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Cheriejolay

Cheriejolay

VR.org Supporter
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2010
Messages
30
Location
Northern California, about 30 miles from Lake Taho
I have been remiss in a couple of things. Staying in contact with this board (because I thought I was "fixed"), and more importantly, haven't really consistently followed the results of my repaired aortic valve. In December, 2010, at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, they were able to take some of my own heart tissue and sew a patch over the hole in one of my aortic valve leaflets, that had been caused by a catheter perforation, during an attempted ablation in the early 90's.

Have been doing well, but noticed recently, that I have been more short of breath. It's kind of ridiculous that I didn't check before now (I'm a cardiac sonographer), but just figured everything "must be fine" (no denial there). I am the lead sonographer in an echo lab, and so, we needed to adjust settings on a machine, so had one of the other sonographers scan me. We were speechless, since we could clearly see that my valve was leaking as much as before surgery, AND my left heart size was bigger.

Long story short, the repair has failed, and now, I'm on the "fast track" for aortic valve replacement on Wednesday, March 6, 2013. Met with surgeon at Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento, CA, Kapil Sharma, M.D., and was very impressed, and feel that I am in good hands. Mayo clinic has seen my echo, and made some recommendations, and Dr. Sharma agrees with them (always a good sign). I'm not able to go back to Mayo, due to insurance restrictions, and overall travel costs, but after meeting this Dr, and researching him, through my network of "spies" j/k (I work in the field, so we have friends at other hospitals, that can tell us who is the best)

We decided on a St Jude Bi-leaflet valve, with root enlargement. I am unwilling to take the chance on a tissue valve, because I want to minimize ANTOHER future surgery. That being said, I'm not crazy about taking Coumadin, but there are no simple choices. I THOUGHT I dodged a bullet, by having my aortic valve repair, but for some, as yet, unknown reason, it has failed. My left heart is bigger than it was, I have shortness of breath, but just figured I was "out of shape" (despite losing weight and exercising)

Saw surgeon yesterday.....he spent over an hour with my husband and me, going over things, and his staff is also wonderful.

Monday is a big day for me.....dental clearance at nine, heart cath after, CT chest, carotid duplex.
Tuesday 4 hours o' fun back at Mercy General for pre-op meetings (anesthesia, etc)
Wednesday 5am to hospital for surgery.

My mind is spinning! This weekend will be trying to get house stuff organized, make sure the bills are paid, taxes filed, etc, etc,

I have great support from my husband, my parents, my sons, my friends, my church, this forum, so I feel well "cared for", AND, the hospital is so close, we don't have to fly anywhere, and all my peeps are HERE. :)

We have started up my CaringBridge site again, if anyone wants to follow along........that's where my husband will be posting updates, when I cannot. It would be too much for him, to try to update this site, as well. I'll try not to be such a slacker, and stay involved here, even AFTER my surgery is done.

So, that's what's going on......my CaringBridge is under Cherie Layton. Thank you friends!
 
Given your profession, you got lucky your machine needed setting and you voluntered. Imagine had you not?

Think how much you can contribute to the rest of us about ECHO and the important information our doctors can learn from them.

Happy you checked in with us again and we'll follow along with you as you go through the
familiar' steps.
BEST of Luck. Hope all goes smoothly and easily for you. You'll be in our thoughts.
 
Cherie,

So sorry to hear about the situation with your valve! I'll be thinking of you this week and I wish you a speedy and smooth recovery!!!!

Rachel
 
Cherie, I'm sorry to read that the repair didn't last, but it sounds as though you have everything in order for Wednesday's replacement. Best wishes for a successful surgery and an uneventful recovery. I will look for updates on your CaringBridge page.
Godspeed!
 
Hello Cherie, all I can say is that Dr. Kapil Sharma is a sweetie !

He graduated from McGill University in Montreal, Canada..... where I had my surgery in 2005.

Kapil was studying under my surgeon Dr. de Varennes, and Kapil was the doctor who was assigned to care for me on admittance and explain what was going on.
He sat down beside my bed and chatted, so I made sure to ask him his name twice, so that I would remember him. After that he was very busy so I didn't have much chance to
talk with him again, but he stuck in my mind.

If you think of it before or after your surgery, tell him that a fan from Montreal, Canada says "hello". :)
You will be in good hands.
 
Wishing you all the very best Cherie , but just wondered why they feel the need to do a dental clearance,

Speedy recovery.:cool:
 
Last edited:
Dental clearance prior to heart surgery is required by just about all the U.S. cardiothoracic surgeons.
One of the major sources of infection in the heart originates from the mouth.
Before OHS, surgeons want to verify you have no current infection or urgent dental work required. Most will not permit any dental visits for any reason less than 6 months post op.
 
Cherie I have been following your updates on CaringBridge and just read todays I have faith in His ability to get you , Scott and Sam through this unscathed ..... you are a family of faith and you should take comfort in His guiding hand.

Godspeed

Greg

I Lied

Written 3 hours ago

I said I wouldn't post again until after Monday's goings-on, but I'm freaking out a little here.

It's all pressing down on me......this huge weight, and I'm worried about money, and what if the dentist doesn't clear me, and what if I'm not "aware" enough afterwards, to help Scott navigate the tax payment (and where it will come from), and the car registration (need smogged!), and the amount, up front, that we have to pay for the surgery.

