Hope I'm Making The Right Decision

[bookjp]

Just a little rant for now.One week out and it's starting to get a little scary.Went from playing basketball and volleyball two months ago to facing open heart surgery in one week.Still have absolutely no symptoms at all.I know my first symptom could be I drop dead,understood.I could also be hit by a car tomorrow and be killed or live another thirty years and never have a problem.What I'm trying to say is I'm putting a lot of faith in a person(my surgeon)who I've meet for a total of thirty minutes.I guess all you can do is gather all the information they give you and hope you make the right call.Well to borrow a phrase Tiger Woods uses I just hope my surgeon and anesthesiologist both bring their A game to the table on the 11th.Thanks for letting me vent a little!!!!!!

 

[Eva]

It is normal to be scared and afraid...keep your faith and trust up and remember that surgeons and anesthesiologists will be as happy as you and as your loved ones to see you come out of this surgery well and healthier.


Will be thinking of you and saying a prayer for you on the 11th.

 

[bookjp]

It is normal to be scared and afraid...keep your faith and trust up and remember that surgeons and anesthesiologists will be as happy as you and as your loved ones to see you come out of this surgery well and healthier.


Will be thinking of you and saying a prayer for you on the 11th.

Thank you for the kind words.I just hope 3-6 months from now I feel the same as I do now.I swear I don't feel any different than I did ten or fifteen years ago(56 now).

 

[AndyChas]

Book

They probably do things differently here, but I only met my surgeon for five minutes or so before the operation, and haven't seen him since!!

I know just how hard it is to get the head around the need for such big surgery when you're feeling completely normal; in both our cases our relative fitness probably masked the heart problems to some extent. I honestly felt stronger and fitter at 42 than I did at 30 or even 25, despite the serious disease lurking hidden in my body.

I know it's hell waiting for the surgery; however, you won't regret having it done, even though it's going to hurt a bit at times, your mobility will be impaired for a while, and you're going to have to adjust to a new postop reality. I'm experiencing the mental shift right now, but it's not so bad (really!).

All the best
Andy

 

[skeptic49]

The numbers don't lie...if you have faith in your surgeon then you're doing the right thing. Hang in there!

Jim

 

[Cooker]

I also had no symptoms and it was hard ... a surgeon is kind of like a mechanic .... they just want to fix you, not develop a relationship ... many have said that a strange calm came over them when they walked into the hospital ... I personally think it was the Valium .... you are health and will do fine ... Jim is correct, numbers don't lie ... I was told the time to have it done is "before symptoms" develop ... some are not that lucky ... you are otherwise healthy and will do and be just fine.

 

[Phyllis]

Nerves are normal at this time, but I am sure you will be happy to have this behind you where you can look forward to a healthy and happy new you. You may not see us, but we will all be there for you.

 

[kpearse]

I had all the sympton's, just thought it was my workouts. If it wasn't for us getting a forklift at work, and them doing an ekg I would never had known I was "sick". From the ekg, echo, to OH about 5 days. I didn't have time to even think about it. lol They said my Aortic valve was very bad, didn't know how I was working. Good luck to you!

 

[WayneGM]

I had no symptoms either so went on the faith that my GP, Cardio, and Surgeon knew what they were talking about. I didn't even do a lot of research as I figured I couldn't learn in a few weeks what they've been mastering for many years. I have no regrets. best wishes and good luck.

 

[Karlynn]

After your surgery and full recovery, that you did have some symptoms, but your body was "hiding" them from you. Sometimes symptoms come on so slowly that you adjust, make little changes of .... years maybe.

Over 17 years out from my surgery, with lots of good times with family and friends, lots of travel and just living life - it is worth it!

I probably saw my surgeon for a total of 45 minutes prior to my surgery and 15 minutes after. My cardio was the primary contact person for me.

 

[Alerion]

Hey Book
I'm in the same position you are. I feel great and, though I did have one fainting spell, it's hard for me to believe I need an AVR.

Unlike you, I have had a great exchange with my surgeon. I spent, quite literally, two whole hours in his office going over the procedure, the recuperation, the various valve choices from both the patients perspective AND the perspective of the guy who has to implant it.... we actually ran out of things to talk about and I got an earful abut his college hockey team.

Most important to me -

He started in the military (My dad was a Navy Doc and I know how well those guys are trained)

He's done over 1500 of these procedures

He's a very approachable guy

He called me back to answer some questions I forgot to ask initially

He never played hockey professionally

I think the whole trick to this (for me at least) was to get it through my thick skull that I will be out cold for the whole thing and only partly awake when they yank my tubes. Even then, I have the promise of the anesthesiologist that I'll be well and truly doped up, so I should not be too put out by it. Unless something goes wrong (and why assume that?) I'll go in, get prepped, pass into a deep slumber and awaken with a big scar on my chest. Yes, the following weeks will probably suck but my wife and family will take good care that I don't do anything stupid and, three months from now, I should be fine.

You're actually in a good place right now.You've done all your pre-op stuff so there's nothing you can possibly contribute to the process now other than your consent. You will take a nap in the morning and wake up in the afternoon with a pain in your chest and high as a kite. They even give you a self dosing morphine pump you can preoccupy yourself with. YES!

So take it easy.

BTW, I have had a few operations over the years and all I can remember from any of them is the hot nurses and the sh*tty food.

I wish you the best of luck.

 

[pnwcoast]

I'm sure they will have their game face on for your important day!
I did'nt have any big symptoms before my surgery but I believed what my cardio was telling me. I did'nt want to believe but after so many tests, so many cardio visits to go over test results, I figured how could they be wrong? How could they missdiagnose? I did trust my cardio and my surgeon and his team. I did'nt want anything to do with surgery but the idea of my heart getting bigger and bigger til someday it would be worn out sounded like a bad plan.
Today I feel like I did before my surgery but my heart is much happier.

