Monday morning

[Sten Osis]

Hi everyone! I've just gotten access to the forum so I'll introduce myself. My name is Mike and I live in Mukwonago, Wisconsin. 49 years old and very active. My passion is cycling, both on and off road. I raced mountain and road bikes since my mid-thirties, but have scaled it back the last 5 years or so.

In 1996, I met my wife-to-be. She noticed that I had a heart murmur. I thought it to be rather a novelty. Anyway, I have a strong family history of heart disease, so I've been on cholesterol drugs since my late twenties. At my wife's insistence, in 2007 I had a stress test, which I passed. The doctor mentioned the murmur and said the results of the echo didn't worry him. Well, in the last year, I've been experiencing discomfort when I ride the bike. Mind you, I ride very hard and being out of breath and suffering is normal. Little did I know..............

My wife again insisted on a stress test, which I failed 3 weeks ago. The doc said, "you need a new aortic" valve. And that brings me to this forum.

Within two days of the stress test, I was in the cath lab. This confirmed the aortic stenosis but also showed only minimal coronary artery calcification, which was quite a surprise to me. So good news and bad news. But even the bad news was good, because it explains a lot of things, now that I look back on the last six years.

I met with the surgeon two days ago and got on the schedule for June 18th. They called me that same afternoon and offered me a spot on Monday, June 10th, which I jumped on.

I stumbled on this forum a couple weeks ago and thanks to all of you, have learned much about the disease, the valve and the surgery.

So, Monday morning I'm getting a shiny, new St. Jude.

Mike

 

[pellicle]

Steve, it is with some hesitation that I say "welcome aboard" because noone welcomes the reasons into their lives. None the less I would like to say that.

I guess that you will have read here many times "don't sweat it" and I can only say that again.

The surgery is not without risks, but you know, in reality nothing in life is. We all just tune out to the risks with "it won't happen to me"s.

One can obsess over the possible negatives, but in reality you'll recover better and have a better time if you just zen out about it and let what happens happen.

All the best for the surgery and recovery.

I'm not sure if you're getting a mechanical or a bio-prosthesis (in the St Jude line up) but if you get a mechanical feel free to discuss the warfarin anti-coagulation stuff here. I know that it takes a little while to adjust (I was new to it from nov 2011, having had homograph and 'repair' earlier).

It is common wisdom that we fear the unknown, so the best way to deal with the boogey men hiding in the dark of warfarin therapy is to turn on the lights and see there's nothing scary there (well ok, the sox under the bed should have been in the last wash, that's for sure)

Life is about changes, so just accept and adapt and life will be good.

 

[Sten Osis]

It will be a mechanical valve. I don't want to go through this again, if at all possible.

 

[Phil]

It will be a mechanical valve. I don't want to go through this again, if at all possible.

Hi Sten Osis,

My new St Jude's mechanical aortic valve is 10 days old and so far so good.

I hardly hear it and it has not missed a beat.

I'm liking it lots and hope you're surgery and recovery goes every bit as good as mine seems to be.

All the best.


Phil.

 

[Sten Osis]

Thanks Phil!

 

[ski girl]

Welcome and best wishes for the surgery. I too have St Jude mech valve and I also smash myself on the bike, as well as run and paddle. Once you get through the recovery you will be amazed at what you can do when you get all the blood out of your heart.

One suggestion for the next day: practice getting out of bed,and on and off the toilet, without using your arms. It makes the few days post op much better when you don't need help with such things!

 

[Sten Osis]

Re: Monday morning

Sounds like the P90X that I did all winter long will come in handy for getting on and off the toilet!

 

[Sten Osis]

Thank you all for the support and the advice...........including the advice that I've been reading here for the last couple of weeks!

 

[jhc1]

Mike-I'll be thinking of you on Monday...I also have AVR scheduled on the 10th. I'll near 55, and decided to go with a tissue valve, and gamble techniques will improve in the coming years...best wishes, let's compare recovery notes!

Joe from Texas

 

[Sten Osis]

Thank you jhc1! I'll be thinking of you as well. From what I've read in this forum, there is no wrong choice for a valve.

Soon, we'll be posting in the post-surgery forum.

Mike

 

[Duffey]

Godspeed and best wishes.
Mary

 

[pellicle]

It will be a mechanical valve. I don't want to go through this again, if at all possible.

A move that I concur with. And not just you, you probably have family who are more worried than you know. Its tough on everyone.

I reckon that in a few years you'll probably wonder why you felt anxious at all.

My advice is to consider self testing for warfarin. My 2011 OP (my third) saw me on warfarin for the first time. There was a bedding in period where I tried to self monitor, but there were too many things going on at the same time and I was disheartened by my hassles with operating the machine (essentially I was wasting strips with insufficient blood sample sizes and difficulty in lancing adequately).

In the intervening time I got fed up with waiting at labs and getting dose adjustment instructions by phone. It was inconvenient and frustrating.

I returned to my coaguchek XS and determined to sort this out. I spent a month more with the clinic and compared my results to theirs. When I was getting within a very acceptable accuracy I took my toys and went home. You can read my posts here about self monitoring to see my progress.

Feel free to ask questions over in anticoagulation as you get closer to that point. Probably we'll see you there in a few months

Wishing you all the best

 

[Sten Osis]

pellicle, I was already shopping for a coaguchek today!

