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walopez

New member
Joined
Aug 5, 2006
Messages
2
Location
Missouri City, TX (Houston, TX area)
To all of you wonderful people on this forum who always have the words wisdom someone is looking for THANK YOU. Three years ago today I sat in a CVICU waiting room scanning the internet trying to figure out what an "aortic aneurysm" was, trying to figure out terms like "ascending and descending dissection", how could this be happening, my husband is only 35 years old? Frantically looking for information on mechanical heart valves (didn't even know there was such a thing) this forum is the place I found ALL I needed to know. I never slept that night just read your stories, laughed a little sometimes and cried but every question I had was addressed at sometime or another and I found my answers. :eek:
I searched 1000's of posts that night, the weeks, and now years that followed wondering why everything seemed so different, learned all the things that were happening or all that we were feeling were all normal. Three years ago today my sweet husband survived an aortic aneurysm, the ascending was repaired the descending is doing well, and he received a St Jude's mechanical heart valve. I never knew how much I would love the sound of a "pocket watch".
So even though I have "lurked" for three years I just thought you all might want to know that you sharing your lives has truly saved mine and my husband's and I am sure we are not alone.
Angela
.
 
Angela:

Glad to know you've had your husband 3 more years! And may there be many, many more.

How are things down in Missouri City? It's down near Rosenberg, Richmond, etc. isn't it?
Been to Rosenberg a number of times, seen the signs for Missouri City off US 59.
 
Thanks for telling your difficult but happy story,this forum truly is a help
for alot of us-many blessings:)
 
Angela, it is very kind of you to acknowledge this fabulous web site that so many of us call "Home".
Hopefully your husband will have many, many, valve anniversaries to share. :)
 
Hi Angela,
Thank you for posting your story. I heartily agree that the members on this site are wonderful. I unfortunately didn't find it til after my surgery, but it sure helped during my recovery plus even now. Sometimes God's blessings come in some interesting ways and packages. Take Care of yourself and Wade.:)
 
Mine dissected when I was 33. It never got to the magical number 5. I'm curious, how large was his when it dissected?
 
Hi Angela

What a great post!!!! It's so nice to be thanked for doing what we really love to do. I, too, found this site 7 years ago when my husband was told AVR was on the horizon. I can't thank everyone here enough.....there's no question, VR.COM got me through the surgery, aftercare, coumadin management, and everything since. This is a wonderful, kind, sharing group of people who will be there for everyone.

Please don't lurk.....you have so much to share. You are the spouse of an AVR patient who has been through alot......it's so valuable to those who are coming up.

Thanks again for a great post......and a HAPPY HEARTAVERSARY to your Hubby. May he have many, many more.

Evelyn
 
Ross-
I tried to find the exact measurements of his ascending and descending dissections and could only find descending which was 3.2. In three years it has only changed to 3.3 and I don't know how because the boy does not take of himself. :) I couldn' find the number for ascending but I do know that it dissected just past the valve all the way to the arch.
I am curious were you a smoker at all? We wonder a lot if tobacco was a factor at all, of course just theorizing....
Thanks for all you do here!
 
this post is just wonderful news and news that we always hope to hear. thank YOU from the bottom of our hearts. that you have come along after all is said and done and shared your feelings with us and that we can finally meet you and get to know of another whose life has gone so well. we in VR never know of many that are helped by this forum but we are grateful that it does. blessins to you and your dear husband. glad you stopped by - again..... don't stay away.
 
walopez said:
Ross-
I tried to find the exact measurements of his ascending and descending dissections and could only find descending which was 3.2. In three years it has only changed to 3.3 and I don't know how because the boy does not take of himself. :) I couldn' find the number for ascending but I do know that it dissected just past the valve all the way to the arch.
I am curious were you a smoker at all? We wonder a lot if tobacco was a factor at all, of course just theorizing....
Thanks for all you do here!
Click to expand...

At the time of dissection, yes I was a smoker. My main problem was uncontrolled blood pressure that was sky high. I couldn't afford the medication at the time. I look at things a whole lot differently now. Medicine is as important as paying your electric and fuel bill.

Mine started at the same spot, but ripped up my valve pretty bad. They should have replaced it then, but instead, Dr. McCarthy fashioned some flaps out of my pulmonary artery and made it work somewhat. I had moderate regurg right after surgery. It lasted 7 years before having to be replaced.
 
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