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Happy Valversary, and hoping you have many, many more!

28 years ago today, a young fellow from the mountains of Southwest Virginia got a second start by having a damaged aortic valve replaced and mitral repaired. A nasty case of endocarditis was to blame. The weather today kind of reminded me of that, as we drove through an ice storm on Feb 28...

Ms. Thang and I have been together for almost 25 years, so one explanantion took care of the noise: I was an EKG demonstration in our Emergency Medical Technician class and explained things to the class. She can hear the double-clicks in her sleep, and can tell when the a-fib kicks up. I...

My last cath was through the right wrist. The Cardiologist thought this would be easier for me due to my large body size at the time (over 400 pounds), and I think he was right. Had Aortic and Mitral valves both replaced the next morning. I, too, cannot find a pulse at the cath site, but...

I, too, am a double valver, with both Aortic and Mitral replaced Feb 6, 01 with St. Jude mechanicals. Have had few lingering effects, but can hear the "double click" now and again in a quiet environment. Be glad to answer any questions I can!

I, too, had been told that warfarin and coumadin are technically the same drug, but while taking the generic, my INR would vary between 2.3 and 6.2 on the same 4 mg dose. After consultation with my cardio, the decision was made to go to branded coumadin. Since then, I have had consistant 3.1...

Hope you went out to dinner and had a nice celebration. I have 23 years to go to catch ya. Duke University had my paper file from March, 1982 when I went back Feb, 2001 for a redo. The person who shaved and prepped me in 82 was also the same guy in 01, I was kind of shocked! He remembered a...

Happy FIRST! Hope you have many, many more. Yesterday was #8 for me, on my second time around. #27 is coming up March 2nd. Been ticking for a long time! Enjoy your day!

When I got off work at 7 AM this morning, was 7 degress in the Roanoke, VA area. I don't think it was much warmer in our office. I think tonight I might as well wear my long underwear (longjohns, or long-handles for us country folks). It is supposed to be about 0 when I finish up tomorrow...

Blossom is the boss! Blossom is the boss! She sits in my wife's recliner while she is at work and watches TV with me, and sleeps at the foot of our bed while I work my nights. She walks on a leash, but leads us instead of us leading her! That is a sight! I think she is just glad she found a...

The first time around March 1982), I was in Duke University Hospital long enough to become a resident of North Carolina (46 days). A nice place for a young feller to be during the spring, as I was a college freshman myself at the time in Virginia. The second time around, in 2001, went in for...

I think about the ticking almost every time I put my telephone/radio headset on at work (a poor, old, tired fat state police dispatcher.) The ticking just "echos" into the headphone. After a few minutes, is mostly un-noticable again. Then. sometime through the shift, one of the troopers will...

Our last cat, Maxx, was abandoned near the EMS Station where my wife and I used to volunteer. He almost filled my hand, we feared he would get runned over and killed, so we took the little varmit home. (those ambulances and crash trucks are heavy rascals.) Maxx grew to about 12 pounds of...

Cindy, Sorry to hear you have to go through this again so soon. I am a two-timer, having first AVR at age 19 in 1982, and he second surgery in 2001, at 38. The second time (both AVR, MVR, and aortic aneurism repair) was a little more difficult recovery for a few reasons. One, being nearly 20...

Don't be afriad or too embarrassed to talk with your doctor. LNS (i may need to use that acronym in the future, please) didn't hit too bad with Toprol XL (I take 50 mg twice a day), but it did not fully control my A-fib. My Cardio added Sotalol, 80 mg twice a day. This is gereric for...

I keep the Reeces cups.... I keep the Reeces cups.... Ms.Thang buys several different kinds of candy, as we usually have 300 or so trick or treaters come by the house. I usually hide the Reeces Cups for us, and hand out everything else. She still will not let me take the chain out of my...

I am on vacation in Nashville, and if you can find gas it is 4.00 plus per gallon. When I left Roanoke, VA Saturday, many of the stations were out but I filled up for 3.47. After I got into Tennessee most stations along I-40 were 4.99 or more. I checked local news (Roanoke) and over 1200...

Every time I go thru Charlotte, NC, I set off the detectors. Have yet to do it anywhere else, but haven't been thru too many. I just got close to the unit in Charlotte and it went off. after explaining the mechanical valves and "trashbag" type ties am closed up with, the young TSA officer did...

Oh, Man.. Looking great! Oh, Man.. Looking great! First time around, I was barely 19, and was cut from chin to belly button (not quite, but close.) The pre-op folks shaved me from nose to toes, taking a decent mustache. Youth must have been in my favor, as recovery time then was short, was...

Green Bean Add-In Green Bean Add-In I make my green beans similar to this, but add in a few new potatos while they cook. New potatos are small, or fingerling, young taters usually dug fresh out of the garden as the plants start to mature. :)Oops, my Appalachian dialect is coming out in my...