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Last week I had to spend two days in the hospital getting IV antibiotics for appendicitis. Due to COVID-19 protocols, no visitors were allowed either in the Emergency Department or in the hospital, so I was on my own. But the nurses and other staff were so nice and took such good care of me that...

That's YAG, yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser. It's used to perform a "capsulotomy" to clear a "secondary cataract," officially known as "posterior capsular opacification." Apparently that occurs in around half of cataract surgery patients, sometimes years later. Nd:YAG Laser Posterior Capsulotomy...

That brings back memories! I didn't hang out on rec.photo, but I spent many pleasant hours reading forums like rec.arts.sf.written and rec.humor.funny. There were plenty of ways to waste time on the Internet even before the likes of Twitter and YouTube.

For some reason, whenever I see the acronym BAV here, I think "Bad-Ass Valve."

I had never had any surgery except wisdom teeth before my heart surgery either. It's a pretty world-shaking concept. But you are obviously well-prepared, and you can look forward to joining the club of the many people whose surgery is in the past and who are healthier than before. As the saying...

Here's a pinned thread with a list of questions (sorry, this is probably a little too late for you, but maybe you'll get another change to ask your surgeon): Pre-surgery consultation - list of questions

The SF author John Scalzi, who has made a similar journey from poverty to being well-off, wrote an essay called "Being Poor" which describes this struggle vividly.

I woke up with the tube in, and I knew from this forum that it would feel like breathing through a straw, so that helped me to stay calm and relaxed. I could hear the rhythm of the machine and could tell when a breath was coming in, so I was able to help it a little by timing my own breathing...

Mitral valve repair is more common than replacement and usually has excellent outcomes. Repair is commonly done via a minimally invasive incision, though the surgery is still major and requires time on the heart-lung bypass machine. I don't know much about the MitraClip. I can understand the...

I have read that people's hair tends to fall out about three months after they go through a period of great stress. The phenomenon is explained here: Telogen Effluvium.

Interesting blog post here, by a family physician who has experience with patients on warfarin: Three Challenges in the Art of Prescribing Warfarin He makes the same point I've seen Pellicle and others make here about avoiding overcorrection.

Great question. I wish I had asked about how much heart rate variability is normal. A week after I got home I noticed some "skipped" beats (PACs or PVCs) and ended up going in to the emergency department. The emergency doctor checked with the on-call cardiologist and told me this was considered...

My chest tube and drain tube holes were open and "weeping" for nearly three weeks, though I don't recall any scabs. The home health nurse that Kaiser sent occasionally to check on me provided betadine swabs, gauze, and surgical tape. I swabbed the area and replaced the gauze and tape twice a...

Welcome! You've found a good place. If you haven't found them yet, there are some very useful sticky threads on what questions to ask your doctor, what to take to the hospital, and what things have surprised people about their surgeries. For my part, I also found it helpful to go back through...

173 minutes on the bypass machine for me. Zero pump head.

Definitely ask for something if you feel the need. I was given (without having to ask) Versed and fentanyl for several procedures, including my cardiac catheterization and two cataract surgeries, and I believe it helped a lot. I was able to cope easily even though I tend to get very anxious in...

Hi Amy, As you probably saw me mention in another thread, I used a shower seat at home for the first few weeks. I also bought a home blood pressure cuff and a bathroom scale. (My cardiologist had me taking my blood pressure twice a day and recording it for the first couple of months. I haven't...

Adam Pick has posted a link on Twitter to a short interview by one of the authors of a recent paper entitled Asymptomatic degenerative mitral regurgitation repair: Validating guidelines for early intervention. The interview link is here: Patient Research Alert: Is Early Surgery Recommended for...

I feel exactly the same as before. My mitral regurgitation didn't give me any issues or perceptible symptoms until a couple of months before the surgery. So I wasn't coming back from a decline, really. It's interesting to see the ranges of recovery experiences here on the forum. I was in...

I guess it depends on your definition of "fully recover." I was back to work and normal activities much sooner than six months, including playing clarinet and tuba and lifting weights at the gym. However, I didn't feel I had fully recovered until my energy level was completely back to normal and...