Recent content by jhc1

I specifically asked my cardiologist about yoga and headstands...he said to go for it....

Looks like we had our surgery the same day! Mine was at St. Luke's in Houston. Glad to hear all is well with you.

Just had my 3 year check-up at Texas Heart Institute in Houston. Clean bill of health all around. Ejection Fraction at 60%, and no leakage detected on the echo! Training for another round of Bike Around the Bay-a 185 mile, 2 day bike ride around Galveston Bay, in support of the Galveston Bay...

giro-you are correct, there are two entry points…when I had mine done a couple of years ago, they used the radial artery in my right arm, and the carotid artery in my neck. The radial entry point is an easier recover than the more common femoral artery in your groin. The cardio doing the...

I had my AVR, with an ascending aneurysm repair two years ago. Like skeptic49, I opted for a tissue valve for precisely this reason…I dive and found that taking warfarin was a disqualifier for scuba. My cardio had no problems with me resuming diving after my recovery. I've since been to...

Well….had the cath on Tuesday at Texas Heart Institute…good news! All the plumbing is clear, and there is no evidence of previous heart attack. It seems I am the victim of a false positive on the stress test. My cardio thinks the "symptoms" I've experienced may be related to overtraining on...

So, June 10th was my two year anniversary. I had a regularly scheduled check up with my cardio on June 12…over the past few months, I've noticed fatigue, shortness of breath, pressure in the chest, lightheadedness (more than normal) when exerting myself. I ride a bike, and have noticed...

TitanEddie- your thinking was like mine almost 2 years ago. the latest literature I found had no contraindications to scuba with a tissue valve. My cardio was also OK with it. Mech valve and warfarin were disqualifiers. now that you've made the choice, sit back and "enjoy" the ride! best...

While I'm not familiar with your particular med, some meds (beta blockers) have the effect of lowering resting heart rate. I was on lisinopril and had the same effect, as well as having a ceiling on my max heart rate. No matter how hard I pushed on the bike, I could not get above 130bpm...

Rufus-I think all of us have gotten late cases of "cold feet" about surgery. I know I was asking myself what I was doing pretty much up to the time I was wheeled into the operating theater….My only advice is to place your trust in the team of professionals in charge of your care. They do this...

Piece of cake…I had mine though the radial artery (wrist) and neck to image both sides of my heart…only felt a little pressure when they were inserting the catheter. no strenuous exercise for 24 hours afterwards...

my personal experience-4 months post-op I was struck by a car while riding my bicycle…road rash and three broken ribs, but the sternum held! Once your physician releases you for unlimited activity, they mean unlimited activity. I can't comment on warfarin, as I got a porky pig….good luck! Joe

Welcome! I had my AVR and aneurysm repair a year and a half ago and have some thoughts for you. the first night after surgery you will be in ICU, with very restricted visitation. Eventually, you'll be moved to a room for the remainder of your hospital stay. I found having my wife stay, once...

Alex-I'm also not an MD, but can share what my cardio and surgeon told me…first, there is some level of uncertainty in the measurement of the aortic aneurysm, especially on the echo. Ask your cardio about the growth rate. A cardiac cath is a procedure where they thread a long catheter either...

Guest-the anticipation is by far the worst part of this whole experience...I remember thinking "what am I doing" as I walked through the doors to St. Luke's Hospital in Houston...here it is 18 months later, and I'm feeling great. You've done the research, made the necessary choices (valve...