If my surgery is delayed (by THREE weeks, like if there IS an infection in my mouth somewhere), I don't know what will happen with work, etc, because the clock has already starting ticking on the disability, and they've already covered me at work, so I don't know if they can find something for me to do, or re-open some resources, because I can't waste three weeks of time off NOW, when my open heart requires being off THREE months after the surgery, and I'm already short at the end of the time off, already.

So, for all you people that think I'm brave, I'm not. I've been awake almost all night. I'm scared, I'm worried. My mind is spinning with making sure that I've left notes for every single thing that is coming up.

All I'm asking for is PRAYER. I need some peace. Sometimes, I have it, and sometimes (like, since 1:30 this morning, NOT). I know our needs will be met, but the "unknown" of how that will happen, is scaring me to death. Oh yeah, and I'm scared of something going wrong with the surgery.

Please pray for me, and my family, that we can get through these next couple of days, leading up to surgery, because honestly, I feel like I want to curl up in a ball.

I gotta pull it together to go to Sam's last basketball game at noon, AND I don't want to scare HIM, by me being freaked out, so I'm hiding in the bathroom right now.

Just being brutally honest. I know you care, or you wouldn't be on my CaringBridge. I'm asking.........please pray for me that I can just calm down, and TRUST
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Thank you, everyone!

Thank you for the previous poster, explaining dental clearance. It is actually what is most on my mind, right now, having not gone for a while (I know!)

After my dentist appointment at 9 tomorrow, then heading to hospital for heart cath, Ct Chest, and Carotid duplex. If ALL of that goes well, then back down to Mercy General to do pre-op down there, then surgery Wednesday. I'm hanging in there. Had a few moments of "meltdown", but we have wonderful friends, and had dinner with them tonight, so now it's off to bed, and hopefully better night's sleep than last night!

I made notes to remind myself to tell Dr. Sharma about his "fan" from Montreal!
Thanks everyone, for your support!
 
Cherie,
I remember you from previously. I'm saddened to learn your repair didn't last. But one thing I can do to help is PRAY. Sometimes things happen in our lives that we think will knock us to our knees forever, but I know you are strong and brave. I hope your dentist gives you a clean bill of health (mouth wise) and that all your follow-up testing shows you are in good health and ready to face this latest hurdle. You have a great support system and all will be good. I will try to get over to your caringbridge page and will have you in my prayers all day on Wednesday. :)
 
JUst posted on CaringBridge

A bump in the road

Written 5 hours ago

First of all, this is Scott.

SO...yesterday was a full day for Cherie with tests. The schedule for the day was seeing the dentist to get clearance for surgery, heart cath, chest CT and carotid ultrasound. The only thing that we were holding our breath on was the dentist because if she had anything at all that could be deemed a potential chance of infection, it would throw off the whole surgery schedule.

Of course, we're talking about Cherie and there WAS a dental issue which could cause a serious infection with the heart and operation. So, today she gets to go in for a root canal and crown work. She also will have some other dental work done next week. The news was not easy to hear as it delays everything. Although, the risk is not worth it either.

The heart cath went fine, as did the other tests, but as usual, there was a problem getting an IV. They even went straight for the anesthiologist (to start the IV, because they are usually the best), but he had to stick her five time, including in each foot, and finally got an IV in the left foot (she made me take a picture of it.....really, she did, so if you want to see it, i got ;).

I was on the phone, almost all day, between the cardiac surgeon's office and the dentist office, trying to get this all worked out. We had been told that if surgery couldn't happen this week, then it couldn't be for three weeks, because the dr wasn't available, but yesterday they were saying, possibly the 18th.

The dentist office is being great.......getting her in for her work today, and next Monday, and then she should be "clear". (and they only want $2,000 for that! yes, that was sarcasm.......it's what Cherie would want). But, seriously, they ARE trying to get her done, so she can get her surgery.

She's worried about how this will affect her "time off", since she was already short hours to cover the time, and now, it's even more time. She would have to be off this week anyway (for after the heart cath), and she's having a root canal today, AND Monday, more dental stuff, so she would have to be off next Monday, and if they are doing surgery on the 18th (or NEAR the 18th), we will need a day to go back down to Mercy for the 4 to 5 hour pre-op thing down there.

So, she can't really go back to work (for a few days), and then go off work again, without screwing up the disability

They let me be off work (without pay), so I will try to go back to work, but can't, until, the stuff, this week, is taken care of. That reminds me, the Dr called last night, and said she is anemic, so I will need to take her for more lab work. Needles!! Not her friend!

So, obviously, we want this to be resolved, as soon as possible, but Cherie is extremely stressed about finances, and the impact on our family, and her work.

As I'm sure you can understand, Cherie is very upset about this and worried about everything, so, I am asking, if anyone has questions, please call, text, or email ME, so that she doesn't keep having to talk about all of it. I'm sure she'll feel better, in a few days, but not right now. Here's my cell 530-305-6270, email is [email protected]

When we know more, we will post more, but for right now, we just need your prayers for peace and comfort, and that everything will work out, financially, and otherwise. Especially, prayers, that Cherie can get through these couple of weeks, without too much pain, and mental stress.

We know that God is in control, and that we "need not worry", but sometimes that's easier said than done, so your prayers would be very much appreciated. Thank you, Scott
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