Search results

Has anyone with a mechanical aortic valve noticed they are mildly anemic after surgery. My valve was replaced over 9 years ago and it became obvious soon after that I found the hills much more difficult to run up and I was at least a minute a mile slower of the flat. It is not noticeable with...

Does anyone know whether I can have a MRI scan with a CarboMedics mechanical aortic valve. My GP did not know. Thanks Martin

Not a good weekend. Last week I had a virus\cold and two weeks ago I ran a hilly marathon which I found very hard work. On Saturday I started a Parkrun (3 mile run) and I knew from the start that the virus was still active as breathing was wheezy. After a mile I felt a little unwell so I pulled...

Repeat post

I have a 25 mm CarboMedics mechanical aortic valve with an INR range of 2.0 to 3.0 Does this seem a normal range for a mechanical valve in the aortic position and does it differ if it was a mitral valve? My GP thought the range was typically 3.0 to 4.0. for a mechanical valve. Thanks Martin

I have been taking my Warfarin at 4:00pm every day. Is there any reason I could not take my daily dose first thing in the morning. It is easier not to forget to take it at this time?

Does anyone one have any tips to stop a heart rate monitor strap from irritating the incision scar? I tried a new heart rate monitor yesterday but it made the scar very itchy. Thanks Martin

Last night while I was lying in bed my heart did a short burst of fast heart beats for a few seconds then back to normal. I did not feel different and was OK immediately afterwards. This also happened a few month ago. Has anyone else had this?

Over the past week I was first place in a mile open water swim to an island whilst on holiday in Turkey. There were only 10 people but one of them was an Ironman triathlete with a time of 10hs 30min. I honestly did not expect to be first. Then on Saturday I did an 18 mile local run over the...

Does anyone know what is the best way to prevent Endocarditis. I know dental work can cause Endocarditis. I do a lot of running in the country where I can get lots of cuts and scratches. Are cuts and scratches a source of Endocarditis? When I had my yearly check up at the hospital in February I...

I am going to the hospital tomorrow (Sat 17th March). I have been ask to be an test patient for the medical exams for consultants. It must be because I am not the standard patient they see as I am fairly fit with a big scar on my chest.

Things seem to be improving at the moment. I have been taking iron tablets for four weeks and I have got my 5K run down to 22:20 - the next objective is 21:45 (7 min miles). I did a long mountain race yesterday - 17 miles with 6 climbs. This race in renowned for being difficult as the hills get...

I have been told by my doctor that I am slightly anaemic. I went to the doctor because I was having problems exercising. I was getting the feeling of weakness, the odd erratic heart beat etc if I exercised too soon after a previous run/swim. Also my aerobic capacity seems to be much lower. I had...

I had my first open water swim race at the weekend. This was my first ever open water swim and I had to buy a triathlon wet suit to do this as the water was cold. The swim was one mile in Derwent Water in the Lake District. I had to swim out into the lake then round an island and back again. It...

I am due to a stress test on Wednesday so I thought I would listen to my heart with a stethoscope immediately after stopping exercise. As the heart rate dropped I began to have a few missed heart beats. It was almost like the heart had stopped/paused.. I felt ok whilst this was happening so it...

I have had my only echo since surgery a year ago. It looks like the heart has returned to normal size:). The left ventricle was about 7 cm before surgery and I think it is now about 4.5cm. I am back to yearly visits now. I do see another cardiologist at another hospital due to emergency...

Wednesday 9th Feb is my one year anniversary. It seems to have flown by. Many thanks to everyone on this forum as it has been a massive help to get through the several little bumps along the way. Thanks Martin

I did my longest race/run since surgery yesterday. It was 23.5 miles with 3000ft of climbing. My heart/breathing felt OK. The only problem was that after about 7 miles of steady running I started getting muscles aches/cramp. This continued until the end. This has also happened several times in...

Does anyone else get cold fingers and toes more often after surgery? I am wearing the same type of gloves and doing the same things but I definitely feel the cold more quickly these days. I was wondering whether it was a side effect of the Warfarin or Bisoprolol (beta blockers).

I have just got back from my INR test. It was 1.7 but it was 2.1 6 weeks ago - it should be between 2.0 and 3.0. The nurse said it was too low and gave me a Herapin injection. I have been told to take 6mg of warfarin tonight instead of 4mg and come back tomorrow morning to be tested again. My...