Scared to Death for Husband!

[Angelhnter]

Hi! I'm new to this board and looking for some encouragement. Begging for someone to hold my hand and tell me everthing will be okay. My husband is 35 and will be having open heart surgery to repair (or replace-unsure yet) his mitral valve. Has anyone undergone this surgery and can you give me an idea of how things will go for him (and me too).

A
Age 25
from Houston, Texas
:confused:

[martha]

You are most welcome. This is a scary time for both of you. I had aortic valve replacement last year and feel great. I was 49 at time of replacement. There are those who have had mitral who will I'm sure respond. In the mean time try and relax. Feel comfortable with your choice of surgeon, and hospital. The hardest part will be yours the wait. Please keep us informed of his progress. All the best..... martha

[Peter Easton]

MOre power to you. Remember that, among surgeries, this is thankfullly one in which they have had a TON of experience -- and with which modern medicien has an extremely high success rate. I have just been reading "The King of Hearts", a fasicintaing book about the early days of open heart surgery fifty years ago when that wasn't the case. We owe a big debt to those pioneers.

You're in our thoughts and prayers.

Peter

[Nancy]

Welcome to the site. You'll find a ton of info. here and lots of support to get you through your husband's surgery.

My husband Joe had an aortic valve replacement in 1977, a mitral valve replacement in 1999 and July 18 of this year had a repair on his mitral valve. He has mechanical valves.

In addition to that he also has had 2 lung surgeries and has a pacemaker.

The operation your husband is going to have is a life-saving surgery. It will give him, probably, his normal lifespan back and his quality of life will be vastly improved. If you keep these things in mind, it helps to get through it.

No one will tell you that you won't be scared. It's normal. But the surgeons who do this are such experts in this area of surgery and they pretty much have it down pat.

Your husband is young and he has that on his side. I'm sure he'll do just fine, and so will you.

Feel free to ask us anything. What one person doesn't know, someone else can answer.

Best wishes, and we hope to see you on the boards often.

[Bill Hall]

Angel - Just wanted to welcome you to this web site. There is a wealth of information among the many here. I think you should be optimistic about your husband. An overwhelming majority of us have gone through this experience successfully and are back to normal lives. I had my mitral valve repaired in Jan of this year and was back to normal within weeks. They have you back up and walking within days after the surgery. Good luck to you and your husband.

[Bob Gleason]

If your husband is having his surgery in Houston we have several members on this forum who have had their surgery in Houston and I am sure they will respond. Also, I suggest you read some of our personal stories (read Gina's especially, as in my opinion no one here knows more about mitral valve surgery than Gina)

Your husband (name?) and you as well should have the opportunity to ask as many questions here on this forum, but I also suggest a consultation with the surgeon.......ask as much detail as you want and insist upon answers and his time, although surgeons usually have a minimal amount of time.

Someone already told you that the success rate is very high (It is!) In recovery, he should take everything slow and easy.........I'm sure he'll keep you busy (My wife was wonderful and tolerant and patient with me during my recovery)

Let us know the scheduled date.........you'll have 200+ people here praying for your husband.........that all helps as well.

[JBriau]

Hi Angel!

Your Husband is young and should do well. I had a
mitral valve replacement in Oct. 1999. I was very sick at
the time and I recovered. The first few weeks will be the
roughest. Plenty of rest will be needed. Don't rush things.
I will be undergoing my second valve replacement shortly
(aortic this time).





:) Best Wishes Judy

[Mara]

Hi A..
this is the place for hand holding.
I am 34 and just had aortic vavle replacement.
Your husband will be fine!
It's a scary surgery, but really worse on you than on him, he'll be asleep through it, you'll be waiting.

My surgery was preety long and very technical... I had a surgery called the Ross procedure, which is for AVR only.
There are lots of folks on here who have had MVR and are doing great.

Good luck, and welcome to VR.com
-Mara

[Angelhnter]

It is so nice to meet all of you. I am so glad that each and everyone of you are doing well and have had succesful surgeries to help in your situation. I will be "camping out" here for awhile, I'm sure. I can't wait to get to know each of you a little better. I have passed the website link along to Kevin, my husband , and really hope that he can join in too. Until then, I will be around asking questions and getting to know each of you. I will be praying extra hard for all those awaiting surgery and for each and every family member also.

Someone asked about being in Houston... Yes, We are in Houston. We are seeing Dr. Leachman and Surgeon Dr. Duncan at The Texas Heart Institute/St. Lukes Episcopal Hospital. Kevin has had the TEE and the Cardiac Catheterization done (last Thursday) to confirm the need for surgery. The Surgery is scheduled for either October 11th or 12th (waiting for doc's office to confirm the date). That's a little about us!

See you again soon! Lots of prayers!

Love,
Aimee:)

[sylviayasgur]

hi angelhntr!
welcome to this site. it has been my lifesaver! everyone here has so much to offer. info is abundant and the support here is unbelievable . it has truly helped me cope with my husband, joey's future valve replacement surgery.( it is now _supposedly_scheduled for this thurs..initially it was supposed to be the day after the nyc attack)..... the wait is really awful.
you've come to the best place. good luck, it's good to have you on board.
anything we can do to help, we're all here.
-sylvia

[ticktock]

Aimee
Welcome aboard! And to Kevin too! I had my surgery at Methodist, through the Texas Heart Institute. Dr Cooley was my surgeon in 10/99. It is one of the best hospitals around, with a marvelous reputation for great surgeons and facilities.

My family tells me that what helped them the most was knowing that I was not in pain. Maybe I looked like I had been drug through a knot hole, but I didnt know it!! Just hang tough, and know that there are tons of people keeping you and Kevin in prayer! Please update us if possible.

Hey! Where are you staying in Houston? Or are you from around there?
mindy

[Perrster]

Greetings Aimee,

Like Bob said, you could have as many as 200+ people via vr.com as a prayer chain for you and Kevin. I will be one of them.

When I woke from my surgery, I felt an incredible comforting spiritual presence and I truly believe it was from the many "prayer chains" that my church established for me. And I didn't even know they were doing it!

As Kevin's caregiver, your role in his impending surgery will be as important as his.

Hang tough, keep us posted and God Bless.

PerryA
Northern Chicago suburb
MV/AV replacement
St. Jude's Mechanical
4/17/00

p.s. I'm curious what Keving thought about the TEE? I was upset that I didn't get to "inspect" the camera before they launched it into down my throat.

[ticktock]

Peter and Aimee and all

Strange you should mention that peace, Peter. I too experienced the "peace that surpasses all understanding" as mentioned in the Bible. I did not even know that at the time, all four churches on our little island had prayer chains going for me. I wasnt even a church goer....... then. I fully believe that is what kept me alive. There were way too many chances for me to give it up. Many mistakes, complications, a month of hospitalization, with 21 days in the unit. Now THAT is enough to drive a person to the brink.

Prayer is powerful and brings a peace that cannot be explained.

[Angelhnter]

Hi Everyone-Good Morning!

Wow! You guys are AWESOME! I can't believe the knowlede and wisdom on this board! I am so happy I found you guys! God sent me here, I can feel it! Yay! :)

Let's see, I'm going to try and answer a couple quesitions a few of you asked. Hope I remember them all. Where are we staying in Houston? We are both native Texans and live in Houston. We feel so fortunate to have St. Lukes in our own back-yard. What did Kevin think of the TEE? Well, he was drugged a little bit and didn't really mind it while it was going on. He did say it was a little uncomfortable though. But, This is coming from a guy that has had quite a few small surgeries this year for various other health problems. He had three esophogeal (sp?) dilitations and varicocele surgery. We have also done IVF due to some male factor issues in August 01. We got PG but I miscarried it at 5 weeks. Sad year for us, health wise. But, with prayer... and alot of faith, we will survive all of this. ANYWAY!!!!

Enough about us! I am going to have to get to know all of you guys too. Tell me something about yourselves!

Talk to you all soon!

Much Love,
Aimee-age 25
Married to Kevin-age 35
Surgery scheduled for October 11th or 12th (not confirmed yet!)

[Tammy]

Glad you found us!
If Kevin has Surgery on the 11th or 12th, several of us will be in Nashville for a VR Reunion. It will be a good time to say a prayer for Kevin and yourself. Which by the way is open to everyone - the more the merrier.
How is Kevin holding up? He is lucky to have you doing some research for him - Us girls are so proficient (sp).
He is young and will bounce back quickly.

Take Care,
Tammy

[Angelhnter]

The doctor's office called Kevin back today and it's confirmed for October 11th. He has to be there at 6am. I am really scared for him, but realize that this is the only way i will be able to get all my "mileage" out of him. So, we sit and wait till October 11th and continue to pray! Thank you so much for welcoming me here. I feel so comfortable posting and getting to know you guys. You are all so friendly and nice! Thanks!

I wish we could join you guys at the reunion. That would be GREAT! Maybe next year once we are past this part. Please keep him (and me) in your prayers. I truly appreciate that!

Love,
Aimee

[Bob Gleason]

Kevin and Aimee...........I especially will say a bunch of prayers for you both........Only good things happen on October 11....!!!!

Bob Gleason.............d.o.b. October 11, 19_ _.

[Dave]

Hi Angelhtr

Welcome to the site, I am fairly new here but a frequent observer.
I had a mitral valve replaced just twelve months ago, and after six weeks I just went back to a normal life. I was 49 when i had it done. Fortunately I didnt have a long wait for surgery, my mitral valve collapsed unexpectedly and i found myself in Hospital, with pending heart failure and fortunately they operated within a few days. The few days wait was pretty tough though because it was all a bit of a shock. They fitted a St Judes valve, and my recovery was text book, mainly because i was fit and active prior to surgery. For me there was no pain, except when i coughed or sneezed, and my strength returned a little every day. I had great support from my wife and family, and through them i had a very positive attitude which i think helped me immensely. Your husband is young and i am sure he will have a good recovery, it does take time he will be almost back to normal after a couple of months but it takes at least twelve months to feel really good.
The only thing I am unable to do now is fly. I had a pilots licence before the surgery, but have been unable to get a medical certificate for flying since, maybe one day?.
All the very best for the surgery.
Dave

[Angelhnter]

Dave,

Glad to hear you are doing good 12 months after surgery! Thanks for the information. I will be glad to put this behind us and get on with the surgery and recuperation period. Being young, this puts a damper on our activities (wink, wink)! Anyway... I appreciate your optimism, along with everone else's. Hope you continue to heal each and every day! Take care of yourself!

