The Waiting Room and VR.org jargon

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ElectLive

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
631
Location
Atlanta, GA
So I'm relatively new here, and one of these days, I will actually get around to creating my signature for posts.

I've noticed a few members indicating in their signature line that they are in the Waiting Room, some for 10 years or more. Where does one learn more about this Waiting Room, and/or is there an insider's guide to the standard jargon on this great site? A quick search turned up a post or two describing something about hardwood floors and a fireplace, don't know if that's confirmed, or just marketing fluff.

I would normally assume I'm fairly intelligent and should just be able to guess what all these things in fact are, but in reflecting upon my situation, I think I'm in a predicament:

I was diagnosed with bicuspid aortic valve at birth, had aneurysm / valve replacment surgery at 35, and received a tissue valve. Now, if my best guess of the Waiting Room is correct, then not only was I actually in the Waiting Room the first 35 years of my life, but since I have another surgery down the road, I'm right back in another Waiting Room at the top of the mountaintop? Good reason for a fireplace, I guess.

But this can't be right. I'm literally spending my whole life in the Waiting Room here? I sure hope it's nicely furnished.

In the absence of the insider's guide, I'm going to suggest that there at least needs to be some other place for tissue valvers to go after their first surgery. Having open heart surgery, then going right back to the Waiting Room just doesn't sound fair. Can I be in the Parking Lot at least? Or in the spirit of the valve, maybe The Barn for a while?

Until someone fills me in on my official VR.org status, maybe I'll just say I'm "On Vacation". It's just too bad it's a round-trip ticket.

Suggestions welcome...thanks.
 
Should I call you Elect or Mrs., Miss or Mr Live, a heart felt WELCOME to our OHS family glad you found the site most of the community are OHS brothers and sisters, there are some minimally invasive so ask away, there is a wealth of knowledge here for the future ..... The waiting room is the period spent here from diagnostics to action taken and is spent climbing the mountain of life and knowledge the simmit being in the OR and srgery,,,,we are all here to support on the journey ask a few questions then ask more


To aid you with the "VR Jargon", Bob/tobagotwo has up dated a list of acronyms and short forms http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=8494&d=1276042314

what to ask pre surgery http://www.valvereplacement.org/for...68-Pre-surgery-consultation-list-of-questions

what to take with you to the hospital http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/showthread.php?13283-what-to-take-to-the-hospital-a-checklist

Preparing the house for post surgical patients http://www.valvereplacement.org/for...Getting-Comfortable-Around-the-House&p=218802

These are from various forum stickies and there is plenty more to read as well


And Lynw recently added this PDF on what to expect post op
http://www.sts.org/documents/pdf/whattoexpect.pdf
 
Thanks for the welcome and the explanation. Well, I guessed pretty well then. I'll definitely need a place to put my feet up, and plenty of magazines, here's hoping for another nice long wait. I'm not giving up that easy on my hope for a new place for tissue valvers, though.

(Mr) ElectLive translation: Supposedly my surgery was elective. The valve was good for a few more years, and the aneurysm may only have had a 4-5% chance of bursting and likely killing me on the way to the hospital. The surgical risk was lower, so I Elected to get on with it, and Live out my new life.
 
E-L, I think you're getting it. I was in The Waiting Room for over 9 years between diagnosis of aortic stenosis and valve replacement. This past February I had an aortic tissue valve implanted and left The Waiting Room. The way I look at it, I won't need to return to The Waiting Room until or unless further valve problems are diagnosed. Of course, many of us continue to visit The Waiting Room to help others who are waiting for their turns at valve surgery, but we are not officially "in" The Waiting Room.

While I was in The Waiting Room, we refinished the wood floors, added some new lounge chairs and a really big screen TV with home theater sound system, etc. We also arranged subscriptions to many of our members' favorite magazines. We repainted the walls and ceiling and replaced the outdated lights, too. We just try to make The Waiting Room a comfortable place for folks to stop in and spend some time while they are waiting.

HTH, and welcome to the family!
 
So the finish upgrades are true...good news. It sounds like a great place to visit, but as I'm sure you'll understand, I'm going to do my best to not make myself comfortable in there for a long time.

Thanks for the welcome.
 

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