emc07
Well-known member
Welcome
Welcome
Welcome. I'm new too, there are great people here!!
Welcome
Welcome. I'm new too, there are great people here!!
First Post
- Thread starter R&N Brown
- Start date
Help Support Valve Replacement Forums:
Welcome. I'm new too, there are great people here!!
Welcome to both of you! I think we all felt some of the same emotions when we found this site. I didn't feel so "different" anymore when I suddenly knew dozens and dozens of people who understood what I was going through.
emc07... I lived in Western Michigan for a few years in the early 1970s and still go up that way a couple of times a year. It is a lovely area of Michigan.
U
upchurch131
Welcome aboard! Looking forward to hearing about your experience, and your new life. My surgery is scheduled for 7/15/08 so I'll be out by the time you are going in!
Good luck in yours. I'm sure we will be chatting.
Good luck in yours. I'm sure we will be chatting.
C
Curtsmum
Hi Rob, glad you decided to join. Thanks for the message, my son will be having his surgery the same day as you, so will be thinking of you and hope everything goes well.
R&N Brown
Well-known member
Hello All,
I am a bit overwhelmed with the amount of response here, although not surprised.
I thank each of you and I know at some point I will have a more direct conversation with everyone here.
AngelaR;
Thanks for your feed back on the Plavix, My stomach has held up fine so far, I?m not sure where the energy came from I had not changed my workload or diet, the only adjustment was taking the Plavix, short lived as it was.
Nancy and I are both very interested in reading about your experiences.
Andrewg,
I had hoped you would chine in. We can?t live more then 15 miles apart.
My wife and I run Clark Marine in Manchester. I had hoped to schedule my surgery in the fall but it was felt that it would not be so good if I waited. Mid July put it out as far as Dr. Quinn advised I go.
Everyone I have spoke with about Maine Med, Dr. Quinn and his staff has nothing but good things to offer. They mirror many of your same sediments.
What lead to your decision to go with the On-X valve and be part of the study? By all accounts you look to be one of the successes of this program. I hope things continue well for you.
You?re right about it being a good time to have a break. On the recreational side, I enjoy boating but my real passion is playing golf and coaching football. I expect to be a spectator this season. We already plan to do a lot of walking and Nanc is big on the coast, so we will be taking our day trips. Everything in moderation.
Where did you go for blood testing after your surgery? Do they monitor you locally now? How long after you arrived home did you receive your testing machine and how does that process go?
Hope you are not sorry you responded!!
Curtsmum;
On the morning of the 16th I will be saying a few words for Curt too.
The support on this site is amazing.
Rob
I am a bit overwhelmed with the amount of response here, although not surprised.
I thank each of you and I know at some point I will have a more direct conversation with everyone here.
AngelaR;
Thanks for your feed back on the Plavix, My stomach has held up fine so far, I?m not sure where the energy came from I had not changed my workload or diet, the only adjustment was taking the Plavix, short lived as it was.
Nancy and I are both very interested in reading about your experiences.
Andrewg,
I had hoped you would chine in. We can?t live more then 15 miles apart.
My wife and I run Clark Marine in Manchester. I had hoped to schedule my surgery in the fall but it was felt that it would not be so good if I waited. Mid July put it out as far as Dr. Quinn advised I go.
Everyone I have spoke with about Maine Med, Dr. Quinn and his staff has nothing but good things to offer. They mirror many of your same sediments.
What lead to your decision to go with the On-X valve and be part of the study? By all accounts you look to be one of the successes of this program. I hope things continue well for you.
You?re right about it being a good time to have a break. On the recreational side, I enjoy boating but my real passion is playing golf and coaching football. I expect to be a spectator this season. We already plan to do a lot of walking and Nanc is big on the coast, so we will be taking our day trips. Everything in moderation.
Where did you go for blood testing after your surgery? Do they monitor you locally now? How long after you arrived home did you receive your testing machine and how does that process go?
Hope you are not sorry you responded!!
Curtsmum;
On the morning of the 16th I will be saying a few words for Curt too.
The support on this site is amazing.
Rob
SHEEPDOG
Well-known member
Welcome
Welcome
Looks like we have a few new comers here. Thats great! I have my AVR scheduled for 07-09-08. I'll be newly home when you go in. I'll let you know what to expect because it will be really fresh for me. I too went for the on-x but didn't know about the trial till after I went to the surgeon. I don't know that I would change anyway. Chose ON-X because if the trial goes good I can't just go in for a new valve. It's not like a computer purchase.
Rob, you had your 1ST when I was born. We are both in that 40 something group.
Prayers will be with both of you.
Also, as I have read MANY times, the waiting is the WORST part.
