Thanks to all who've been posting their good wishes to this thread. It turns out that Zip's surgery may not be the simple MVR we were all expecting to hear about. Her scar tissue from the AVR almost 17 years ago has massed and actually adhered her heart muscle to her sternum.
Doctor Modry's residents have been dropping by with different puzzle pieces WRT Monday's procedures that are slowly building the big picture for D&D as they wait for the surgeon's actual visit either later this evening or definitely tomorrow. She knows that the scar excision and sternotomy will all be performed off pump and now, it seems that depending on what that all entails, they may in fact give her a matched set of new valves in both the mitral and aortic positions.
She has stopped taking coumadin and the hospital is bridging with heparin. Good news though, when she stepped on the scales, she's dropped 12 pounds (at least) of water weight... wahoo Deb! Your denim waits. I'll be calling tomorrow to check on what the surgeon has actually concluded and with Deb's final confirmation of valve type and what they will do to stop this from happening again.
Take Heart everyone and please, keep those positive thoughts and prayers going out for Deb. She really needs them to help her stay brave and calm. I'll read her your good wishes tomorrow when we talk on the phone.
Pamela.
