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Thought I'd check in to celebrate my 17 year anniversary today!! I can't believe it's been that long since I received my CryoLife SynerGraft aortic homograft. The tissue is supposed to hopefully last 18 years, so I am so thankful that it's lasted this long. I have a slight leak in the new...

Today I'm clocking ten years of borrowed time on my "used" valve! I feel like it's my birthday, or that I should be handing out bubble gum cigars or something! Seems like a long time ago, but also seems like yesterday. Back then, I heard it said that tissue valves last an average of ten years...

Very interesting future technology! http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=80253&p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=1582987 Quote: Steven G. Anderson, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of CryoLife, said, "We believe that the ValveXchange technology is an extremely compelling next...

Just checking in today to celebrate the eight years of "borrowed time" since my Slice and Dice! In two weeks I'll have my annual echo, so hopefully it will be business as usual! Just wanted to give thanks to God, and to all my friends here, and the invaluable support of VR! I couldn't have...

Looks like CryoLife just got FDA approval for their SynerGraft(R) Processed Pulmonary Human Heart Valve. I received an aortic SG almost six years ago. The hope is that this would be a long-lasting tissue; the valve is "washed" of donor nuclei, then repopulated with cells from the recipient...

Folks: Here is the link to the recently published article on the study at Mayo Clinic, where the progress of patients with the new CryoLife aortic SynerGraft homograft was followed for one year: Aortic root replacement with a novel decellularized cryopreserved aortic homograft: Postoperative...

Article about CryoLife (who produces SynerGraft valves): "CryoLife Licenses Novel Technology for Microorganism Inactivation of Orthopaedic Tissue" http://www.cryolife.com/investornew.htm Down at the bottom of the page, under "Recent News", click on the 12/15/03 article. Hmm, maybe this will...

http://anatomical.com/product.asp?pn=SCH-4 Here's a little something for those on your gift list! Maybe buy one for your surgeon, too, so he can practice a bit before he trys things out on you! -Jennie

An article on aspirin: http://my.webmd.com/content/Article/74/89125.htm?pagenumber=1 It seems that no matter the dosage, they see the same percentage of strokes, etc. However, they also see higher bleeding with regular-sized aspirins. Bottom Line: it recommends a baby aspirin (75-100mg). Jennie

Folks, http://www.newswire.ca/releases/July2003/09/c0748.html Looks like this valve is hitting North America now.... -Jennie

This week at work, I got called down to Shipping and Receiving, being told that there were three crates that had been delivered to our building, with my telephone number on them. THREE CRATES??? So I went down to see what this might be, surely some sort of mix-up. So I took a look on the...

Just a poem for those of you going through a rough time now with your health.... Sorrow By Abraham Lincoln In this sad world of ours, sorrow comes to all, and it often comes with bitter agony. Perfect relief is not possible, except with time. You cannot now believe that you will ever feel...

Hi Folks! Today is six months since my surgery, and I am celebrating!! To everyone who reads this, I hand you a (virtual) chocolate cigar wrapped in hot-pink foil that says "I'M ALIVE!!" I am so glad to have this mess behind me, and still amazed to see how God took me through this crazy deal...

Hi folks! Just checking in here! Yesterday was eight weeks since my surgery, and I started back to work today, for just six hours (instead of usual 9-1/2). I'll do the same tomorrow and into next week, and then I should be back to "normal"??? Yeah, right!! By 12:30, I was more than ready to...

Hi Folks! I'm back online here, just checking in to see how everyone's doing! Thanks SO MUCH to all of you who sent me email well-wishes, even from some of you that I haven't really talked to in the past - it was trully encouraging to receive them every day while I was in the hospital! And...

Hi Folks, Gearing up for my big day on Tuesday (23rd), for my aortic valve repair and possible aorta repair (dacron tubing) OR aortic replacement with the CryoLife SynerGraft aortic homograph with conduit. I WAS calm, focused, positive, even "happy" if I dare use that term. Stress levels...

Folks, I'm penciled in on April 23 for surgery at Mayo Clinic. Dr. Kenton Zehr will do the honors. If possible, he will repair my aortic valve (severe aortic regurgitation) and maybe put some Dacron reinforcement tubing in the aorta (mild-moderate mid-ascending aortic aneurysm). Otherwise...

Folks, I'm back from my "second opinion" meeting with a doc at Cleveland Clinic. (I wish I had known that JenniferO was there....) Now I am in a dilemma. Mayo Clinic tells me: Do surgery now (next month or two) because of the severe regurgitation and workload on the heart. A repair of my...

How does one go about obtaining a second opinion, without trying to pry another referral out of one's primary physician? I was wondering if I could send my test results to another surgeon - or go in person if necessary - and for a few bucks get him to tell me his recommendations. Any advice...