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Lotti

Lotti

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 12, 2005
Messages
130
Location
Staffordshire, England
Oh My!

I've just realised that I go in in 48 hours.

I've now suddenly become terrified.

Please send as many happy unterrified thoughts my way as you can until they've given me my pre-med.

Thank you all so much for your kind words up to this point. Without them I would have folded long ago.

Lotti
 
Hi Lotti, from what I see on the calender you and my mom both have surgery on Monday, this will be my moms 2nd time heading to the mountain and we are scared also, so lets hold hands and climb that mountain together!!!
Will be thinking of you..Thumbs up!!:)

((((Hugs))))) Carolyn
 
Lotti my thoughts and prayers for calm and rapid healing are flying across the pond as fast as I can get them to you. Go out for a happy time with family or friends and that'll get your mind off for a few hours. If you need a small tranquilizer, take one but not much of one - enough just to let you rest your mind. You have so many of us watching and waiting with you - and mentally holding your hand. The day will be along before you know it; it'll be over and you can begin the happy recuperation (then you'll be so busy). GODSPEED!
 
Hi Lotti. It's absolutely normal and intelligent to feel this way and I'd guess that every single person on this forum who has been 48 hours away from surgery has felt exactly the same. So don't be frightened by these feelings of terror as its all part of the process .... From what I've heard, this feeling will be dampened down by acceptance and you'll start thinking about your future health. Sometimes we are more frightened by our overwhelming emotions than our situation. Go with this feeling of terror for a while, and try to tell yourself that you SHOULD feel this way for a time, that it's natural and normal. Gradually it will subside and you'll probably get to the point where you simply want to get the whole thing over and done with. I am sending (((hugs))). Take care. Teresa
 
All Is And Will Be Well

All Is And Will Be Well

Lotti,

Wishing you all the best. I know that you are going to do great and that life with a new valve will be refreshing and full of energy!!! You knew these feelings would come as the day drew closer....it's normal. You can do it. I'm counting on you to see me through my trip over the moutain;) . All of my wishes and prayers are with you and your family.

A Joke (bad Joke)

A duck walks into a drug store to buy some chap stick.
The clerk says "that will be $1.29"
The duck says "just out it on my bill":D :D :D :p

Best Always,
 
Lotti: Good luck! Try to concentrate on how good you will feel after the surgery. You are in our thoughts and prayers.
 
Prayers

Prayers

I have joined the others in praying for you. I had my surgery 6 months ago, and remeber this time well. As things got closer, I know I could feel the support of all the prayers. I will pray that this be true for you.
 
You will be fine..

You will be fine..

I had surgery 2 week ago last Wednesday. I am now home walking, reading, resting, eating,..It is really not that bad..You will be fine..You will sleep through the surgery and when you need pain meds after, they will be right there. Pain was not a big problem at all. In no time you will be back home.
Prayers and positive thoughts are going you way.
 
Scared too

Scared too

I requested some tranqualizers (clonazapam) because I am just finding myself staring at the walls worrying.

They are helping some. At least I can concentrate enough to reply back to you.

My surgery is Monday also and I found that I am in the midst of Moderate Congestive Heart Failure that was brought to you by my Mitrial valve.

Fortunatly my surgeon will perform the full Cox-Maze Proceedure after the valve repair. If he has time, he will move my lung aside and see what he can do about my dislocate ribs from the inside. He whistled as he saw my xrays and said what I already knew that I was lucky to be alive.

I told him that God is not done with me yet and he nodded in agreement.

I share your fear, I have mine, you have yours. Naturally I cannot directly help yours, but be aware that I am praying for you. This is a scary thing. If you were not fearful, you would not be paying attention. any time your chance for death is past .000001%, it is not un-natural to have some issues. We are all mortal. I just do not want my life to end Monday. I am sure you probably are thinking the same thing.

Plus you know it will hurt like hell. That is what I am worried about. Memory loss, I talked to the anesthesiologist and he said that was normal in the first week. Long term it is very rare.

Yes, we all concentrate on the "bad" side of this, but I really think that the good side, after all is said and done will be far better.

I found that my Mitral valve had me in moderate congestive heart failure. I had no idea. My symptoms are very minimal. I hoofed up 6 blocks to the hospital from the bus stop 2 weeks ago and was not even out of breath. (Ok, a little out of breath). These hills in seattle are 15% grades (25-30 degrees) and I got to the hospital in great shape. I am 49, do not use a walker or a cane. How could I be in moderate congestive heart failure? Well I guess I am.

