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Yup, I am very familiar with this...a loud thump, thump, thump when I take a deep breath in. I am one year post-op and I still have it. Doctor says it could because I have a thin upper body with not much fat to insulate the sound.

Very interesting...that seems to make a lot of sense. I will discuss it with my pharmacist. Thank you.

I've been taking Metoprolol ER 25 mg daily since my AVR 10 months ago primarily to keep my heart rate down. I've experienced no problems whatsoever with the drug. When I went to refill a couple of weeks ago, they gave me 50 mg tablets w/ instructions to cut them in half due to the pharmacy's...

Carole, you will LOVE the INRatio2! I've had mine for about 7 weeks now and it's the best! It's very fast, user-friendly and quite small. I'm excited for you! Robin

I went to refill my metoprolol xl 25 mg yesterday and I was told that they were out and didn't know when they'd be getting another shipment. Apparently, the shortage is countrywide. They said I'd have to switch to brand name Toprol XL (which I guess is also in short supply) or switch...

I have no experience with the INRatio but I can tell you that I absolutely LOVE my INRatio2. It's small, easy to operate and very fast with results. Couldn't ask for a better machine!

Thanks everyone for your wise responses. I decided not to hold anything and continue with my regular dosage. I'll retest again in a week. I have a feeling I'll be back in range again! It's so great to have this forum as a resource for a newbie valver like me! Thanks!

Hi All..I'm fairly new to home testing and I've got a dosing question. My INR last Friday was 2.6. Today it was 4.1. My range is 2.5 - 3.5. I suspect the large increase was due to the fact that I was sick all week with a bad cold and didn't work out at all. Normally, I'm in the gym 5-6 days...

My 82 year old mother needs an aortic valve replacement due to severe aortic stenosis. The surgeons here in NH have deemed her high risk for surgery due to her age combined with some other medical issues and are reluctant to perform the surgery. We want to get a second opinion at Columbia in...

I'm new to home testing and I've been wanting to do it since my surgery 8 months ago. Anyway, the QAS trainer delivered my INRatio 2 yesterday. She gave me a 30 minute training session and then she was on her way. I was amazed at how easy the process is and also at how small the monitor is...

I also use a very small fan placed on my bedside table. The drone of the fan is perfect for drowning out the sound of my very loud valve. My husband likes the fan a lot and finds it quite soothing. I got the little fan at Brookstone for about $30.

I just ordered a high-neck bathing suit too! It's not that I'm ashamed of my scar, it's just that I was told that you shouldn't expose a new scar to the sun because it can ultimately make the scar look worse.

Same here. When I take a deep breath in, the thumping is very loud and I can even feel it when I put my hand on my sternum. My doctor was surprised that it was so loud and said it's probably because I'm thin and don't have a lot of "insulation".

I applied to QAS on 1/20/09 for a home INR moniter and just heard yesterday, 1/29/09, that I was approved by my insurance company, Tufts Health Plan, with no out of pocket expense for me! I was absolutely thrilled because I thought I would have to go to battle with Tufts to get approval (also...

After going through AVR just 7 months ago, my soon to be 82 year old mother is facing the same surgery. Her cardiologist just told her that her aortic stenosis has moved into the severe category. The problem is that, at her age and with some significant health concerns, surgery would be...

It was six months ago today that I had my aortic valve replacement. I am overjoyed to be alive and feeling like a million bucks. It's been a long, difficult journey with several complications along the way but, let me tell you, it's all been well worth it. Thank you all for your support...

Dan...you are such a cutie (I'm a sucker for a British accent). Love your video blog. Thanks for sharing your journey with us! So glad you are doing so well so soon.

Dana, At 8 weeks post-op, I had quite a bit of discomfort in my collar bone and shoulder areas. It was pretty much gone by 12 weeks. Just hang in there...it'll get better! Robin

I am 4 1/2 months post-op and I'm feeling great. Pretty much back to the way I felt before surgery in terms of energy level and stamina (I was asymptomatic before surgery). My question is.....at what point should I expect to be feeling better than ever? My cardio told me that replacing my...

Same thing happened to me. I was back in the hospital two weeks after discharge due to pericaridal effusion and pleural effusion. They drained the fluid around my heart and it never came back. I had multiple lung taps for the pleural effusion (not fun!) but eventually the problem went away...