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Instead of starting a new thread I thought I would hijack this old one... I never received the On-x valve registration card. Pretty sure a nurse told me at some point that they would give me a temporary one on discharge and then the official one in the mail later. Never actually received either...

Congrats! It is amazing how the days seem long, and yet time flies. Take care of yourself!

I also went through pericardial effusion after my aortic valve replacement. I was never told exactly what caused it, but I was told that it can be a side effect of the trauma to the heart as well as a possible side effect of anti-coagulant therapy. My fluid showed up almost 2 weeks after my...

Thank you so much for sharing this. I am almost 5 weeks into recovery and now that my body is starting to be healed enough that I feel almost normal, I am starting to feel the psychological effects more. For me so far this has to do with having been in the "waiting room" for several years and...

Thanks for the support! I've been feeling pretty good for the last week. My follow up echo to check for the return of fluid around my heart came back and all was normal. Big relief. I'm still getting some pounding beats, but they don't last very long and don't seem to be accompanied by any other...

Hang in there! Having just recently gone through a fraction of what you are going through, I empathize. You are an inspiration!

Now that I'm on the other side I can add my own answer. I will say the combination of wi-fi, smartphone and netflix. If not for these things I think I would have completely lost my marbles having to stay in the hospital for a couple days longer than planned.

TL;DR summary: Jan 23 bicuspid aortic valve replaced with On-x valve. Recovery was smooth until C. Difficile infection. Home after 7 days. Back in hospital 6 days after that with pericardial effusion. Drained effectively, home now, waiting for results of follow-up echo. Surgery day -1: Checked...

Just a quick post to say I made it through surgery and am now recovering at home. Having trouble with keeping energy up because almost all food has a terrible aftertaste. I will post my surgery story soon when I can concentrate for longer.

Well here is how the last 24 hours have gone: Tuesday 9:30 am, offered a date of Feb 6, have to turn it down because my in-laws will be away and we want them to be in the city for at least the surgery day. 11:30 am, surgeon's office calls to say that another surgeon has a cancellation for this...

I guess I just inferred that since the On-x valve is a more recent innovation that there probably isn't as much data on the long-term (I'm talking 20+ years) success of the valve, vs say the St.Jude valve.

Thanks for the responses! Thought of another random question: does anyone know how long it might take me to be able to have the lung capacity and stamina to go back to singing in my choir?

Best of luck! Look forward to hearing from you afterwards.

Wanted to chime in, although you got lots of great advice above. I was confused for a long time about my condition, because I had been told I had Bicuspid Aortic Valve, and many people on this site talk about the progression of stenosis as the main indicator for repair or replacement. I see that...

Thought we could start a discussion on this topic: What is the ONE thing you couldn't live without during your post-surgery recovery? Let's stick with inanimate objects since a supportive caretaker might be the most invaluable in the early stages. I'm currently preparing myself for surgery and...

Thanks for the response MrsBray. It's these seemingly silly questions that keep coming up for me. Maybe it has to do with my control issues :p What about underwear? Can you wear regular underwear in the hospital once the catheter is out?

Thanks for sharing your experience with this. I too am heartened by the possibility of uterine ablation if things become unbearable in that department post-surgery. I already have a terrible time with hormones, and use acupuncture to battle migraines during ovulation, and heating pads to get...

Continuing with the anecdotal experience of using "substances" by BAV patients: 1. Caffeine: I stopped drinking caffeinated drinks several years ago because I didn't find they made me more alert, and I found I would just get kind of light-headed and shaky, maybe due to a faster heartbeat and my...

I was told I need to be completely healthy (no cold or flu symptoms) for 3 weeks before my surgery.

Whoops I guess I got logged out in the time it took me to write that... The above post was made by me :)