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another thing I have is this weird tingling which goes up and down the sides of my spine in my upper back. Could this be from scar tissue from the surgery? thanks!

Hi all I am a year and a half post op from my second surgery, and I now have a mechanical valve and am on Coumadin. I basically do not feel good almost all of the time. Very low energy, fuzzy head. I have had all the normal blood tests you could think of. Is it just because I have young kids...

my target range is 2.5-3.5 for some reason, and yes, it had dropped to 1.5, which I guess is actually only one point. The multi vitamin I'm taking does not have Vit K. Maybe I should look into switching....

Hi everyone We've been trying to get my INR stabilized for 2.5 months and it's still not stable. I was trying to pay attention to my intake of leafy greens, but then one week I ate a lot less than I normally would and my INR dropped TEN points!! So now I'm sort of not really paying much...

my I.N.R dropped more than 10 points to 1.5 after a week where i ate significantly less greens!! I was just about to start a thread about it. I am pretty freaked out by the thought of a stroke. I will call the AC clinic tomorrow and ask what's up!! Why would it go down after I ate...

I'm 6 weeks post op and I know I shouldn't complain, but my valve is SO loud! There is no more "quiet" for me. Every time I sit down to read or put my kids to bed or sit at the computer, or take a relaxing bath, the ticking is there. I really don't know how I'm going to live with this for the...

Hi everyone I'm wondering when I can expect to get some energy back. I'm still really tired at 3 weeks. Granted, I have 2 young kids and live in grey Seattle too. My Hematocrit is on the low side of normal. I ordered some iron. Just wondering when other people started to feel a lot better...

Anyone else experience severe shoulder pain after surgery? It is so bad that typing it hurting right now. It radiates down my back, all the way down to my elbow and centers on the outside of my shoulder. Any suggestions?

did they test you for Bacterial Endocarditus just to be sure?

I sort of have a pit my stomach now thinking I maybe should have gone for the tissue valve. In my mind, there's no way to know when the surgery will improve. My tissue valve only lasted 7 years. I am stuck on Coumadin until they replace it with a better drug, but I will definitely be on meds...

Did it tick like crazy at first? Did you feel every heart beat like a small pop in your chest cavity? I am 2+ weeks post op and going sort of nuts over this. Every time I try to relax or sleep, my heart is just keeping me awake. When I take a deep breath, it pounds harder and louder when my...

Hey Malibu! I'm so sorry to be reading this thread! This must be so scary for you! All I can think of to say is trust your instincts. I saved my own life by INSISTING that they keep looking for the cause of my month of fevers. The doctors were about to give up, saying "Maybe you just have a...

That is sort of what it feels like, like my heart is just kind of freaking out! My doctor said it was adrenaline rushes. It's really hard. I was just trying to sing a lullaby to my 4 year old for the first time post op, and I kept getting distracted by the ticking! I'm a musician too, so I...

Just wondering who else has experienced this. My heart starts pounding really hard, as if I were scared or running or something, at random times. My doc says it's adrenaline rushes. It's very annoying! And when that happens, boy, you can hear my valve across the room! Very strange! Anyone...

HI everyone! at 6 days I'm feeling much better. The first few days were very scary, with my Hematocrit dropping to 18 and the blood transfusions not helping. A few more transfusions did the trick though and I am well on my way to recovery! Thanks for this wonderful site

"The first four days are the hardest" This has been my mantra this past week. I am now 6 days posts op and it's very true. The first four days are the hardest! You'll get through it!

I had two babies and I guess that really eats through the valves.... Also I'm only 30 and they don't last as long in young people.

Yes, Dr. Mark Hill at Virginia Mason. I

My surgery (AVR) is on Friday!! I'm just trying to keep busy while soaking up all the time I can with my 4 year old and my 2 year old. Can't wait to have this behind me!

I'm scheduled to have AVR # 2 on Dec 10th. I didn't have kids last time around and I'm wondering how long it will be before i can realistically get back to caring for them full time. I am also a nanny for my sisters baby. How long do you guys think I will be able to get back to caring...