can be boring, but think of the things that you can enjoy for the next few days that won't be so easy to enjoy after surgery:

1.) Cool omni-directional bed

2.) Be the total master of the remote for tv and movies because YOU'RE THE PATIENT HA! HA! HA! HA!

3.) "On demand" movies, if your hospital has them.

4.) You'll actually enjoy hospital features like solariums, nature trails and game rooms pre-surgery. They aren't nearly as fun post-surgery.

5.) Room service! No cooking, no dishwashing! (More exciting for women than men, I have to admit.)

Hope you've had a interesting day!
 
From Pairodocs-Laura

...The one thing I had to watch out for is getting "comfortable" in the hospital.:eek: Don't laugh!:D I mean, while you are in the hospital, everyone is there to help you, someone else is dealing with the day to day problems at home, work is not a worry, all you have to do is get well. That can be sort of addicting.

This is so true! The only thing Chris had to do was get well. When Chris sets his mind to do something, he does it with a singlemindedness few people experience. He didn't have to worry about getting the kids to their Tae Kwon Do lessons or to school, or about feeding the chickens, goats, dogs, etc. No worrying about the chaos at home, either. He could choose his own food, and eat it in his own time (within reason). No cleanup or hot kitchen. The surgeon and intensivist prepared us for a much longer stay, so when they told us it was time to go, Chris got cold feet and felt that he was not ready to leave, after all. He was torn between wanting to sleep in his own bed and the safe haven of the hospital room. The kids and his mom were the ones that convinced him to come home; his mom because she really needed to be reassured that he was in the land of the living, and the kids ...well, he just plain missed them. He had been such a model patient that his recovery was rapid after his surgery. I hope your recovery goes even better than his did, and that's saying a lot.

Got to go pick berries in Idaho,
-Laura
 
Sorry I haven't posted, internet in hospital has been down a few days. My surgery is scheduled for Wed, my kids go back to school Tue, so my surgeon wanted my wife to be able to take them. I have lost alot of fluid weight in 3 days, from 210 to 196, no longer on lasics, just waiting my tur now. Thanks for all the positive comments and well wishes, it really means alot.

Eric
 
Sorry I haven't posted, internet in hospital has been down a few days. My surgery is scheduled for Wed, my kids go back to school Tue, so my surgeon wanted my wife to be able to take them. I have lost alot of fluid weight in 3 days, from 210 to 196, no longer on lasics, just waiting my tur now. Thanks for all the positive comments and well wishes, it really means alot.

Eric

Things sound better, Eric.
You'll be in our prayers come Wednesday.
 
Best wishes on your surgery!

The hospital can be boring to the nearly well, but it's really good that they got the fluid problem under control. Post-surgery, you may be too groggy to be bored, and by the time the groggyness has gone, they'll have you up doing laps in the hallways.
 

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