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I had bacterial endocarditis in 2003 and I have to admit that it's always in the back of my mind, especially if I am not feeling well for any reason (because the symptoms of BE are the same as so many symptoms of unrelated illnesses). I try to do the things Sarah mentioned to reduce my chances...

I am like a lot of others who was on amiodarone short term after my first surgery. When the surgeon "started me back up" in the OR I immediately went into a-fib so he started me on an intravenous drip. Once out of ICU that was stopped and I was on an oral dose for the rest of my hospital stay...

Gail I'm sorry to hear that you are dealing with A Fib/Flutter. I was in constant A-Flutter for 2 months the summer before my most recent surgery. I went into the hospital after 2 weeks of it (yes I was stupid to wait that long lol). They started to do a cardioversion on me (was totally out with...

I had bacterial endocarditis in the fall of 2003 and it damaged my valve enough that it needed replacing. I too did not have any dental work done but I had a long bout of bronchitis (2+ months) in the summer of 03. Even after my doctors finally cleared that up I still felt unwell and slowly was...

Where I live I would prefer spring (March or April) or fall (October or November) as these are the most temperate months in my location. March and November can be a little chilly here at times but I would prefer that to the heat and humidity we can have in late May or early September. For my...

Between Duke and UNC for valve replacement/repair and/or aorta replacement I would have to say Duke without question and would recommend Donald Glower...Chad Hughes if you have aortic disease in addition to valve issues. If Duke wasn't in the equation I would look at Wake Forest Baptist Medical...

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For anyone who dragged politics into this post...including the original poster...shame on you. That's not what this site is about. If you absolutely had to bring politics into it you should have posted it in small talk. You are discussing whether a man deserves a heart transplant based on his...

My surgeon and cardiologist were both part of Duke Health System so they were in constant contact and could check on everything having to do with me using their linked computer system. Having said that I had a follow up with my surgeon at 4 weeks and with my cardiologist at 3 months. Then...

Just remember Jarno that if your girlfriend in tuned into your heartbeat then be careful about telling her any lies because you now have a built in lie detector and she will be able to hear your heartbeat speed up. :biggrin2: Glad you are recovering well. I had a similar experience after my...

After my first surgery I only experienced this for a short time. I had my 2nd surgery about a year ago and I had my aortic root and ascending aorta replaced and a C-E bovine aortic valve implanted. I have a LOUD pounding heart that is still with me a year later. My normal resting heart rate is...

I had all of my sternal wires removed 6 months after my first surgery. I was fine until I started cardiac rehab and one day when using the "hand pedals" I started having a lot of pain that never went away. A MRI revealed nothing but I insisted that my surgeon take them out and he agreed. After...

Just a suggestion that I didn't use after my first surgery but did after my second surgery is to do things that keep your mind active. Play card games, do crossword puzzle, anything that "exercises" you mind. I had gotten into playing texas holdem online for play chips while waiting for my 2nd...

I have also read that the quality of the filter (the ability to remove the tiniest of air bubbles) is the most important design of the heart-lung machine. I had both of my surgeries at Duke Medical Center and they were at the forefront of using the most advanced filters on the market. I did have...

quoted wrong post and can't find delete button. Maybe I do have pumphead lol.

Yes my cardiologists used my pulse pressure along with everything else when determining my worsening aortic regurgitation. When I had endocarditis I noticed my pulse pressure widening but it didn't really click in my brain until it became advanced. My PCP who was trying to determine why I was...

I have been on a similar drug since my first surgery and still after my 2nd surgery (metoprolol) and it is mainly used to keep the heart rate down. This is more important if you have a tissue valve as the less times your heart beats then theoretically the less wear on the tissue valve. There are...

I will just throw my story in here as an example that the mouth is not the source all endocarditis. I developed a bad case of bronchitis that turned into recurring chronic bronchitis. I went from one broad spectrum antibiotic to another and they could not knock it out. Finally when they added...

I have had two surgeries (so far). The first time i had wires and they used glue for the incision. I had constant pain with the wires even though they could not find a wire that had come loose or broken off. The pain persisted and just over 6 months after surgery I had them all removed and the...

Hi Bob long time no see! I have had the same problem with beta blockers including gerd and colon problems. We didn't go the diuretic route but we did cut the beta blocker (metoprolol) in half and added a small dose of an ace inhibitor (enalapril) and it seemed to help. It didn't completely cure...