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No sense of time passing, but I do remember being super-out of it as I woke up. The feeling was somewhat similar to having had a really bad night's sleep while also having been run over by a truck. Or something like that.

@RD: I agree with all the active people here who have had a mechanical valve replacement. I also have a pacemaker. I had my second surgery to replace a tissue valve with a mechanical valve just over 6 months ago. I lift weights, swim, do martial arts, am completing SCUBA certification, am at a...

@bdryer: I drank the On-X koolaid and have been pretty happy with the results. It has gotten pretty quiet, I'm happy with the way it handles fluctuations in my INR (no strokes yet, so I'm happy ;) Being on wafarin is no big deal, I'm back in the pool and the gym and doing better than ever. Good...

I *was* on 5mg lisinopril for about 4 months post-op from my second OHS and started getting the dry cough, as well as tightness in my throat and chest. Originally was taken off my beta blocker because of other side effects, and my doc was hoping the chest and throat tightness would go away as a...

I have to limit myself to only 1 diet or ("light" for those in the Commonwealth ;) coke a day. More than that and I get antsy and my HR jacks up (esp now I'm off the beta blocker). Have known for a while now to stay away from the "energy" drinks....

@Scott.eitman; not to cause too much thread drift, but as a second OHS patient myself, I totally agree as to the second surgery and recovery being not fun. I'm doing well now, enjoying rehabbing and was glad I did tissue originally, but there is no way I want to go through another OHS. Ever...

Hi Olive. I had an On-X valve as part of my second OHS in June this year. Definitely had elevated HR in hospital post-op (120 bpm+), and they had me on bystolic (a beta-blocker) and digoxin to bring it down. It is 4 and a half months now post-op, and I just got off the beta-blocker, (was off of...

@ RobThat'sMe: true as to there being "a single rule" as to post-op activity. I totally agree. At the same time, I am pretty interested in people with similar conditions and issues and their approaches to rehab and am curious if there is any consistent approaches to rehab that seem to be...

@ MarkU , interesting, and this seems to be something I've heard from a number of people in conversation where 12-15 reps (or more) with a weight you can manage comfortably being used a rule of thumb @Duff Man: I've heard something similar too, in the context of having Marfan's or a variant of...

I've done a search and looked through old threads; lots of good info here already, just wondering if there is anything new that people who've been through this have been told/discovered, and given there's an MD posting here now too, just curious on his thoughts since he appears to be relatively...

....or others who have a mechanical valve and are active post-op. Although I understand why we should avoid lifting very heavy at the gym even years after post-op, but given the well documented benefits of maintaining muscle mass as we age, as well as the cardiovascular benefits of weight...

That's stressful to say the least. You have a great attitude though. I actually ended up bumping someone from their surgery in the afternoon; instead of the 6 am to 11am slot I ended up keeping my surgery team busy all day: they finally got me stable and into recovery sometime in the evening (I...

The time between my initial diagnosis of BAV and surgery was so short that there wasn't much time for feeling doom although I was probably more in shock than anything else. After the first surgery my cardiologist said I'd be depressed a few weeks after the surgery, and sure enough it hit me...

Be careful with OTC meds; even something is safe to take with wafarin, it may not be safe to take with other medications you are on or with other issues like hypertension, etc. Check with your doctor first.

Hi clydesdale. I have an On-X valve as part of my second OHS and am 4 months post-op and doing great. Some small issues with getting my INR stable, but otherwise in good health and getting back rapidly into full activity. Good luck and hope things go well for you! Keep us updated on all the...

Interesting paper you linked to doc; it was interesting to read about modern aortic valves, and different therapeutic INR levels relative to older valve designs as well as the use of aspirin concomitant with coumadin/wafarin. This is pretty much in keeping with what my surgeon and cardiologist...

I have a pacemaker since 2004, and have another few years left on the battery. I am only minimally dependent on the pacer, but it made a huge difference. I swim and exercise regularly, and have a resting HR around 60 bpm, and can go up to 160 bpm+ if needed. No real impact on lifestyle...

I'm not a cyclist, but, assuming you are relatively complication free and things heal up as they should, a timeframe of 12-18 months doesn't sounds ridiculous at all. There was a patient with a mitral valve (still had OHS) that did a triathlon within a year post-op. It is the first pdf at this...

Almost 4 months post-op, and I have to say the last month, month and half have been great. Had a lot of post-op issues, fluid in the lungs, Dressler's syndrome (NOT fun) and am still dealing with left arm/shoulder/back issues from being folded up like origami in the OR for so long (was in the OR...

I have had both a tissue and most recently a mechanical valve. I was very glad I had the tissue valve and do not regret having it at all. That being said, I am happy that I went mechanical this time. Family concerns were a big part of this as well. Although getting my INR levels to where they...