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Faye

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 19, 2007
Messages
135
Location
Willard, UT
Hi,
My name is Faye. I'm a 46 year young woman. I'm married with 4 children - 3 are married, and I have one darling grandson! I work full-time as a training consultant and up until recently spent a lot of my time traveling for my job.

I had a co-arctation of the aorta diagnosed at age 1 and repaired at age 2. A recent MRI showed that the repaired area still looks great 40+ years later!

I have always known that I have a bicuspid aortic valve and it would likely require replacement. Well...the time has come. During my last regular check-up, my cardiologist said it was time to get the ball rolling. At first I was totally at peace and grateful that I live in a time when the replacement is possible. But now....the fear is sneaking in.

I have a heart cath scheduled this Thursday and plan to schedule the surgery as soon afterwards as possible - hopefully somtime the week of August 27th. The worry and anxiety have got to be worse than the actual thing! My doc told me that a few months after surgery, I'll feel better than I have in a long time. Is that really true?

I am nervous about the heart cath - any words of advice??

I'm also looking for any advice on how to prepare for and recover from the surgery.

I am very happy to have found this group and have spent quite a bit of time reading your posts. Thank you for sharing!
 
Hi Faye and welcome to the funny farm.

Your right, waiting and such is much worse then the actual thing. It's perfectly normal to have fear. In fact, if you didn't have any, I'd advise a psych consult. The pain is well managed and isn't nearly what your imagining. Don't get me wrong, it's not a walk in the park, but it is doable. Most people do feel better then they have in a long time. Yes, it's true, for most people.

Recovery, get someone to stay with you for your first week at home. Clear pathways, get cooking utensils in easy reach along with food to make. Find a nice recliner to stay in. You may be able to get back to bed, but most find a recliner much easier to deal with. Others will add, I'm sure.

The Cath really isn't a issue at all. Worst part is laying still for so long. It'll be over before you know it.
 
Hi Faye. Welcome! I'm still waiting for my bicuspid aortic valve or aorta to need surgical attention, so I'm not the one to allay your fears but others will be along to reassure you. You've come to the right place!
 
I'll echo what Ross said. The cath is no biggie, but afterwards you will need to lie quiet for several hours in order to allow the artery to heal. Its just an afternoon watching daytime TV in a hospital bed - boring.

The surgery is not nearly as bad as you are thinking it will be. You will spend a few days in the hospital, each day walking more. When you go home you should have someone there for a few days. You will likely not be in pain, you will feel ok, but you will be very tired and on the weak side. Many afternoon naps will be in your future. For many sleeping in a recliner is easier than a bed for a while, but I switched back to a bed my third night home.

Over time you will get back your strength. By 4 weeks you will be back driving probably. I was back in my gym working out, on the light side, six weeks post op.

Good luck.
 
Hi Faye and welcome to the zoo!! This is a great place to get info, advice galore and I am sure you will make many friends.

I am sure all will go well for you. I feel better physically, mentally and spiritually. I know you will too. And my hair has taken on an entirely new luster :D
 
Welcome fellow young Grandma! I'm 48 and have a 10 mo. old granddaughter and I'm a mother to a 21 and 23 year old (and a mother-in-law to a 23 year old!). The difference between us is that I had my mitral valve replaced when I was 32. Almost 16 years later, I'm here to tell you that life is good post valve replacement.

Your doctor is right - you will feel better. And it's perfectly normal to be all over the board on emotions - nervous as a cat in a room full of rockers one minute, calm and cool the next.

Ask any and all questions - you've found your new family here!
 
Hello Faye, welcome to the group.
You are already one step ahead since you found us before surgery.
There is so much good info here....just browse or use the search feature.
Your upcoming cath is no big deal, you can have a sedative.
 
Hi Faye, welcome! Even when you've known all your life that you'd need the surgery, it's not easy when the doc says the time has come, is it? I know, because I waited about 40 years also after an internist diagnosed my congenital heart defect when I was in my 20s. But what the others have said is true: You are very likely to feel so much better.

I found a recliner very helpful for many weeks after surgery. You won't be able to use your arms much at all to pull yourself up while your sternum is healing, so a recliner is a big help. Also, definitely good to have help at home for at least a week or two. I don't know what I would have done without my daughter sorting all my pills for me, and my wife getting a cold "sippy-cup" of water for me when I woke up during the night sleeping in my recliner.

You definitely have come to the right place. There are folks here who can relate and can answer your questions. You will do fine.
 
Heart cath advice

Heart cath advice

Concerning your heart catheterization, my advice is to enjoy it! Get a good seat so you can see the screens the surgeons are watching. It's amazing! Seriously, there is a little bit of discomfort involved but it's surprisingly painless.
 
Welcome, Faye. Be sure to let us know your surgery date once you have it and we will be here to cheer you on to a successful surgery and uneventful recovery!
 
Thanks to All !!

Thanks to All !!

