10/17 AVR, yippee. Wonder if I'll move this one or not LOL.

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kevin21

Member
Joined
Dec 16, 2010
Messages
24
Location
Houston
Okay, I've moved this date about 4 times in 3 years. Guess it's time to do the deed. Never a good time I guess so let's just shoot for 2 weeks prior to Halloween....

Going in for a Cath on the 10th, ordered by a second Cardio that I haven't see in 3 years (see my normal Cardio every 6 months) to check to make sure no coronary issues and to maybe spot the possible VSD leak (had a VSD repair at age 6, now 35).

I was kind of wishy washy on the whole thing but the more you mess with tests and talking about this stuff the more it hits home. I'm fairly asymptomatic (I can run up stairs, do normal activities, lift stuff) but the decline for me is like a 1% grade vs a 20% for others so I don't really notice a difference from 10 years ago.

I'm hoping that the 3rd time in to the chest is the last one for me. I have 3 kids age 6, 4, and 1.5 (I don't do months) so they need their daddy around for a long time.

Getting fixed by Dr. Ott at St Lukes in the Houston Heart center (Houston Med center) so I think I have picked a good place to have it done. I also am going to go mechanical so they don't need to use wire-cutters on me again....

Going to the attorney's office Monday for living will and power of attorney stuff (oh boy) and then hopefully I have all my affairs in order just in case something happens.

Dr. tells me 95% success due to my re-op from years ago (probably scar tissue etc) so I like my chances. Going out on the table is the biggest fear I guess for anyone doing this. I'm thinking positive and making plans for afterward to ward off the bad juju (whatever it's called).

I think I need to lose some weight prior to surgery just to have less to lug around after. Hoping I can drive soon after and get my INR crap figured out fast so I don't stress about it. Not really looking forward to blood tests the rest of my life but it's better than the alternative. Guess I will need a fancy hard hat for walking jobs after this.

Great site here, been on it for probably 6-7 years on and off!
 
My surgeon knew that I was a "surgery dodger" so he booked me for 2 weeks later and then called me in after
12 days. Tricky guy, but we got it done.
You are getting all your ducks in a row and have planned well for your family, that is a huge step.
Don't worry about the INR thing, many of us here have been doing it successfully for several years.
Halloween will be a blast with that fresh scar ;) I'm jealous.
 
Ooooooh, Bina - I forgot that I can now dress up as Frankenstein's monster at halloween! I'll scare 'em all with all the scars. . .

Kevin - I, too, was a surgery dodger. I waited years, then had it done about 7 months ago. Trust me, aside from how much better you will feel physically, your mind will be much more at ease knowing that all the uncertainty is behind you. Best of luck - we know you'll do fine.
 
I swear I'd rather have the surgery than do the preliminary stuff. I nearly had to jump through the phone to make Aetna and St Lukes Hospital agree that they would be getting together and paying.... How many Billions in payments do these companies process and it's this hard on the patient??? Morons.

It literally took 14 phone calls between the Doctor's office, insurance company, and then the hospital AND THIS IS JUST FOR THE CATH!!!!

Good news is that $4k is my max out of pocket for going to a "non-Tenet" facility. Uh, I'm not going to the Tenet facility around here when I can go to a top 4 heart hospital just down the street.... Sure I'm out $4k versus $0 but I know I can get top notch doctors and care.
 
You are wise to go to the doctors and hospital in which you have the most faith and confidence. You would never forgive yourself if you 'settled' and things did not go as well as possible.

The $4k hurts but it's a good investment in your peace of mind and excellent care.
Very sorry you have to hassle with the insurance company. I was fortunate to bypass any hassle with both my OHS but Mass General was within 'plan' so it was easy.
Best wishes.
 
Kevin,

I can relate with a lot of what you are going through (see the thread "Countdown to the unknown begins..."). I also have 3 kids about the exact same ages (6-girl, 4-girl, 1.58-boy). I also do not seem to have symptoms except for maybe a little fatugue and SOB. It takes courage to face surgery under these conditions, but our families need us to be there for them for a long time to come.

Hopefully your cath went well today. Mine was 2.5 weeks ago and my surgery is 11/7. God bless you and your family through this time.

-Steve
 
I'm slightly irritated at my cath results.

Years and years of echo's with EF of 60-69% and then today I get a report that I'm at 45-49% which is low. If the dang echo said 45-49% then I would have been in the OR right then and there. What gives??? Maybe I took a nose dive in the last 4-5 months after 25 years??? Seems odd. Maybe this measures more accurately or maybe it's an anomaly???

Anyone know how to read Cath number results besides EF? WHat should I look for?
 
Echo results are not 'gospel'. They are dependent upon skill of the technician and reading the results are subjective.

There are people who live full, active lives with 20% EF so don't let that get you too upset. And yes, it is possible your EF dropped in the last six months. Often, the worse valves get the faster they get worse.

Your doctors are on top of you and you are getting the care you need.
Do as they instruct and you'll do fine.
All best wishes.
 
Kevin, I agree about jumping through the hoops but it is worth every minute you spend getting ready. In answer to your question about things changing, yes, a valve can change a lot in six months. I think most would agree that its best to get it fixed as soon as you see the indicators change. Besides the Ejection Fraction, your cath results should also show the pressure gradient and valve area. I would say that if you are feeling no symptoms you are fortunate. You do not want to wait for them to appear since that just means you valve is getting much worse.

In case you would like to watch it, here is a link to an excellent video of a valve replacement performed by Dr Ott and narrated by Dr Denton Coolley.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6218906821548692571#

In this video, he is using a tissue valve but the operation is the same. I'm a little squemish at times but I found the video very interesting. To me, one of the most surprising things was how little blood loss there was. (Later, my surgeon estimated that during my AVR I lost less than six ounces of blood.) At any rate, its there if you would like to see it.

Larry
 
Ahhhhh!! I made it. I've been blasting off messages over at another site and forgot about this one. Texan21 is my deal over there and I actually forgot my logon for over here. DOH!!!

Needless to say I'm here, I'm home, and I'm recovering.

It was a breeze...:eek2:
 
My apologies steve if this is a duplicate or triplicate. Am new to the forum & I think I'm writing to myself half the time. Altho u did answer me one time. I think I need a quick tutorial on how to use this. Am gearing up for my avr in feb 2012 "& truthfully after all I've read - very excited to do this so I can feel like me again !! Anyway. Glad u r doing well. I live in St louis now for a long time but still a. Cub fan. ( yeah. I'm the one ). Thx for all the good info. If u have any quick ways to run me thru the how tos on this give it a try ! Thx. Nancy Jane
 
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