New valve - woo woo!

[afraidofsurgery]

I sailed through the surgery and have been recovering at Rush here since last Wednesday afternoon. I'm ready to go home except yesterday my INR was too low for the surgeon to release me (1.26). So I'll find out in a half hour if I get to go home today. Getting a little buggy, I'm counting on getting out of here.

I love my new valve, feels right at home in the old heart. I have all the tiredness everyone talks about but I'm so glad to have the leak fixed I'm all smiles. :D :D

Thanks everyone for your support! Now off to the coumadin forum to do some homework on INRs...

Patty

[PJmomrunner]

Hooray, Patty! I'm so glad to hear all went well and you're enjoying the view on the other side of the mountain. Continue to enjoy the view while you coast down the mountain--take it slow, okay? :)

[Georgia]

Congrats & welcome to the other side.

They don't have you on Ensure, do they? It's a neat little trick hospitals have to keep you there longer without the insurers screaming (Ensure's loaded with Vit K and will keep your INR down).

You just HAVE to get rid of that "afraidofsurgery" tag - you sound like you did really well.

[Marguerite53]

What a great attitude!! Congratulations! Keep us posted on your recovery and very best wishes for a smoothe ride!

Marguerite

[Michaelena]

Great news. Glad you are doing well and your attitude is super, it will help with your recovery. My INR was all over the place, they still let me go home, figured I was getting a little buggy after being in there a week longer than normal for other issues.

Good for you. Welcome to the other side of the mountain.

Michaelena

[PaulW]

I sailed through the surgery and have been recovering at Rush here since last Wednesday afternoon. I'm ready to go home except yesterday my INR was too low for the surgeon to release me (1.26). So I'll find out in a half hour if I get to go home today. Getting a little buggy, I'm counting on getting out of here.

I love my new valve, feels right at home in the old heart. I have all the tiredness everyone talks about but I'm so glad to have the leak fixed I'm all smiles. :D :D

Thanks everyone for your support! Now off to the coumadin forum to do some homework on INRs...

Patty

I'm thrilled to hear that all went well. Get lots of rest, eat good food, and get someone to massage your back and neck at least twice a day (gently). I found that gentle massages by my wife worked much better than my pain pills for that muscle pain in the back and neck.

[Phyllis]

Great news, Patty- hope you get to go home soon and continue with an uneventful recovery.

[brd]

Congratulations Patty! Sounds like you had a perfect trip. May it continue! Barbara

[Tom F.]

Congrats ! And I am most very happy to see that you are at Rush, which is where I had my surgery done. Are you at the main hospital or Rush Copley? May I ask who your surgeon was? Be well !

[Mary]

Great news! I hope you're "sprung" by the end of the day! :)

[Karlynn]

Such great news from our resident "Scaredy Cat". :D Hope you get sprung soon!

[geebee]

Patty,

So very happy you are now past the being afraid point. Isn't it great to feel great? I will pray that you get to go home today and that everything continues on the plus side.

[bvdr]

Such great news! Isn't this a much better side of the mountain? Take care and remember this recovery business takes time and patience.

[Cris N]

So happy to hear you're doing well. Take it easy & listen to your body as it recovers. Some days will be better than others.

Cris

[knightfan2691]

Patty,

Excellent news!!!!!!!! Congratulations!

Sure hope you were able to come home today!


Cort, "Mr MC" / "Mr Road Trip", 31swm/pig valve/pacemaker
MC:family.IL.guide.future = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/
chdQB = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/quilt.html
"It goes so fast" ... Jodee Messina ... 'Was That My Life?'

[phil d]

Patty
Its great to hear from you, and congratulations on your successful surgery.
I was due to have my op the same day as you, but it was posponed until the 21st because i had a fever. Being in the hospital for two days and seeing all the people who have had their successful operations i am definately NOT "afraidofsurgery". Good luck with your recovery.
Phil

[LLJ]

Congrats Patty! Rest and repair the roads await you and will always be there!
Laura

[Karen7]

I sailed through the surgery and have been recovering at Rush here since last Wednesday afternoon. Patty

Congratulations and great to hear from you! You can't think how good it is to have news like this when you know you're having surgery yourself soon. Thanks for taking a minute to check in. Rest & get well soon.

[afraidofsurgery]

Congrats ! And I am most very happy to see that you are at Rush, which is where I had my surgery done. Are you at the main hospital or Rush Copley? May I ask who your surgeon was? Be well !

I was at the main hospital, and my surgeon was Dr. Marshall Goldin. He has a team of clinicians that assist him with pre- and post-surgical patient care, which I found to be very effective. They were all excellent.

Patty

[afraidofsurgery]

Congrats & welcome to the other side.

They don't have you on Ensure, do they? It's a neat little trick hospitals have to keep you there longer without the insurers screaming (Ensure's loaded with Vit K and will keep your INR down).

You just HAVE to get rid of that "afraidofsurgery" tag - you sound like you did really well.

No, no tricks. Just took some time to figure out which dose of coumadin to use to get my INR to creep up. It takes 5 days for coumadin activity to show up to see what's going on. They let me come home when my INR reached 1.81 and sent me home with bridge therapy of injectable Lovenox (heparin substitute) until I get between 2 and 3, then I can just take coumadin. I was getting really buggy though, feels SOOO good to have the IV lines and the heart monitor wires off of me.

Thanks for all of the congrats and advice about going slow, this definately takes a lot of of you, on the other hand I feel much much better w/ the new valve. I ended up getting an ATS valve and it's super quiet. I can only hear very faint clicks when there's no background noise. Reminds me of a carborator air intake valve, for those of you who are old enough to remember those :p I used to help my brother take apart cars...

Hmm, yep guess I will have to change my username. I'll have to work on that one today.

Patty

[Tom F.]

Patty - aren't all the people at Rush wonderful !! If you have to go through it, Rush is one of the best. Good luck in your recovery. Just take it slow and easy. And get better !

[Curtsmum]

Good news, hope we can be that possitive,best wishes

[terryj]

I am so glad you are home now. My husband was also sent home with Loxenox shots after I was taught to give them. His INR shot up pretty fast after a few days at home and we had to quit the shots after just a few days. My husband also has the ATS Aortic Valve. Its been ticking away for 4 years now. His anniversary was 9/11/05. Remember to walk,breathe,eat and rest.

[knightfan2691]

So....Patty, what will be your new screenname?

;)

[hensylee]

Bless your heart, Patty. Your first post to VR and your first post in this thread should be one of our referrals to newbies who are in the same boat you were in. What a great statement. I am so glad for you. Keep on keepin on. God bless!

[afraidofsurgery]

So....Patty, what will be your new screenname?

;)

Gee, I haven't had any inspiration yet on the new name. Perhaps "impatient with recovery" is my new mantra. I'm ready to train for a 5K but my body just wants to lay on the couch! Luckily I had a physical therapist come in and give me an exercise routine so I wouldnt' overdo it.

Any ideas?
Patty