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Today’s the one year anniversary of my valve replacement. I’m feeling good! Still running, biking, doing online exercise classes, etc.

I did, too! I got them every few weeks with headache in my late teens and early twenties, aura with no headache every few months till age 49, and then almost constantly (no headache) right after surgery. Since then, they’ve gone back to once every few months, no headache. I used to treat them...

Yes, the hospital where I had my surgery is about a mile from my home in San Francisco. My parents were visiting from New York State to help with my recovery, and January 11th is my mother’s birthday. I’m glad to hear your most recent appointment went so well!

Same day! 🙌

Just shy of 9 months for me — January 7, 2020. Feeling really good almost all the time — my activity level is back to what it was pre-surgery: running, biking, Bollywood dance classes, etc. No pain, but occasional awareness after exercise that there’s a scar at the site of my mini-sternotomy. I...

I ran about a 20’30” 5K when I was in my early 40s. I’m 49 now, almost 50, and I haven’t done any races since my AVR in January of this year, because global pandemic, but my training times don’t seem any slower than just before surgery. I’ve run a couple sub-25 minute 5Ks without working too...

Yeah! Dr. Egrie did a good job.

The guys in those two pictures look remarkably similar to each other, as if it’s the same dude at ~30, then ~75. But that can’t be, because the young guy has a modern hairstyle and modern clothing. Father and son stock photo models?

3 inch scar from January, 2020 mini-sternotomy for AVR, visibility partially obstructed by fur.

Ha ha — probably not just after the AFib. We’ll see how I feel in six months or a year.

Best wishes to you, Athens — hoping all goes well!

I’m not going cold turkey. If someone opened up a really nice bottle of wine, I’d still have, say, a third of a glass. But I’ll avoid drinking enough alcohol to feel it’s effects.

Unfortunately, I had an episode of AFib early morning on Sunday, July 26. It resolved on its own by 7am. My cardiologist thinks, and I agree, that it was probably caused by reducing my dose of Carvedilol from 6.25mg twice a day to 3.125mg twice a day. We went back to the 6.25mg twice a day...

I think I feel the same effect you’re talking about, six months out. I just figured it was normal for a mechanical valve. Actually, I think I did bring it up with my cardiologist early on, and he said my heart sounded normal for one with a mechanical valve, including when I take deep breaths.

Yes, I did! 😀🍻

I don't remember. Maybe he thought it could contribute to the possibility of a recurrence. At any rate, the gist of my post was simply, "I like beer, and I might get to have some soon!" BTW, I did have a beer Friday night, and it was delicious.

After my two episodes of atrial flutter back in late January, my cardiologist told me I needed to cut out alcohol entirely, and I’ve been a teetotaler since then. At my last appointment, he told me, “Maybe this summer,” I could have a beer. Tonight, I told my wife that if I’m cleared to have a...

Also, I'm gradually ramping up my vitamin K intake, increasing it by 25 micrograms/day every time I self-test. I'm currently at 175 micrograms/day, and I intend to get back to eating big kale salads before too long. With regard to regular vitamin K intake, my wife gave me an idea, passed along...

Here's a detailed notice from BMS (PDF): https://www.bms.com/assets/bms/ca/documents/productmonograph/CANADA-Coumadin-deletion_D-HCP-Communication_FINAL_EN_04.23.2020.pdf

I went to the BMS site to look up the vitamin K content of some food -- something I couldn't find in the USDA's Food Central database, and I saw this alert: IMPORTANT ALERT: COUMADIN (warfarin sodium) is being discontinued in the U.S. Inventory may still be available at your pharmacy. If you...