God Bless you and guide your surgeons hands. I pray that God is with the nurses that take care of you during your entertaining episode of recovery. Ugh!

I know that he will be there for me. Take knowledge that people are praying for you all over the world. Take time to talk to everyone you care about. This is a big deal, but you will get through it.

Take care, and may both of our surgeries go well Monday!

Michael
 
Terrified

You know, you will feel better after the surgery, not to mention the extra years you will have after it is fixed. Of course you're terrified! Anyone would be. I had my first MVP surgery in May 2005 and had to have it redone 3 weeks ago. I wound up with pulmonary hypertension thanks to my malfunctioning valve. The cardio doesn't know if it will go away completely, but it is already better. I'm confident it will get better.
Being in shape won't prevent heart problems, but it sure will help with recovery. I always wondered if all those hours I spent exercising were worth and I can tell you now it was. I'm sure your hours of exercise were also well spent.
As soon as you can do let us know how it goes.
Oh yes. We are now in Texas but I lived 25 years in Seattle and environs and my children and husband are bona fide northwesterners. We lived for 12 years in Gig Harbor before we moved to San Antonio. Periodically I miss it, but not the day after day of gray, rainy days.
You are in my thoughts and prayers.:) Barbara
 
GOOD LUCK, LOTTI!!!!!! Let us know as soon as you can how you are or have someone else let us know... Rose:)
 
Lotti,

Every once in awhile, I'm called upon to peer into my crystal ball to see into the future.
I think your case necessitates my dusting it off, and taking a look for you.

Great News! I see nothing but smooth sailing ahead!

Looks like this time next week, you will be back on the computer telling us what we have found out for ourselves. The anticipation of surgery is worse than the surgery.:)
God Bless and Godspeed. We'll see you on the other side of this.
 
You will be fine Lotti. Sending our prayers your way and look forward to hearing from you on the other side of the mountain.
 
Lotti - know how you feel. About the pain - truly (and I wouldn't put you on), there's worse. I'm not sure if it's the nature of the surgery or the post surgery painkillers, or a little of both, but it's totally manageable. For instance - I was really nauseated by morphine when I stood up. They want you to walk. So they tried me on plain tylenol 2 days after surgery. It didn't work well, so they found something else. My point here is that altho the plain tylenol didn't work well, I was NOT in excruciating pain; not happy, but NOT in anything approaching agony. Have had toothaches that were MUCH worse. My daughter had gastric bypass surgery and was in much more distress than I ever was.

You will be well-attended. Because immediate post-ohs recovery depends so much on deep breathing and walking, they will keep you comfortable. I slept very well in the hospital.

This is probably hard to believe because we look so awful, and the sternotomy looks so bad and extreme; but when the chest is wired back together, there's not the pulling on muscles you have with gastric surgeries.

Not to say this is a walk in the park; I think one of the hardest things for post-ohs patients to deal with is that it takes a LONG time to recover. This is quite an insult to the heart and the heart takes its own sweet time to heal. But oddly enough, the heart doesn't hurt after all this cutting. I don't understand it.

I truly hope that those who're having surgeries soon enter that period of calm acceptance that's such a relief after the days/weeks/months of worry and fear.

And have some fun this weekend - eat drink and be merry. And practice with your spirometers if you've been given them - it'll help later.

This time next week you'll most likely be home and be amazed at your bravery and pluck.
 
Lotti,

Sending good vibes your way. Just keep in mind that the people who will be caring for you know what needs to be done. They will help keep you out of pain, watch for infections, and make sure you do and get what is required to make you better.

Try to take comfort in those facts and know surgery will soon be in the past for you.

Godspeed.
 
Lotti
It's natural to be afraid....but although you may find this hard to believe, it is not too bad. Nothing that can not be managed. Invite a couple of friends to dinner, have a nice glass of wine, gossip a little:D :D and have a good time. Before you know it, you'll be back home
Good thoughts and prayers are with you
 
Lotti's Surgery

Lotti's Surgery

Lotti ! Good luck with your surgery and just think of all the people praying for you , I will pray for you and we are all with you in our hearts and souls ! May God Bless You , protect you and make this transition in your life as smooth as possible , Amen . Let us know how you are doing when you are up to it .:)
 
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