My introduction

[John_MiG-19]

Hi y'all I am John from Alabama. On a fluke, I and my General Practitioner discovered that just before Christmas I have an Aortic Aneurysm of 5.1 cm and then- I learned from the cardiac Surgeon on the 13th that I have a bicuspid valve that needs replacing (like father-like son). I am going with a mechanical valve at his recommendation because I'm not a Cardiac Surgeon ( joke: ) ). My surgery is scheduled for Feb. 18 early in the am. I am brand spanking new to this and I am extremely grateful that this was discovered. This forum and you posting here has helped me immensely -Thank you all. I do experience moments of abject terror but now they are fewer and less intermittent. Thanks for taking time to read this.

John

 

[harrietW]

That's quite the intro John_MiG-19,
You are lucky first of all they found it and secondly that its all happening quickly for you. I totally relate to abject terror as many of us l believe do .. But l will speak for myself. I am waiting for both aortic and mitral valve replacement and a couple of stents. I see my cardiologists Monday to start the work up for OHS. RHD over 20 yrs ago but was undiagnosed until 20 mth ago .. I was first terrified and then overwhelmed with peace until 3 weeks ago. Just before Christmas my Doc told me to go have a good holiday and so here we are and 4 days from finding out how its all going to play out and better not as anxious but lets say restless.
This forum has also brought me comfort. Sounds to me like they are on top of things and your in good hands.

 

[Eva]

Hello John and welcome aboard!

Happy to hear your fear is getting less and less. It is great to be in the right accepting attitude before the surgery.

Once my surgery was over, i felt bad that I wasted some energy and lots of times on fears and anxieties unnecessarily!

Good luck. Don't hesitate to ask any questions...lots of experience and knowledgable members will be happy to assist.

 

[dick0236]

Hi John. Noticed from your profile that you are a model builder.....me too. My hobbies have been building clocks and cabinets....then golf clubs....and now I build wooden boat models. I've even build a lake cabin and all after the OHS. Spend some time reviewing posts about warfarin and anti-coagulation therapy(ACT). Warfarin is not the boogie man some try to make it out to be, but it does take a little education. There is a wealth of information on this forum and the posts will take the fear out of this surgery and can answer many of your questions......even an old dog like me has learned a lot since joining.

 

[skeptic49]

Welcome, John! My surgery is two days before yours. I too have a bicuspid valve and an aneurysm. Good to get it taken care of before you have a major problem like I did. Will they be replacing your aortic rot as well? Best wishes!

Jim

 

[Cooker]

Welcome John.... Glad you found us. Keep us posted!!!

 

[cldlhd]

Welcome, I can relate, as I'm sure most here can , I have a 4.8cm aneurysm and a bicuspid valve. I was diagnosed March of last yr. I'm having my valve repaired and the aneurysm replaced on Feb 6th and it seems like the weeks are going faster

 

[John_MiG-19]

Thanks all of you for the open arms the well wishes and love. There is literally no one I can talk to at this point who understands. I haven't told my mom and pop yet. Wed was my 53rd birthday 9I'm popping by tomorrow for my Birthday celebration) and I'm waiting til next week to tell them. It will be very emotional and I dread seeing my parents cry. Dad did not utilize any support after his AVR and subsequently, he was depressed for a while. I am an active member of 12-step recovery group and know the necessity for support. But this is so specific- 10% of the population have alcoholism but only ±2% have BVD... I sought my kindred and found you here.

 

[cldlhd]

Its tough. My dad died 2 months before my diagnosis from heart issues so was difficult telling my mom. Finally told my son last week but he's 8 years old so he doesn't totally get it. He doesn't talk about it much but he's been giving me lots of hugs so I know he's worried,

 

[Paleowoman]

Thanks all of you for the open arms the well wishes and love. There is literally no one I can talk to at this point who understands….<snip>...Dad did not utilize any support after his AVR and subsequently, he was depressed for a while. I am an active member of 12-step recovery group and know the necessity for support. But this is so specific- 10% of the population have alcoholism but only ±2% have BVD... I sought my kindred and found you here.

Welcome to the forum John ! I just saw your post. You are right that we do need support when we are in this situation needing AVR. We have this group of course which I found absolutley invaluable both before and especially after my valve replacement.

I also found this book very good: 'Coping with Heart Surgery and Bypassing Depression: A family's Guide to the Medical, Emotional and Practical Issues' by Carol Cohan:http://www.amazon.com/Coping-Heart-Surgery-Bypassing-Depression/dp/1887841075/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8 It helped explain what was to happen, what questions to ask the relevant medical people, what to expect, how to help yourself and get support, how your loved one can get support themselves and all sorts. [h=1][/h]

 

[jhc1]

John_MIG-19, you are indeed lucky to have found this community. I had my surgery (AVR, root and ascending aneurysm) 18 months ago. It is a trauma to be sure, but certainly better than the alternative. You've made the necessary choices (valve type, surgeon), so now let the pros do their thing. We'll be thinking of you on 2/18. looking forward to your posts from the post surgery forum!

 

[dick0236]

.......... I am an active member of 12-step recovery group and know the necessity for support. But this is so specific- 10% of the population have alcoholism but only ±2% have BVD... I sought my kindred and found you here.

I am in the AA 12-step program also and know of a few others on here that are as well. You are correct that there is minimal emotional support for folks undergoing OHS.......but, thanks to the Internet, it is a whole lot better than it was in earlier days. It is great to have a source for info from others who have been thru this. We do not always agree, but your will always find someone who has experienced the problems you experience.......and can give you their solution.

