Recent content by hansong

tigerlily, I did the aspirin routine for a couple of months after my valve replacement, but have dispensed with it for the past two years. I don't take any medications either (other than a theraputic glass of wine or two). The government requires me to get an echo, ECG and MRI every year in...

No meds for me, and a first class medical (one year at a time) puts me back in the cockpit. Retirement was fun while it lasted, in a Travis McGee sort of way.

That's great that regurgitation gives you some breathing room. As I said, my limited experience in cardiac problems was wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am, would-you-like-some-surgery-or-would-you-like-to-die? Your way's probably better. The cardiac CT scan is a sore point with me, since I may be stuck...

Sooner might be better than later, since the potential effects of cardiac problems can't be predicted with 100% certainty. In my case undiagnosed aortic valve stenosis with a bonus aneurysm thrown in could have resulted in a clot to the brain or quietly bleeding out for no apparent reason...

Sinus Rinse http://www.amazon.com/NeilMed-Sinus-Rinse-Regular-Kit/dp/B000A0S5KC Sinucleanse http://www.amazon.com/SinuCleanse-Squeeze-All-Natural-Solution-30-Count/dp/B001F0QVAM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1301109229&sr=1-1 I've tried all the steroid sprays over the years. The saline...

Good questions; it's too bad there are no definitive answers to them. My AVR was a Christmas surprise last year, with only a few days elapsing between diagnosis and surgery, and I'm still working on getting my medical back and returning to work. The longevity of the valve is a matter of...

Kathy, Perhaps the fact that eliminating the metoprolol for several days had no discernible effect on your heart is the key point. Not knowing how long the time-release version is effective in your system means the three day period may not yield a conclusive result, but there's no way your...

Mazel Tov!

I think Paleogirl's right on the money concerning effect of diet on cardiovascular health. My wife and I started eating low-carb in January 2003 when we discovered her triglycerides were sky-high. Her older sister had had problems with cholesterol-lowering medications and she wanted to try...

My younger brother the physician called as we were sitting down to Christmas dinner to tell me I should do a crossword puzzle or something before going to the hospital "to establish a baseline to measure cognitive deficit post-surgery". I was silent for a moment, a maelstrom of potential...

Thanks for the link. I'd seen that site before but hadn't bookmarked it. Perplexing question, how best to take care of the new valve and everything attached to it. Life used to seem so simple.

Judy, Having seen the good, the bad and the ugly in your nursing career you may be tempted to let your imagination run riot with negative outcomes. Sure, there's no minimizing the seriousness of open heart surgery, but having been where you are myself six months ago my recommendation is to...

Valerie, It is hard to think of cow and pigs as mere menu items after valve replacement. But in spite of my appreciation of that anonymous pig's contribution to my continued well-being, I'm strangely reluctant to make any further acquaintance of his cousins, other than, say, as a slab of ribs...

Here's another possibility: http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2009/03/latest-study-on-vitamin-k-and-coronary.html The vitamin K2 effect on calcium metabolism is only one of many in the discussions on that website. Interesting reading though, and food for thought. hansong