 

[bookjp]

Thanks for the kind words from everyone.You know my biggest fear is not the surgery itself its the after effects I've been reading about.Like how will I tolerate the medications I will be on.Right now I very seldom even take a tylonal for a headache.I already had a bad experience with the Atenol my surgeon prescribed.Had the spins and legs felt rubbery and only took one pill for two days.Also the arrythmia's people describe.I don't know how I would react if my heart starts racing or feel it skipping.I've never had any problem with chest pains or anything else with my heart.

 

[escargome]

Thanks for the kind words from everyone.You know my biggest fear is not the surgery itself its the after effects I've been reading about.Like how will I tolerate the medications I will be on.Right now I very seldom even take a tylonal for a headache.I already had a bad experience with the Atenol my surgeon prescribed.Had the spins and legs felt rubbery and only took one pill for two days.Also the arrythmia's people describe.I don't know how I would react if my heart starts racing or feel it skipping.I've never had any problem with chest pains or anything else with my heart.

Hey, just like you I had no symptoms. It took 2 different cardiologists to convince me that my aortic valve needed to be replaced. OK, that happened in May of 2008 and today I don't feel like I can jump over buildings, but at 57 I believe I could clear a dog house or two Any way just take it one day at a time. Try not to stress about the meds you will need to take after the surgery. The possibility exists that you won't have any arrythmia's. It's gonna be all good once you get that heart of yours fixed. You have a lot of livin' left to do.

 

[ponytaila1a]

I too have no symptoms. I have had two cardiologists and two surgeons tell me the same..."numbers don't lie" and "you must have some symptoms, you just don't realize it".
I used the turning 62 excuse for my tiredness which is the only symptom I could identify.
My surgery is in the spring and I guess I am not going to pray for symptoms just to make me sure I want to go through with it. I don't want emergency surgery!!!
No choices there. I too worrry that I will never again feel this good. But...have to go with what the tests show and realize that I may not be around to feel anything if I do not follow the indicated process. I am still so far away from the date that the thoughts you are having now will hit me in early April. Hope you are still on the site to "coach" me through those days.

 

[Eva]

Thanks for the kind words from everyone.You know my biggest fear is not the surgery itself its the after effects I've been reading about.Like how will I tolerate the medications I will be on.Right now I very seldom even take a tylonal for a headache.I already had a bad experience with the Atenol my surgeon prescribed.Had the spins and legs felt rubbery and only took one pill for two days.Also the arrythmia's people describe.I don't know how I would react if my heart starts racing or feel it skipping.I've never had any problem with chest pains or anything else with my heart.

My advise is not to worry about things that may not happen to you...go one step at a time. Those were my fears too, but after the surgery, I regretted having spent energy on those fears that were 'unnecessary'. You shall be fine

 

[ctyguy]

I had no symptoms unless it was something physically demanding (running, etc...). Like most I chalked it up to alot of things other than a valve issue. Getting told at 42 that you need OHS or your toast within a year or two certainly made me feel like Wile E Coyote getting hit with an ACME Anvil. But the amazing thing is I picked myself up, dusted myself off, and did what I had to do with the procedure. My one year anniversary is at the end of this month and Im 15 pounds lighter than before and running is something that I can do now and actually enjoy. I thought I was active before the surgery but its one of those "you don't know what you don't know" type scenarios. Im careful in that I've given up a few things due to coumadin (hockey and snowboarding due to the prospect of a collision or the urge to pummel the other guy when sliced across the back of my legs) but I can run 3 miles now in under 30 minutes (that was lunch today ) where right before the surgery I could go 2/10s of a mile and be out of breath and have chest discomfort.

Give it 3 months after your surgery and not only will you be back playing basketball and volleyball you might actually have more pep in your step. Once you out the other side you will feel like you've been given a new lease on life, just wait, you will see

 

[R&N Brown]

My wife and I spent an hour with my surgeon the day before my AVR and during that time I asked Dr. Quinn no less then three times "Are you sure this is necessary?"
I am reminded of this on occasion.

I didn't refer to them as symptoms back in July;
I couldn't climb a dozen steps without being winded. I couldn't jog with the kids at ball practice. Nap time showed up around 2PM everyday even after a good nights sleep. I just figured these things just came with being 48. Not so.

Like Scott, I'm doing things now that I had given up on 10 years ago.

The light is pretty bright at the end. The road to it can suck though. And...it beats the alternative.

 

[zipper2]

Thanks for the kind words from everyone.You know my biggest fear is not the surgery itself its the after effects I've been reading about.Like how will I tolerate the medications I will be on.Right now I very seldom even take a tylonal for a headache.I already had a bad experience with the Atenol my surgeon prescribed.Had the spins and legs felt rubbery and only took one pill for two days.Also the arrythmia's people describe.I don't know how I would react if my heart starts racing or feel it skipping.I've never had any problem with chest pains or anything else with my heart.

Take it from me ,i promise you are going to do fine,trust me.
The wait is horrid ,but it is soon over and once you walk into
that hospital you commit to all and trust in all and,i hardly took tylenol either
since my surge on jan 21st i am only on extra strenght tylenol 2 every 3 to
4 hrs,it,s so much better to ease any pain and if thats all you will be required to take,so be it.i haven't posted of my surgery yet,but i will and as
i do ,please understand the wait is worse and you will do fine,hang in

zipper2 (DEB)

 

[Teresa]

Thank you for starting this topic. I am at the same place as you. I think my Dr's are getting a little mad with my many questions and concerns.! My Cardio even called today to make sure I want to go through with it (he says its "elective" surgery??!!) Reading through everyone's responses has now made me think that we need to get this done and go on with our lives.