Recent content by Perry

What is the target INR for the OnX testing - anyone? Perry

Great call - run with it. Best of luck and health. I wholly agree with the suggestion to have a plan "b" - the docs will get thier best view during surgery and things could change.

There is some risk of messing up the surgeon's handi-work if you go to hard to early. But everyone's recovery is different - different capabilities post-op. From what I remember - the instructions were for me to walk about as much as I could without overdoing it (use the breathing toy too)...

I struggled with the choices as I looked ahead to my aortic valve replacement. I settled on a Ross Procedure. I even specified that I wanted a manufactured tissue valve to go in the PV position and not the usual homograft. I knew that the final call on the Ross would be made during the...

My younger son had the Ross-Konno when he was 5 months old - Dr. Jonas was at Boston Children's then (2000 - we travelled there) and is now at Childrens in Wash. DC. His donor pulm. valve was apparently from a small women. Due to the valve size primarily (becoming restrictive to flow), we...

Mark, Best of luck for a smooth recovery. There are lots of great tips on this site, but the experience is a little different for everybody. I wouldn't knock myself out reading just before going in. March in there and get it fixed. Don't be late because the surgeon is likely scheduled for...

geckley - I sent you a PM. Dr. Cameron was a proponent of the St. Jude in general when I first started seeing him - you can't go wrong with St. Jude. Are you getting two valves? I missed that part. I'm pretty sure I have read of On-x valves in the mitral position (on this site) but the 'what...

This is a very personal and somewhat emotional decision that most of us have been forced to make. If you haven't been through this you just can't know. I am being reminded of when a real estate agent knocks on your door and starts referring to your 'home sweet home' as a house or property - a...

My INR target with my On-x is 2 to 3. I was told that with the SJM valve it would 2.5 to 3.5. That played into my decision and I doubt that the On-x folks picked a lower INR for marketing reasons. If you have evidence to the contrary - please have your lawyer contact me. I am an Engineer and...

I first met with Dr. Cameron in late 2005 to discuss my options for AV replacement. I think he had a St. Jude valve that I could handle and a tissue valve in lucite paperweight (correct me if I am wrong). Pretty freaky. When you are talking about what should be a valve for life, the St. Jude...

Johnny, A little background: I had what turned out to be a leaky bicuspid aortic valve that slowly deteriorated in funtion over 5+ years. This site was very helpful. My informed choices became 1) Ross Procedeure 2)On-x valve 3) tissue (can't recall which). That's kinda how I broke it down...

18 months ago...... 18 months ago...... Great news Robert! I've been off of the website for a while. I had OHS on 3/8/2006, back to work nearly two months later (could have been quicker) and a new job offer two weeks after that. I have not been on the computer nearly as much as before...

I am 4 months out from receiving my ON-X aortic valve. I don't use a heart monitor so my info lacks numbers.....At 6 weeks the surgeon told me I could jog and it took me just less than one month to be able to cover my 5:00 a.m., <2 mile, hills included jog with the dog that I do before work. I...

Leah, Sounds like you 've done some great planning and have lots of support. Best of luck and I hope your recovery will be easy. I brought our huge Lazy Boy recliner to another bedroom and went back and forth for only a couple nights. I could lay in bed and sleep with little discomfort, but...

Sorry to hear - but they are really screwing with your mind. At one month out mine was delayed two days and I was pissed about that. On the bright side, to them your operation is so routine they may not realize what you are going through. Is that a bright side? I don't know but I hope it helps.