SHEEPDOG
Welcome
Looks like we have a few new comers here. Thats great! I have my AVR scheduled for 07-09-08. I'll be newly home when you go in. I'll let you know what to expect because it will be really fresh for me. I too went for the on-x but didn't know about the trial till after I went to the surgeon. I don't know that I would change anyway. Chose ON-X because if the trial goes good I can't just go in for a new valve. It's not like a computer purchase.
Rob, you had your 1ST when I was born. We are both in that 40 something group.
Prayers will be with both of you.
Also, as I have read MANY times, the waiting is the WORST part.
SHEEPDOG
I'm slow and late and I'm sorry I don't have any answers for you. But I still like to Welcome you to this amazing and sometimes crazy site.
There's always someone here to answer your questions and or put a smile on your face.
Welcome aboard Mate
There's always someone here to answer your questions and or put a smile on your face.
Welcome aboard Mate
R&N Brown
Well-known member
Sounds like July is going to be a busy month, we'll just prop each other up!
Sheepdog, I'll be looking for your post-posts.
Rob
Sheepdog, I'll be looking for your post-posts.
Rob
andrewg
Member
Ron,
We are close-by. I live on the north end of Damariscotta Lake, and have a pontoon boat that I purchased in 2004 at er...ah..Hamlin's! I work at Colby College so it was a convenience thing.
I chose the On-X after meeting with Dr. Quinn about having the valve replaced, and after doing a lot on online research.
I also have a brother-in-law that has had the same aortic valve replace three times (approx every ten years), the first a mechanical valve in Houston by the Debakey surgical team in the early '70's and the last two being animal valves, at Cleveland Clinic. Not by any conscious choice on his part. He just happened to be in the right place at the right time for all three! Over the years, his lifestyle choices have not been conducive to good heart health.
As for myself, Dr. Quinn felt, given my age (61), that the On-X would be my best choice. I always tell my friends the valve came with a 50 year warranty that terminates early if I assume room temperature before that.
After my surgery, I was on coumadin for three months, and had my blood testing done for the first few weeks by a visiting nurse, and then once every two weeks at my primary care Dr's office (Sheepscot Med Ctr).
They started to set me up for the home testing machine, but I never got it as I was selected for the Plavix group.
Now that I'm on Plavix, No more blood testing!! And I can eat all the green veggies I want! (still miss grapefruit, though) Just a twice yearly kidney function & cholesterol work-up.
As for why I chose to be part of the study, I'd say it was for the chance to use something other than coumadin. My older sister had a bad experience with it (a bleeding stomach ulcer) a year before my surgery. Of course, given my own three month usage, and what I've learned on this forum, my fears may have been unfounded.
R&N Brown
Well-known member
Andrewg,
Thank you for sharing your experiences with me. You are the example that I have been looking for in solidifying my own decision.
Damariscotta is a beautiful lake. Do you live up by the Church? I remember the views from that side of the lake to be something else. I use to spend a lot of time on the road delivering boats and performing lake services. Though, over the years my feet have become more glued to my showroom. Godfrey is not a bad boat.
The process in choosing the On-X valve pretty much a mirror each other. My primary cardiologist first made me aware of the choice. Dr. Quinn explained a number of options to me, after all said, it was his suggestion that the On-X offers me the best chances for me to get where I want to be.
I already take a handful of drugs. It is my hopes that I can shed a few over time. Part of my reasoning to choose the On-X was the possibility that I would not need one more heavy-duty medication.
I met with Jane Kane today for my seven-day Plavix trial. Jane did a quick test and told me that I am a receptor. We will have to wait for the final conclusion from Canada. I am hoping that I end up in the Plavix/Aspirin leg of the study too.
Once again, thank you for sharing your experiences with me. I hope all continues to go well for you. If you ever have issues with your boat and want a second opinion, don?t hesitate to call. (Always the salesman!)
Rob
Thank you for sharing your experiences with me. You are the example that I have been looking for in solidifying my own decision.
Damariscotta is a beautiful lake. Do you live up by the Church? I remember the views from that side of the lake to be something else. I use to spend a lot of time on the road delivering boats and performing lake services. Though, over the years my feet have become more glued to my showroom. Godfrey is not a bad boat.
The process in choosing the On-X valve pretty much a mirror each other. My primary cardiologist first made me aware of the choice. Dr. Quinn explained a number of options to me, after all said, it was his suggestion that the On-X offers me the best chances for me to get where I want to be.
I already take a handful of drugs. It is my hopes that I can shed a few over time. Part of my reasoning to choose the On-X was the possibility that I would not need one more heavy-duty medication.
I met with Jane Kane today for my seven-day Plavix trial. Jane did a quick test and told me that I am a receptor. We will have to wait for the final conclusion from Canada. I am hoping that I end up in the Plavix/Aspirin leg of the study too.
Once again, thank you for sharing your experiences with me. I hope all continues to go well for you. If you ever have issues with your boat and want a second opinion, don?t hesitate to call. (Always the salesman!)
Rob
