This Thursday (posten in the wrong place before)

[wweir]

Hello all,

So I am less than 60 hours from surgery (07:30 Central time on 15 Aug ? AVR ? St Jude?s mechanical valve). Let me fill you all in on what is happening.

First off today is my birthday, 57 years young. So how did I spend the day? We, Linda and I, went to see the surgeon, Dr. Jex at the Nebraska Heart Institute. Dr. Jex spent about 45 minutes with us going over everything. Apparently I am quite healthy, other than the valve situation. My aortic valve is .8 and my EF is 45. He is saying that sure I could wait six months to a year to get this done but my condition would be much worse. This was echoed by my surgeon in Calif who basically said the same thing after reviewing my tests.

I then spent about the same amount of time with the anesthesiologist. We went over blood work, tests, my history and so forth. She also took us through the whole series of events.

I feel pretty confident at this point. My surgeon does over 300 heart operations a year, about a quarter of them are valve jobs and his mortality rate is <1%.

My profile, based on having high blood pressure and being overweight, is a risk factor of 2-3 percent. Realizing that no surgery is 100 percent safe those are pretty good odds.

I still have many concerns about coumadin but I also read all your posts and most seem capable of dealing with it at some level. Just hope I can drink my red wine once in a while and eat spinach (yes I really like it).

So am going to enjoy myself today, have a beer or two and take the wife to dinner. My daughters are flying in on Wednesday from California to be with us during this ?event?.

I thank all of you for giving me confidence to go through with this and also giving me information to ask the right questions.

My daughters, computer nuts like me, will keep you all posted.

Thanks again for all your help and keeps those prayers coming.


Walter

 

[Don]

Best Wishes from New Mexico

Best Wishes from New Mexico

Walter,
My sincere best wishes. You'll do fine. If I could make it most anyone can. I was at 0.7 cm2 and am a decade your senior. Outside of the fear I wasted in making the decision, and the panic I felt in getting myself to the table -- I did fairly well. Little pain, few complications, out in 4 days, and today, 120 days post-op, I am doing well. I hope to be able to do it again in about 11 years or so.
My prayers will be with you.
Keep us posted.
Don
AVR; 4/02; CCF; Cosgrove; Bovine Tissue Valve

 

[Simon Gee]

thinking of you in England

thinking of you in England

Hi Walter

just to say that I'll be thinking of you on Thursday. It sounds as though you're as calm and confident as can be, something I found this site really helped with before my AVR in October 2000.

Never mind any postings from your daughters (although we want to see them!), I'm looking forward to hearing from you once you're up and running again.

Good luck and best wishes

Simon

 

[Kevin M]

Walter, try to relax these last couple of days.
Don't forget that the mortality rates for these operations is very, very low and that number includes the very ill and the very old. You are neither and you are going to do GREAT!
Kev

 

[John Cochran]

Walter,
Good News! In today's Wall Street Journal there is a story on all of the health benefits of beer. Cut it out, take it to the hospital, and see if you can't get them to give you a brewski IV drip

Seriously, sounds like you're well prepared for this. I think I waited perhaps 6 months too long for my surgery, but did end up getting the valve I wanted which was not available earlier.

Remember, walking will be your key to recovery, and anything you can do to whip the weight into good shape will help immensely.

Best wishes to you and your family...see you on the "other side of the mountain."

--John

 

[Scottie]

Good Luck Walter

Good Luck Walter

Just wanted to let you know that I'm thinking about you and will be praying for you on Thursday ....I'm sure all will go well and I expect you to come back and let me know what it was like ?please ...you take care and best wishes for a speedy recovery
Scottie

 

[sylviayasgur]

hi walter!
just wanted to let you know that you are in our thoughts and prayers. we look forward to hearing how things go.
be well and God bless, sylvia