@bizinsider thank you so much for your input! In answer to your questions -
I was assigned to Dr Svensson because my valve deteriorated rapidly in 2019. I had been completely asymptomatic. In 2019 early, I kind of recognized symptoms but dismissed them for other reasons especially through spring and summer.
For example, I stopped working my gardens much after July blaming my tiredness and breathlessness on our drought nothing was growing anyway, and the heat was ridiculous. I Stopped teaching yoga, just didn’t feel right, students had dropped off. But I did not fully admit to myself or anyone the extent of my difficulties in demonstrating poses and still maintaining a steady voice and breath. Since I could still do everything I wanted for my own practice I dismissed the breath issues (dumb) until later fall when I had some brief, but scary fainting episodes, more breathless, no uphill hiking on a Western vacation. One could say I wasn’t listening to my body. On the other hand, I was more or less intuitively eliminating activities that could have caused more harm faster. I’m still debating this with myself.
At my regular check up in Cleveland in December, I was advised by my cardiologist Dr Jellis ((whom I LOVE) that the valve was in such poor shape, I should maybe consider staying for immediate surgery rather than returning home. Shocker! I have animals, I heat with wood primarily, and my spouse was not with me. we agreed I would go home But would take the next available appointment with the surgeon she recommended- Dr Svensson. I looked up his videos, bios in her office and said ok.
He was out of the country and otherwise not available to talk at all until Jan. So I took the January 7 surgery date and agreed to meet him the week before and complete preOp tests from Jan 2-Jan 6.
Not meeting my surgeon prior to surgery has always been a thing with me. But I could tell I was failing fast based on my breath or lack thereof as Dec continued. And, a similar situation had happened to me with my eye surgeon for a macular hole. I didn’t know him from Adam but one eye was nearly blind suddenly from the tear. We ended up having a good relationship. I hoped, Svensson would be similar. In any case, based on my rresearch I knew he was likely the best surgeon technically probably anywhere.
I get he’s busy. I don’t need warm fuzzy, I do need information that is pertinent to my future health. My issue is - I don’t get the refusal so far to updat the report or notes to explain why his change of mind. Did I crash in surgery? I am small framed. was It suddenly very obvious that he needed more room to work? One X-ray Report mentioned a “torturous artery” is that why? I’m all tangled up in there?
I think I need to know for my knowledge and to ease the way for a future surgeon to replace the valve, do a future TAVR, or if I have some emergency where some future doctor or surgeon needs to worry about getting into my heart they know why.
I never found this or a similar website until the week I joined. I have no idea why. It is bizarre. But then, I really hadn’t tried to find out much about surgery, options, etc after the first year I was diagnosed (2015) I gave myself the arbitrary goal of no surgery until 2022. No medical reason, just my guess. Instead of learning about surgery or possible complications, I only decided I wanted a biological valve and that was it. boom. ignorance in my case really was bliss. I presumed I would be fine. It would stink for a few weeks, maybe a month or three. But I’d be ok.
how has my recovery been smooth so far? I think because as noted above I didn’t have many details in my head about complications. Second, I vowed to do all I could to understand and to learn to listen to my body. So no matter what happened, I would understand myself and what I needed I made plans to go part time at work the last of 2015 and to retire fully in early 2016 This was truly a financial hardship Crazy in fact. But, necessary I think to have had such a successful surgery
2015 I started to grow what I eat in earnest and if I eat meat, I know the source and it’s local. I signed up for yoga teacher training and completed 500 hours by 2018 fall. Although I had a steady practice the training was invaluable to me as far as listening to my heart, getting stronger and healthier. I studied all 8 limbs of yoga and tried to practice all the facets every day, breath, meditation, living without harming (ahimsa) not just the poses. I remind myself it’s a practice often as I’m human and impatient often. I made sure my family knew to ask fro the Integrative Medical Personnel and to get me Reike as soon as possible after surgery and or meditation assistance. I got help from that unit twice. They were an invaluable part of my recovery.
.
I'm weirdly excited. We have some relatives in their mid-to-late 90s. He's a former minister; she is just amazing; both are beyond inspirational. They live in Rochester, MN, and their healthcare is via Mayo (which would have been our second choice, but time for visiting ran out.) She said that whenever she has something medically that might be uncomfortable she always tells herself that this time tomorrow it will be over. Well, this time a month from now I'll be in the step-down unit, tubes will be out and I'll hopefully be posting some reports here! Just received the CC surgical packet today. They wasted no time. That should bring back some memories for you! ;-)
