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Yes, when I lived in the Bay Area my cardiologist recommended Dr Fischbein if I needed another surgery. Dr Craig Miller, now retired, did my 2nd and 3rd surgeries. I live in Los Angeles, now, and so far haven’t needed another surgery. I always felt good checking into Stanford for my surgeries. I...

When my second aortic mechanical valve was placed, my surgeon, Dr Miller told me my range with this Carbomedic top hat valve was good at 2-3, and he said he wouldn’t worry if my INR went down to 1.8. I had bacterial endocarditis with a subarachnoid haemorrhage before that surgery. I think he was...

Well, since I’ve moved to socal from norcal and I haven’t had any need for infectious disease doctors, I hope to never need their services again. When I got BE in 08, I don’t think they had seen many cases of staph lugdunensis, and that was Stanford. They didn’t even know it lived other than...

My lancet needles are free, but even if I did pay for them ( I used to pay), I would not reuse one. I was wrong about my bacteria living in the mouth, actually it’s just the nose and skin. I don’t think all BE starts in the mouth. My infectious disease doc said he didn’t know how I got it, even...

I am surprised to read so many reuse needles for testing. Since I had bacterial endocarditis from a particularly nasty bacteria that lives on the skin of 20% of the population (also in nose, mouth) I wouldn’t even consider reusing the lancet needle! Yikes!

Yeah, generally it’s beating like crazy, thumping, like my body is moving because I still get nervous performing after so many years! So, we play a slow passage and my heart has its own thing going on especially in a-fib! So fascinating that I’m able to enjoy playing in this symphonic wind...

I’m a thin woman, my Carbomedic top hat 25mm valve sounds like a basketball hitting the wood floor. It seems loud and forceful, yet it never keeps me from falling asleep. I’m more aware of it while playing soft passages in orchestra. The closest guy to me only thought it was someone’s watch. I...

I went into a-fib 3 years after my 3rd OHS. I was given cardio version and then took a rx to keep me in rhythm (can’t remember which drug). But only 2 years later I was back in a-fib, tried another cardio version that only worked until I got home. Then back into a-fib. So, I’m in chronic a-fib...

I recently tripped on a raised portion of sidewalk while walking my fox terrier. I was going to fall and couldn’t stop it. Thoughts rushed thru my head and I wrangled my body so my head hit the grass next to the sidewalk. My dog yelped as I had yanked her leash while falling. I lay there a bit...

I can attest to the scar tissue issue. For my 2nd surgery, it was a lot. But the surgeon (same for both) told me, after my 3rd, that it took 3 hours to get through the scar tissue just to be able to start on the replacements/repair I needed. He said I was a trooper! But, I just lay on the...

You can choose to live a great life in between the stuff that could be thrown at you! I was 34 when a cardiologist said I had a 6 cm aneurysm and leaking aortic valve. My very first thought at that appointment was, ‘Holy crap, I’m going to have a scar’! Of course, after that I stopped doing...

I’m so glad you are alive and recovering! What a story, yikes!! I remember my 2nd surgery was delayed until evening because the patient before me turned out to be allergic to heparin. I think it was touch and go for him, too. I thought cardiac caths were ‘just a test’ until I got mine when the...

Bacterial endocarditis was my culprit. My INR was 6.7 when I noticed blood in my urine. I had already taken my warfarin when later I noticed the blood. A Dr on call said stop warfarin the next day and test the day after that. So, I did that and couldn’t get a reading on my Coaguchek xs. The...

Thanks, jeffp, that’s nice to read. After my husband left me unexpectedly, I was going through a box of photos. I found one of me in a tank top. I had no heart surgery scar, my chest was pristine. All the emotions of going thru so many surgeries and divorce just really hit me and I started to...

I’ve only had 2 people ask about my scar and one was a child. I have never thought my scars were cool, but I’m alive, so I just see it and it’s me. With each surgery my sternal scar got longer. I was lucky I don’t create keloid so mine looks kinda white and flat. I knew a young woman who even...

It’s great that you got 22 years from your tissue valve. You should be in a study! My cardiologist started to see me more frequently and I had echos every year instead of every two years when I hit 9 years with my porcine valve. He used the average of 8-10 years that most got from that valve...

The 11 years I got from my tissue valve at age 34 passed by VERY quickly. I ended up having 3 surgeries due to bacterial endocarditis requiring a third. I think when you are healthy and fit, your surgery will go well. I remember my first surgeon commented that I was fit and on the thin side...

My reticulocytes are 3.8 now. When first diagnosed in April they were 6.2. I’ll ask about the Aranesp when I see Dr in Sept.

My HGB is now 9.4. Hematologist said if it goes down to 7 then I would be needing transfusions weekly. But, he’s hoping that won’t happen. He added folic acid 1 mg to my regimen. Never mentioned aranesp. I need to ask cardiologist if he wants a TEE in the future. I won’t see him til end of...