 

[pellicle]

pellicle, I was already shopping for a coaguchek today!

Online prices vary. Amazon not really the cheapest option. There are also good online suppliers of strips. The price varies but can be had for under US$7 a strip buying in 24 packs. Buying a meter used on eBay (from a frustrated user who gave up) can be economic too. Since the sensitive stuff is in the strips a meter that looks fine and is recently purchased (less than 3 years old, little use) will do fine. Should save you about $200 over new price

For instance, from the a description of a current (Australian) eBay ad

This was originally purchased for my father a couple of years ago but he gave up using it after a couple of tries - so its near enough brand new.

Comes with some swabs and lancets, and manuals in the original box.

Its probably too early to discuss this yet, but I have developed a minimally annoying but very successful lancing technique that works well. Using a bit of thread to mildly tourniquet my finger I get a good blood sample inside the 15 second window. It also stops bleeding quickly (which used to shitme) and is not noticeable as a point within 24 hours of lancing. It sidesteps the issues of thrombosis triggering caused by massaging (aka milking) and gets me excellent congruence with blood samples done at labs.

Probably that was too much, but I guessed that you are trapped in a hospital and benefit from reading anything

 

[Protimenow]

I've had my St. Jude for 21 years. It's hard for me to remember that I felt a whole lot better - and stronger - after the surgery - but I know that I did. Endurance was up, a particular sexual issue may have improved (improved blood flow, you know), and life was, on the whole, probably a lot better. As it will be for you.

I've been trying to find the most accurate meter - and have made parallel tests with most meters that are currently available -- InRatio and InRatio 2, CoaguChek XS, Coag-Sense, ProTime (classic) and ProTime 3. With the exception of the InRatio 2 that I got directly from Alere, the other meters were bought on EBay. I've posted my results and experience in the Home Testing Forum.

I like the CoaguChek XS for its relative speed and ease of use. I have some reservations about the accuracy of mine, though. It's possible that some CoaguChek XS meters could lose their accuracy if they were improperly cleaned - and the electrodes were damaged. I'm not sure that there's any way to know if this is the case when you buy the meter. The reason that I suspect that there may be an issue with MY SPECIFIC Coaguchek XS is that the reported INR varies from the INR reported by my Coag-Sense meter. According to some research, the results of both meters (Coag-Sense and CoaguChek XS) track very closely to each other -- and to blood draws.

Next week, I'll be visiting a friend who also has a CoaguChek XS - I'll bring mine, and some extra strips, and compare the results on both machines. If they're more than .1 or .2 apart, I'll assume that my machine has a problem.

I'm not advising against getting a used CoaguChek XS. I'm not suggesting that you get a different meter (although I have a second, new, Coag-Sense meter, if you're interested). However, if you have good insurance, it may be worth a bit more to get a new XS and avoid the questions that I face. Then, too, if you can compare your meter's results to a blood test, you'll know pretty quickly if your meter is accurate. If you buy on eBay, it may make sense to check the vendor's return policy.

I'll be thinking about both of this forum's members who will be undergoing surgery on Monday.

 

[Oilman]

Welcome Mike, I will be sending good thoughts and vibes your way for Monday. We are the same age and I had my repair six months ago with a mechanical also. I too plan on being around for a long time and the mechanical was something my surgeon told me should last me until 90 yrs of age, god willing, cause your right, once is enough. Home testing is the best, takes 5 minutes every two weeks of my time, no problem. I have been riding a road bike 5 weeks now, just went to clip less shoes, what a difference, loving the training the bike offers. The season is short up here, so can't get enough of it now.

Be looking for your posts on the other side when your ready. Take care.

 

[dpalz]

Welcome Mike. This is my first post in quite some time and that is mostly because I have been so active! I had no idea what was wrong for years prior to my diagnosis but I'm so glad my situation needed to be addressed ASAP once identified. Monday will be over before you know it and you will be looking back 3-6 months post op and amazed at how good you feel! Try to rest as much as possible during recovery and of course do what the pro's tell you; they know their stuff. Medical science is awesome! I wish you all the best and am actually very happy for you!

PS - I would cringe when people would tell me I'm lucky, but the only surgery I'm thinking might be next could be plastic surgery to remove the constant smile from my face. I am lucky to have such an improvement to my health.

 

[Sten Osis]

Thanks, dpalz! I will follow their instructions.

 

[Sten Osis]

Endurance was up, a particular sexual issue may have improved.........

In the past several years, I've had the same particular issue. My Lipidologist thought it could be plaque and suggested a CIMT (carotid ultrasound). I never got around to that and then a couple weeks ago the cardiac cath. showed no significant buildup in the coronary arteries, which I hope means the same for the artery that supplies the particular area

I've been trying to find the most accurate meter - and have made parallel tests with most meters that are currently available -- InRatio and InRatio 2, CoaguChek XS, Coag-Sense, ProTime (classic) and ProTime 3. With the exception of the InRatio 2 that I got directly from Alere, the other meters were bought on EBay. I've posted my results and experience in the Home Testing Forum.

I'll be reading that thread today. I sent an inquiry to Philips for info. on the InRatio.

I'll be thinking about both of this forum's members who will be undergoing surgery on Monday.

Thanks!

 

[Cooker]

Welcome ... you are in the right place ... My St Jude is doing great (7 years) and warfrin in a NON-ISSUE ... you will be back to life normal in no time ....:thumbup: