My name is Richard Meyers
58 years old. During a yearly
physical my family doctor
decided to have me checked out
by a cardiologest in his
building. At this time there
were no ill effects, having
just retired I was playing
golf 3 times a week walking
the 18 holes.After a sonogram
the doctor told me he needed
to speak to me in his office.
After hearing that there
were two bad valves as a
result of three bouts with
rheumatic fever I just about
fell on the floor.
We waited a month and
checked me over again and
decided that the condition was
advancing rapidly and surgery
was necessary. Still no
symptoms. I went to
Hackensack Hospital in New
Jersey and met with my surgeon
and set a date for surgery. I
went in on a sunday had a
catherization to determine
exactly what was needed.
Afterwards the surgeon met
with me and said the Aortic
valve had to be replaced with
a St. Jude valve but he felt
the Mitral valve could be
repaired.
The next day June 5 was the
surgery, I spent a restless
night thinking about all that
was going to happen to me. The
next morning I went into the
operating room at 8AM and was
put under immediately. When I
awoke a breathing tube down my
throat plastic tubes coming
out of my stomach more lins
from my groin and arms and a
Catheter.
The breathing tube was
taken out shortly after I woke
up and the next morning when
my wife came in I was sitting
in a chair with a liqud
breakfast. The lines in my
stomach came out that day and
was moved from ICU to a
Cardiac recovery area.
After one day I was up
walking around the floor.
The next day the rest of
the tubes and Catheter came
out. On June 11 I was sent
home. The first few days were
mostly resting but then more
each day walking up and down
the block, finally about 2mile
to the village and back then
after 5 weeks I was able to
play golf.
Right now I am in rehab and
feeling good.