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Further to this: My introduction to warfarin has begun. Received 3 different pill sizes: 1mg, 3mg and 5mg yesterday.. Each is a different colour. I’m to take an initial 7mg each evening going forward. Have now stopped Clopidogrel. Bisoprolol continues. I prepped three days’ worth of pills into...

Had a Lp(a) blood test the other day. (You only need to get it tested once in your life.) Got the results this morning. All looks good and in range. Good information to have. Thanks to @Chuck C for the initial Lp(a) pointer. Had been watching this also, while awaiting results. An interesting...

In August last year, I had a 45 second or so episode of double vision (diplopia) while driving in the fast lane. It momentarily made driving safely extremely difficult. The double vision eventually resolved, and I hogged the slow lane back to London without a recurrence of the issue. I thought...

Prof Farah Bhatti, 57 When you walk into an operating theatre, it’s almost like a sacred space. It demands all my focus. Precision. Still hands. Calm thoughts. Complete presence in the moment. Typically, I’ll do two operations in a day, each up to five hours long, and separated by a break of...

“As a teenager, Nathan always felt his heartbeat was abnormally strong. Despite regular assurances though that it was stress and anxiety related, he persisted in searching for what he believed to be the reason. Eventually he was diagnosed with a leaking bicuspid aortic valve resulting in keyhole...

Livvy Gosney was diagnosed with heart valve disease in 2015 after her doctor heard a murmur. Fast forward six years, and after facing delays to treatment caused by Covid, Livvy was finally called in to receive her life-saving treatment. This is her journey through that life-changing...

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/jun/28/wireless-pacemaker-dissolves-body

I’ve been in hospital for nearly four days. Went in last early Tuesday morning and finally sent home last Friday evening. Just before the previous weekend to that, I’d had overnight chills and aches. Then an ache in my left shoulder/clavicle area that felt like I’d pulled a muscle. The pain...

I currently take a daily 75mg dispersible aspirin (in water) following a capsule of omeprazole (to aid the stomach for the aspirin ingestion). The aspirin is now a permanent med for me post AVR, as prescribed by my surgeon. I’ve been on the omeprazole for some weeks now and I feel it is...

I’m almost five weeks post aortic valve replacement (August 7th). Everything had been going swimmingly until the end of last week. Felt chilly four days ago (Friday), with pain beneath my sternum and up the left side of my chest to my neck when I inhaled. At first I thought I’d slept awkwardly...

https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/medical-device-recalls/edwards-lifesciences-llc-recalls-sapien-3-ultra-delivery-system-due-burst-balloons-during-surgery

Sunday – Day Four I slept much better. And got up at 5:30am and sat in my chair in the growing light. I practiced expanding my lungs by breathing through my nose. The sternum pain was much less. In fact, sternum pain had never really been a big issue as long as I din’t put any unnecessary...

Friday – Day Two As Friday dawn broke, my nurse helped me out of bed and into a chair. I sat there for a while and we chatted as she took my readings, and removed some small cannula attachments in my wrist (the main cannula stayed in place). After an hour or so, I asked to be put back in bed...

Thought I’d do a long-winded write-up of my journey through my recent AVR to replace a stenosed bicuspid valve with an Edwards Inspiris Resilia tissue valve. This will be in three parts as the forum software doesn’t allow posting of more than 10,000 characters. It’s been eleven days now since...

Hello everyone! I made it! Am weak. But things going well so far. Chest tubes out this morning (an interesting experience!). All seems to be going well. Doctors very pleased with my progress. Only just got my hands on my phone. One day in Overnight Intensive Recovery unit (OIR). Then High...

Second attempt at the goal tomorrow after my AVR cancellation two weeks ago. I’m packed (well, I never really unpacked) and ready for a very early morning journey to the hospital. I’m scheduled for an afternoon surgery, just like two weeks ago. Got as far as one hour or so before surgery when...

Now on the admissions unit being prepared for AVR surgery after lunch. Arrived at 7am this morning. Five vials of blood taken. Met assistant cardiac surgeon who’ll be assisting the lead surgeon. Consent forms checked. Edwards Inspiris Valve implant confirmed. Swabbed for MRSA, then I...

A call from admissions this morning. My surgery is booked for 22nd July. A Monday. I’m down for an afternoon op. She offered me the 24th at first, but when I said that’s a good way to celebrate my birthday (I’ll be 61 on that date), she said, “Oh let’s make it a few days earlier in that case...

Got a call from the cardiac admissions office today regarding timescale before my AVR surgery (my heart skipped a beat when the hospital number showed up on my phone ... Ha!). Appears I’ll be waiting a bit longer than they first implied before I get a confirmed surgery date. They’re now hoping...

Call from the hospital. Catherisation booked for Thursday - 16th May. Not sure if through groin or wrist. Once completed, suspect a date for surgery will follow quite quickly.