Thank you to all of you who have responded with advice, research references, vidoes, and well wishes. You have all made a world of difference to me during the last day or so of waiting.

I'm going to trust all of you who said the heart cath was not a horrible thing and try to enjoy the "show" and "forced" relaxation afterwards :) :p :)

I am so thankful I found this group! I have learned so much from your posts and plan to make a daily connection to the forum.

Best wishes for a great day tomorrow for everyone!
 
Hi Faye welcome to vr.com its such a great source of help. I'm two weeks post op and am feeling pretty good, I still sleep in a recliner but I'm able to do a few things around the house, wash the dishes, put a load of washing on ect, but I do get tired and need to rest often.

I too was nervous about having the cath but found the reality was much better, it didn't hurt a bit and found the images on the screen fasinating. I hope all goes well and keep us informed and remember to ask as many questions as you need

Mary
 
Welcome Faye
As you have already found out there are a lot of great people here on VR to help and cheer you on. Do not worry about the Cath., normally nothing more than a good pinch and some heavy pressure and some quite time afterwards. Did not find out I had a bicuspid valve until after the surgery, so like you I was destined for surgery for years only I wasn't aware of it. Am 2 weeks post op and can tell you that the games your mind will play ahead of time will be worse than what actually happens with most people. Ask all the questions you want and someone will have some sort of an answer or opinion for you. Welcome again.
Rich
 
welcome

welcome

Hi and welcome,
I just found this site recently myself and so glad I did.
I have the same condition as you. The coarc as a child and aortic valve replacement What everyone said is true the cath. is not a problem. They told me taking it easy for a couple of days after is important.

I got the shocking news just a few weeks ago that I'd need the valve done now and part of my asending aorta replaced.
Always knew it was coming but that didn't made it any easier.
Now that it's over I feel relief. The recliner was the only way I could sleep to.My bed was out of the question until about 10days after surgery. Pillows were a God send to, lots of pillows under my knees and at my sides. It's the little things that made a difference in my comfort. Recovery is slow because I have to rest and let everything heal, that's the hardest. It's amazing how fast the healing does happen....for me it's been tricky because I want to do more than I should....

I hope your surgery is the date you need. I know you'll do great.
Everyone here helped me so much just with my feeling and questions.
You found the right group of people to help you to.;)
 
Aortic Valve Replacement

Aortic Valve Replacement

Faye,
I'm 6 weeks out of surgery to have my AVR. I had my heart cath on 7/11 and went into surgery 7/12 - the first one on the table.
The cath doc I had didn't allow me to see or feel a thing - it was not hard at all - I was kept sedated.
The next morning - what the devil did I know - I just blanked my mind out and went to sleep - the next thing I know as they were waking me up telling me my surgery was over. I don't remember much about ICU or the breathing tube being removed or the drainage tubes being removed. I had no real chest pain to speak of unless I coughed or sneezed. I was stiff and tender.
No appitite.
So, I'm telling you not to drag it out - if you need this operation - go for it.
I had an outstanding surgical team and I feel very lucky to have had them.
My incision is about 8-9 inches in length and is like a pencil line.
If you would like to chat direct/one on one - please email me at [email protected]
I would be glad to share with you my good experiences.
One thing you must remember - get help. You will not be able to clean or lift more than 5-10 lbs for 6-8 weeks.

Carolyn
 
Heart Cath & Surgery

Heart Cath & Surgery

My first experience with a heart cath was so traumatic that I didn't see another cartiologist for twenty-seven years. Memories of that trauma made it really difficult for me to face another heart cath last March. The second time around was not traumatic at all. I think I had a better cardio doc for the second time around. Maybe being a little older and hopefully a little wiser helped as well.

It's probably pretty normal to find yourself on something of an emotional roller coaster as you approach any kind of OHS. A lot of members here will confirm this. It helps to connect with a good support group.

-Philip
 
Survived the cath and now it is on to the OR

Survived the cath and now it is on to the OR

Well, I had my heart cath on Thursday. It wasn't bad at all.

The hospital treated me great from the moment I walked inthe door and my doc made sure I had enough "happpy meds" to make sure that I still like him! :eek: The only pain I felt on Thursday was from the initial numbing shots. However, my back and groin were pretty sore yesterday and today. I'm following doctor's orders to be a couch potato and finding out why I don't watch much TV.:)

I did find out that I have a 42 - 43 dialiation of the aortic root, along with the stenotic bi-cuspid valve. I don't know much about the root dialation - I see that many of you have had suregery for this. I'm interested in any info I can get on this little surprise. Appartently, I've always had some dialation of the root but it really hasn't been discussed but it was about a 35 in February on my last echo and has "grown" considerabl.

I meet with my surgeron, Dr. Graham on Thursday and will have surgery either the 5th or 7th of September.

Once again, thanks to everyone for your encouragement. I felt really "alone" in this journey - now I've found others out there who understand and are willing to reach across the "wires" to help others along the way.

Sending good thoughts for a peaceful weekend to all of you!

Faye
 
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