 

[harrietW]

John we are never alone .. I am an alcoholic addict as well ! A sober one many years in an out of the rooms and my experience is l haven't receive much support in the rooms of recovery for my Heart problem most Dont care and l respect the singleness of purpose as best l can .. I have a great counselor out side the rooms but l also need people that l can relate to as far as my heart problems and l must say l have done some suffering alone. I do believe l am and have been falling into a bit of a depression since Dec 23 to be exact. After going to see my mom she had her 8 th stroke just a few days before Christmas. I have been so grateful and so blessed and positive until this last mth. Hence it brought me here. I told my mom and son the day l found out.. Its been hard on them but l have gone through a lot of absolutely crazy emotion including mourning my own life.
I'm really glad you found this site .. That's a huge burden for you to carry alone. I believe in talking about something until l Dont have to talk about it anymore.
Your in the right place. Xx

 

[neil]

Welcome aboard John. A lot of good advice already given.

 

[MrsBray]

Hello, John! The worst part for most of us is the waiting. I'm almost 11 months post-op. The only depression I felt was in the week before surgery, wondering if i made the right valve-choice and hospital-choice. In the end, you'll make your choice and question it a million times, then settle in to it. I chose mechanical because I don't want to face certain surgery again. I'm ok with the ticking (it's comforting sometimes, aggravating other times) and I'm ok with the warfarin. One fo the keys to avoiding depression after surgery is cardiac rehab. Don't skip it!

 

[John_MiG-19]

Again thanks all of you!!! I am in a far more relaxed state today and that is good.

 

[Rebecca]

Hi John one book that you can get at the library is Thriving with Heart Disease a Unique Program for you and your Family Live Happier, Healthier, Longer by Wayne M. Sotile, Ph.D. Yes we can thrive and live a full life with heart disease. I had my aorta valve replace three years ago. My uncle by marriage will be ninety five this year and he is doing much better than my younger aunts and uncles. He has had his aortic valve replace three times with a tissue valve.

I have a little heart friend who has had three open heart surgery before the age of two. To see her run around with unlimited energy you would never know that she has heart problems. She is now three and has a heart hero cape that she wears and run around the house screaming “I am a heart hero.” She is a true fighter. I first met her when she was a newborn and not thriving.
If you have children you may want to have them get their heart checked. In some of the high schools in Atlanta they will do mini echo for a low cost once a year at the schools.

Rebecca from GA

 

[ottagal]

Hi John one book that you can get at the library is Thriving with Heart Disease a Unique Program for you and your Family Live Happier, Healthier, Longer by Wayne M. Sotile, Ph.D. Yes we can thrive and live a full life with heart disease. I had my aorta valve replace three years ago. My uncle by marriage will be ninety five this year and he is doing much better than my younger aunts and uncles. He has had his aortic valve replace three times with a tissue valve.

I have a little heart friend who has had three open heart surgery before the age of two. To see her run around with unlimited energy you would never know that she has heart problems. She is now three and has a heart hero cape that she wears and run around the house screaming &#147;I am a heart hero.&#148; She is a true fighter. I first met her when she was a newborn and not thriving.
If you have children you may want to have them get their heart checked. In some of the high schools in Atlanta they will do mini echo for a low cost once a year at the schools.

Rebecca from GA

I am a little late, but welcome aboard, John. You have received some good advice.
All very best wishes to you and glad you are feeling more comfortable now.

Rebecca,
Wow! Your uncle is 95 and has survived 3 heart surgeries with tissue valves. Would you mind sharing what age he was when he received his first and if you know when he received the other 2. That is amazing...

 

[Agian]

Hi John one book that you can get at the library is Thriving with Heart Disease a Unique Program for you and your Family Live Happier, Healthier, Longer by Wayne M. Sotile, Ph.D. Yes we can thrive and live a full life with heart disease. I had my aorta valve replace three years ago. My uncle by marriage will be ninety five this year and he is doing much better than my younger aunts and uncles. He has had his aortic valve replace three times with a tissue valve.

I have a little heart friend who has had three open heart surgery before the age of two. To see her run around with unlimited energy you would never know that she has heart problems. She is now three and has a heart hero cape that she wears and run around the house screaming &#147;I am a heart hero.&#148; She is a true fighter. I first met her when she was a newborn and not thriving.
If you have children you may want to have them get their heart checked. In some of the high schools in Atlanta they will do mini echo for a low cost once a year at the schools.

Rebecca from GA

Rebecca, make sure you give your uncle and heart hero lots of hugs. I've just joined their fan club.

Welcome John!!

 

[Murby]

Hi, Everyone,
New here.................first posting. I have a bicuspid aortic valve and an ascending aortic aneurysm. My aneurysm has been stable at 4 cm, but my valve is very narrow. I recently had to change all of my doctors, and that has also been hard. I saw my new cardiologist 1-5. He ordered a full day of tests on 1-15, including a cath. Bottom line, he wanted the OHS within 2 weeks. The surgeon was busy, and I see him on 2-4. They told me to 'plan to stay awhile' and all of the pre-op testing will be done that day. I will probably get a surgery date then. Not looking forward to this AT ALL. Sometimes I'm ok................other times very anxious. The proposed surgery is only the valve, not the aneurysm. The doctor said that only if the aneurysm tissue was weak, would he also do the aneurysm. I guess we shall see. I'm leaning toward a tissue valve................my friends are already teasing me by mooing ! I will tell him "I want a nice young cow !" This really caught me off guard............no heart history anywhere in my family.