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Heather Anne, you can see my whole story (in one long thread) by searching for "Norm's story" at the top right. I had two short episodes of SOB, that's it. The first was walking home ~6 blocks from a ride "home" after a hearing, with my laptop and documents etc. in a big backpack. Had to stop...

My "wonky heart rhythms" lasted a long time after my AVR -- over 6 months, IIRC. A tiny touch of AF, but long bouts of ectopic beats, skipped, doubles, unusually slow resting, etc., etc. Now (over 15 months post) I'm going full-tilt at crazy competitive sports and not thinking about it. The...

I think I was on the same dose of Metoprolol for 3 months post-op, and I came off just as my Cardio Rehab class was starting. I was mostly walking before and after then, started jogging later -- and doing much more strenuous things like (2-on-2!) competitive beach volleyball MUCH later. In that...

1 more vote for cardio rehab. Being supervised and surrounded by "similarly situated" people should make you feel safer, and be safer. Also, it isn't obvious that being active -- even hyper-active -- increases your total number of heartbeats per year (not that the total is a good indication of...

I've often advanced the case for waiting for symptoms, mostly because it makes recovery easier psychologically and spiritually. Physically, I think most of the advantages lean toward getting AVR when your numbers are scary, even if you feel great. Me, I postponed several times without symptoms...

Some of us had miserable back and neck pain post-op, and some of us had none, and lots in the middle. I've got no magic cures. I'm surprised that your AVR made your MV regurg worse instead of better, but that's all academic now. The ticking often fades, though many find it stays noticeable for a...

I've been a relatively lonely voice here a few times, pointing out that there are psychological benefits to waiting for symptoms before getting the replacement, and those might balance the added risk of added physical problems for some patients. (Basically, having pre-op symptoms shortens the...

Ju a small point about night sweats IN the hospital: Most hospitals -- and few homeowners -- cover their mattresses with waterproof sheets, for obvious and sensible reasons. As sensible as they are, they are MISERABLE to sleep on! I for one found myself going straight from chilly to sweaty and...

I had the nurse from Hell for my first 12 hours post-op, in CICU. Not rude, inattentive or incompetent, but (1) convinced that the LESS I knew the better(!), and (2) Not just completely humorless, but convinced (trained?) that humor was a Bad Thing! "Joking and smiling(!) have no place in the...

As EL has suggested, there's tape and there's tape! My skin isn't unusually delicate, and I was fine with all the tape at the hospital. But the stuff my Cardiologist's office used for my last Holter was VICIOUS! I tried several tricks (incl baby oil) and I STILL lost a few small pieces of skin...

FWIW, I'm originally from Boston, and frequently visit there and Cape Cod -- esp. Truro, where my Sister lives. In the years before our Dad died at 98, we all got a "tour" of many local hospitals, both acute and rehab. Based on that experience and my Sister's, we are EXTREMELY impressed with...

Oops! I missed your AVR! (I wish that was my most important mistake for the week! ;-) )

Kevin, if those long-gone tubes are making you feel anxious, then feel free to ask for answers, or help, about that. I've pretty much forgotten about my drainage tubes -- and I never saw what they drained INTO, which may be a blessing! But my sternum scar, which has healed 100%, very well, and...

JM, I realize it's been many years since your last HVR, and a few years since your last "procedure". . . but I'd still recommend trying to get into a Cardiac Rehab program. There have been a few recent threads here discussing Rehab, and the vast majority of the folks who did it (including me)...

Works fine in Windoze, just not in iOs on the iPod -- 'cause the video's Flash. Usually the web-site figures out that my iPod doesn't have Flash and pops up a message, but not this time -- maybe because of the "WAIT. . . and override" thingie. Interesting content. I don't think I would have...

So the Doc is new to MVP, not you? On my iPod, your link goes to CTV's SW ON home page, and I couldn't find the video with a search, either.

Just the chest for me, and some thigh/groin "just in case" they had to go in there for an artery or a TEE or something. I think it was more like close clipping than shaving. Nonetheless, the regrowth of the chest hair in and near the incision was one of the more "interesting" parts of the...

I had no idea this condition was at all common after OHS. I know it mostly as a symptom of the dreaded endocarditis, which is even more dreaded for us folk than for average folk. One more reason why endocarditis is so tricky to diagnose, I guess.

Scott, I think you probably have the chest-spasm traumas in the right order, at least on average: cough, sneeze, vomit. Most of us suffer through intentional and accidental/spontaneous coughs in the immediate post-op period, and try like mad to avoid sneezing, which is generally even more...

Back to 2x/wk volleyball now, both flat out. 1.5h court on Tues (4s, 5s, or 6s), ~3h indoor beach on Sat (2s, 3s, & 4s). I just discovered that two of my new 20-something beach-ball buddies/teammates are actually 17 yrs old! Yikes! Wish I'd been that serious about volleyball at that age -- I'd...