Recent content by JaneBerm

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  1. JaneBerm

    Migraine aura anyone? Or does the cheese stand alone?

    I'm ten years post AVR and still experience occasional auras and flashes! I've never had actual headaches with these, and they certainly happen less frequently than the almost constant experiences I had immediately after surgery.
  2. JaneBerm

    10 YEARS Today

    Just realized it was my 8th anniversary today...logged on and saw Cooker's post. Thanks for all the help you gave me in getting through those rough months before my surgery. Glad to hear that you're still raising your cup and enjoying life!
  3. JaneBerm

    5 years later, it's an ordinary day!

    Today is an ordinary day...thanks to the valve I received five years ago today! In that time I've moved to Florida (much warmer weather and grandchildren) and my new aortic valve has seen me safely through three unrelated surgeries (broken leg, ovarian cyst and gall bladder). My main health...
  4. JaneBerm

    Ten weeks post-op ... bit miserable, bit sorry for myself ...

    Hi Allison, I had AVR two years ago and I too was an emotional mess several weeks out. My only regret is that I didn't meet with a counselor. Although it was offered to me on several ocassions, I thought I could "tough it out". I did, but I truly believe that it took a lot longer to get past...
  5. JaneBerm

    Preparing for surgery - what can one do

    Hi Paulo, I can't address your respiratory concerns since I didn't have any of these issues after surgery, but I did have a lot of back and neck pain. My husband brought me a small neck pillow to use in the hospital and the one thing I wish I had done was schedule a massage therapist for a...
  6. JaneBerm

    Why do you Think there is So Much Emotion?

    I'm not sure where the emotion came from, but I know that I experienced it. Because I didn't have any major symptoms prior to my AVR (found in a routine exam), I was in deep denial that I even needed surgery. As a result of having little to no control over the medical procedures I was...
  7. JaneBerm

    2nd anniversary today

    Today was the 2nd anniversary of my AVR and I can hardly believe how much my life has changed during this time. As of last Fall I am officially "retired" and just last week I was able to witness the birth of my first grandchild! OHS is surely a very large bump in the road, but it most often is...
  8. JaneBerm

    Surgery date set: February 1st

    Hi again Edward, I've been checking to see how you've been doing in preparing for your surgery and following the advice that other members have offered. Because of my own physical disabilities, I do think that my experiences in becoming mobile again may closely mirror what you may expect...
  9. JaneBerm

    Ok ... truth about pain

    Hi Allison, It's normal to be worried about pain after this surgery, but I can tell you that my experience with AVR in 2009 was a much less painful experience than the several surgeries I had previously. While I never had heart surgery as a child, I did have a spinal fusion at age 12, followed...
  10. JaneBerm

    Wheelchair user - will I need help after surgery?

    I'm Post Polio and while I have use of my legs, using crutches, I cannot stand from a sitting position or sit from a prone position without using my arms. This was impossible after my AVR surgery. When I was in the hospital, the staff used a Hoyer Lift to help me get out of bed and into a...
  11. JaneBerm

    One more reason to love ValveReplacement.org

    Betty White may have had it right--Facebook most likely is a huge waste of time! Not so on ValveReplacement.org. Two years ago I was discussing VR issues with another participant on another site and I offered up the VR address as a great source of information. Faster than you can say "busted"...
  12. JaneBerm

    When/How did you know your sternum had healed?

    At 3 months I felt really good, but honestly, it was 12 months before I stopped feeling better than I had the month before! Each month from the third on out, I believed I was completely healed, only to feel better retrospectfully. That's not a bad thing when you think about it. Be patient...
  13. JaneBerm

    Help wanted!

    Take it from someone who spent several hours, in the middle of the night, online at vr.org in the weeks leading up to my AVR. Most of us will admit to some major anxiety during those final days, but I agree that the waiting is by far the worst part of the experience. You will be in very...
  14. JaneBerm

    AVR Scheduled for March 10

    Wishing you the very best as you wait for your surgery. Those of us who have made it to the other side of the mountain, all dealt with variations of the same kind of anxiety that you are now experiencing. I was relieved to find a comforting word or two from VRmembers--even in the middle of the...
  15. JaneBerm

    Change Or Die

    I'm so glad that I don't have work today. It gives me more time to find my way around our new site. Feel like I found the bread already, now I just need the peanut butter!
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