Search results

The itching may also be hypersensitivity. As Bina said, the muscle and nerve tissues are continuing to heal. Sometimes several weeks after surgery, one can experience itching or pain where earlier there was none. This can be an indicator that the brain is reintegrating these areas. As it...

Before my valve replacement, I suffered severe palpitations and had little energy; walking from my car into the office (200 ft) left me very short of breath. I experienced dizziness and eventually radiating chest pains. Like most of us here, the walls of my left ventricle had begun to thicken...

Hi, Les, and welcome to VR. This is one of those times when knowing one's self can help guide you through a good recovery. Do what you can to stay positive and as you go take control of your recovery. Plan what you are going to do and try to stick to it. Try to walk on a schedule and work at...

I thought I recovered well but in the future I am going to point people to your posts as a shining example of what is possible. It would be very interesting to know why the night sweats take place around 3:00 AM. I can only speculate that it may have something to do with sleep cycles but many...

Walking with the Dog Walking with the Dog Cort, I'm happy to hear you found CR a good experience as did I. Recently, I found I was neglecting my walking so in January I brought home a puppy. Bede is 5 months old now and beginning to walk more than "stop and stroll" saunter of puppy hood...

I had no choice about season but my AVR on the autumnal equinox (22 September) proved to be a wonderful time. The heat of the summer had passed and the days were clear and cool which made walking outside a nice experience. Strangely, I have had pollen allergies in the past but for two years...

Gary, the potential to develop endocarditis following dental work is the same for us all whatever type of valve we have. Since it doesn't sound as though the filling is currently causing you discomfort, you may want to ask your dentist for clarification about the time frame in which he feels...

JCC, welcome to VR. It not uncommon for those of us with valve problems to have multiple issues. I can only tell you what my surgeon said "One surgery is better than two and it is better to operate before it is an emergency." If you trust your surgeon, you already know what you are going to...

Hi, Gary, it sounds as though you have done well so far. By the end of the first month, I, too, found that some cabin fever had set in. Are you planning on attending Cardiac Rehab? I found it to be both a good way to get back into an exercise routine but it also builds your confidence that...

I am afraid that this is not a question many of us can help answer because there are too many variables. It seems likely that your Mother's Nephrologist, Cardiologist, and Cardiac Surgeon working together are the only ones who can balance whether the demands of surgery and recovery are likely...

Tabitha, welcome to our community. I think its important to approach surgery with as positive a mind set as possible, otherwise, one can focus on every small problem and overlook the wonder of having a future again. Surgery is not the terrible thing that is happening to you. Rather, it is...

MT, I have no direct experience with Duke, however, I know that surgeons there conduct research into innovative surgical techniques. The hospital trials for the Talons used to close my sternum were conducted primarily at Duke. To me, this indicates that it is, perhaps, a more forward looking...

Dale, I can only imagine how awful this is for you. At least this is going to be corrected right away. I hope in a few days you are feeling well enough to be back with us and feeling better. Best wishes. Larry

Vadim, you may be experiencing one of the most spectacular recoveries ever if you can walk so far so soon. You should probably be on the poster that encourages people to seek surgery before the symptoms start causing one to feel ill. Hearing from people such as you, must leave a lot of people...

Gary, if you search this site, you will find that many of us have experienced this. At two and a half years, I still experience mild sweating around 3:30 or so in the morning during my sleep. It was much more pronounced during the early months and has been tapering off since then. I think you...

Hypersensitivity Hypersensitivity Several weeks following my AVR, my chest became hypersensitive in a circular area about 9" wide centered on my incision. My family doctor explained that this is a part of the healing process for some people. She said that for some of us, the brain must...

My experience is that Surgeons are generally less impressed with symptoms than they are the extent of damage to the valve and how rapidly it appears to be deteriorating. I, too, found myself in that uncomfortable spot of feeling as though my life was winding down....well, it was winding down...

Gary, things have moved pretty quickly for you. I am glad to read that one of your doctors decided you really needed the heart cath because a stress test would not have provided the necessary information about a stenotic valve. Now you know because someone has looked at it. Whichever valve...

Sarah, this is certainly not a stupid question. It is actually a very important thing to know for anyone with heart issues. The simple answer is that Coumadin/Warfarin is an anti-coagulant. It acts slowly on the liver to decrease the quantity of a few key proteins in blood that normally allow...

The other guys have given you a good idea of what to expect. There are variables, of course, that can prolong or improve one's recovery. Walking as much as you can will help you become more comfortable in the early weeks. At first, you are not going to be doing any racing but after a gentle...