Love,
Aimee

[sylviayasgur]

hi kevin and aimee!
welcome to the site! i just got home from my husband, joey's surgery. he had a ross procedure and is actually sitting in a chair as i write this. hopefully, his progress will continue this way. the icu staff was very impressed with him and how quickly he came out of the anesthesia.
as anyone here will tell you, the waiting is the worst!! if you can make it through that to the day, that's more than half the battle. joey went in at 6 am this morning and was very relaxed. (we were nuts about 3-4 days before though).
either way, you are both in our prayers. good luck!
-sylvia

[Dave]

Dear Aimee

Just a note on the wink wink!
They said no wink wink for six weeks!!
I guess i must have heard wrong, and I am sure they said six days!!!!
Or was that six times a week?? I know there was a six mentioned.
Didnt do any harm,but sure did a lot of good !

Cheers Dave

[Mara]

Aimee and Kevin-
Good luck with the surgery! I hope that Kevin flies through it.
It makes all the difference once it's over. You feel so much better!

-mara
Ross Procedure
7/12/01

[joy]

Hi! You will find a lot of support on this forum. I just had my Mitral valve replaced with a bovine bioprosthetic valve. What is wrong, if I don't mind, with your husband's valve? Where are you guys getting it done? THere are so many wonderful people on this site that can help answer your questions. I found out that I had severe Mitral stenosis when I got pregnant with my second child. I had my valve replaced at University of Washington in Seattle by Dr. Edward Verrier, the cheif of Cardiac Surgery. I went into a coma in January of this year, and they saved me and my unborn(now he's 4 months old) son. Your husband will make it and feel great about 2 months after his surgery. TRUST ME!

[Angelhnter]

Joy,

Hi! Nice to meet you! Sounds like you have been through alot! I am glad you are doing well now! Thanks be to God! :)

Kevin has Severe Mitral Valve Regurgitation with a slighty deformed valve (longer than a normal valve) , plus some tendons are coming unattached from the sides of the valve. I am not sure what the technical terms for all of that is, but that is what is going on with him. We are doing the surgery at The Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital. He is seeing Dr. Leachman (cardiologist) and Dr. Duncan (Cardiac Surgeon). We are praying that everything turns out for the best and they can repair the valve instead of replacing it. October 11th is our date of surgery.

Love,

[Angelhnter]

Dave,

Glad to hear the wink, wink is going good for you. I am hoping we are back at the wink, winking before we know it, after surgery that is! :)

Take care!

Love,
Aimee

[tnboomer1013]

The waiting will be bad, but the night before was the worst for me. Having surgery out of town we had to spend the night in a hotel. Way too much time to think. It sounds like you have a good sense of humor, good you will need it. Kevin will be fine. Just tell him to keep the pillow handy, watch out for sneezing, coughing and laughing ( OUCH ). He will understand.

I had avr and two bypasses on the 17th of July and am already back to work. So he will be up and around soon. Be sure to keep us all posted.

You, Kevin and your family will be in our thoughts and prayers.



P.S. Watch out for the GREEN jello.

[joy]

Hi! I still remember my first sneeze! OUCH!!!!!!!! I laughed at Rob for the comments on his sneeze, but it really does sneak up and BOOM! It felt like my whole chest was going to cave in on me! Coughing hurt too, especially when they pulled the breathing tube out of me(which I remember, vividly) I never got the jello, but I did get the yukky milk of magnesia. I thought I'd never taste THAT. It was DISGUSTING!

By the way, the doctor said that I could do wink wink with my husband as long as I was creative. I didn't even have to ask. You won't want to for a couple weeks, but then, you get back to normal. :D :D ;) ;)

[Cindy]

Hi Aimee,
I wanted to add my welcome to the others. You are truly blessed to find this site. It was my life-line when my dad was diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis this Aug. We have been home one week from Cleveland (where he had his surgery). He feels stronger every day. He will be back on his 5 mile bike rides before we know it!! Please tell Kevin that he will do just fine - just like my dad..... Oh yes, also tell him my dad is 80.
Blessings to you - you will be in my prayers.
Cindy

[adrienne]

Hi Amy and Kevin,

Just wanted to wish you luck for October. My surgeon was a Mr Duncan in the U.K. and he was excellent so i am sure there is something in the name!. Just on the wink wink topic if it is a prosthetic valve the increased clicking is a dead give away if you get my drift. Take care guys. You are in our prayers.
Adrienne.