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A book that might be helpful to you is "An End to Panic" by Elke Zuercher-White. My local Kaiser uses this as the textbook for its panic support group (which is actually a 4-week course, one evening per week). The book gives detailed steps for learning to deal with panic attacks. It also lists...

Hi Paul, "Stop worrying" is good advice, though easier said than done. It's also helpful to do what you're doing by being here, namely educating yourself. Then if it ever does come to the point where you need surgery, you will know a lot more about what to expect and how people have coped with...

Sounds like you could use a second opinion from a cardiologist with whom you have a better rapport. Agian is right, a cath won't give you the information you need. Maybe a TEE (transesophageal echo) would be more useful. (That's a TOE for those across the pond.) As for shortness of breath, I...

Hi Steve, I also had mitral valve repair. My cardiologist said that the only followup I need is to have my internist listen to my heart once a year to make sure I don't develop a murmur again. No echoes, no EKGs, no regular cardiologist appointments. That said, I went to my internist recently...

That was something I commented on in the sticky thread about things that surprised us after surgery. My chest tube and drain holes were open and draining for about three weeks. I'm sure there was a reason not to suture them, but having to mess with gauze and tape and antiseptic for weeks was...

Hi "Mick," It's really scary to never have had surgery (or at least surgery like this) and then to face it. Fear of the unknown is huge. Logically, you know that the risks are low (especially for someone as young and healthy as you are), that lots of people have gotten through this very well...

This reminds me of a quote that was recently posted on the whiteboard at my gym: "Your body hears everything that your brain thinks. Be positive."

This is a lovely story about the benefit of support forums like this one: https://www.statnews.com/2016/11/30/coming-to-life-after-death/

My stepfather got his mechanical mitral valve 14 years ago at age 76. He turned 90 recently. I'm pretty sure he does not have an On-X valve, and I think, if I'm not mistaken, that his range is 2.5-3.5. He does not self-test but goes to the clinic regularly for INR checks.

It's tempting to treat recovery as a competition to see who can recover the fastest, but that's not a very productive approach. Just make sure you're doing the right things like walking a lot and resting a lot, and consider these few months as an investment in your long-term health. My surgeon...

Steve, thanks for the nice compliment. I too am just an amateur who has done a fair amount of reading and thinking about these topics. My #1 reading recommendation is "Feeling Good" by David Burns. Other books that have been helpful for me are "An End To Panic" by Elke Zuercher-White and...

Heather, the fact that you're aware of the possibility of depression means that you'll be aware enough to do something about it if necessary, so don't worry. "Being positive" is a tricky thing. For some people it means forcing themselves into a sense of obligation to feel good, and feeling bad...

I was only on warfarin for three months right after my surgery, so I don't have a lot of data points, but my cycle was not affected during that time; duration, flow, and interval were all normal for me. The only unusual thing that happened was that I got my period early while still in the...

My boyfriend also gets back pain. In his case it's sciatica caused by muscle spasms, possibly the piriformis muscle. Physical therapy helped him get over the worst of it. He now keeps it at bay by watching his lifting form (no cantilevering!), taking ibuprofen, and resting in what his PT called...

For a list of questions to ask a surgeon, check the excellent "sticky topic" here: http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/forum/pre-surgery/27324-pre-surgery-consultation-list-of-questions

I replaced my toilet with a Toto Drake model, and now I only have to plunge it once a year or so. That might be cheaper than wire-removal surgery :).

Hi Judy bee, My stepfather had mitral valve replacement due to stenosis from having had rheumatic fever as a teenager. Although he was 76 years old at the time of his surgery, he chose a mechanical valve. It has worked out very well for him. He says he can't hear the ticking (and I don't hear...

My incision and procedure were different from yours, EasterRat, but I think the overall impact of OHS (general anesthesia, bypass machine, heart being opened up, etc.) is pretty similar. I felt completely normal in terms of energy level at 5 months after surgery and in terms of aerobic fitness...

I had mitral valve prolapse with flail leaflet and ruptured chordae tendinae and did not experience any chest pain from that. Plenty of other symptoms (mostly shortness of breath) but no chest pain. Of course that's just my personal experience.

steviedee, anxiety can be a big issue. There have been a couple of good discussions on the topic here: http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/forum/post-surgery/853373-post-surgery-anxiety http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/forum/heart-talk/43214-avr-and-anxiety-panic-an-open-discussion...