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I come from a family full of try natural healing first folk. My mom always makes us hot water (about 6-8 oz) a tbsp of apple cider vinegar and a tbls of raw honey. Lemon juice if you'd like, I prefer it left out. We have those every evening before bed when under the weather (flu, head colds...

Happy belated birthday, Superbob! Let's hope those CR folks let you use the bike. Bad backs are nothing to aggravate! We've been trucking along, things are relatively "normal"...trying to get Mathias' INR under control, it keeps falling and while it is staying within the "protocol" range of...

Hi! My honey is 25 y/o and has had 3 OHS within 10 months. He is 3 months out from his most recent and doing amazing! No one can promise that there wont be bumps in the road or hurdles to jump, but the human body is an incredibly resilient and strong thing, as I'm sure you are aware if you are...

Thanks, Tom. I've been using the kiss temp check technique quite a bit the last couple days :) It works for both of us! I think it's a bug or possibly his acid reflux acting up, but hopefully we are rounding the corner. I like when simple things are the culprit...however with everything that's...

Hi! Just stopping in to say it sounds like you have done your research and have your plan in place for when AVR time comes...which for us was more than half the battle! On-X is what we went with too...The click is very noticeable to me, but Mathias can't hear it and often thinks I'm lying when I...

I didn't think about pancreatitis. But that would explain his symptoms. He vomited yesterday too, and his tummy isn't right this morning either, so he's gonna call his cardio and see if she has any ideas of what he should do. On the other hand, my stomach is also queasy today, so maybe it is a...

Pellicle, that is a gnarly photo!! His incision certainly doesn't look like that at this point. I am really hoping it's just a bug of some sort that will run it's course and hope that I am worrying over nothing. He is pretty tired today and says every time he coughs, he is gagging. We will be in...

Hello! I am curious, for those of you that needed to get sternal wires removed...what prompted the investigation and removal of them? Mathias is having some itching and warmth on one small spot of his incision and we are wondering what it could be...just healing or something festering. It isn't...

A TEE has always been our cardiologist's go-to for imaging. She likes them because it gives you a different angle of attack, and from an internal POV, as opposed to through your chest wall. Before a TEE, I believe you are to be fasting (12 hours or so) since a mild anesthetic is used. You will...

Before both of Mathias' surgeries, he had a cardiac cath at which they did an angiogram--IIRC.The docs said it was to check for narrowing of vessels, plaque build up, and overall heart/valve function. The can catheterize through the wrist or groin, depending on your unique anatomy. Mathias had...

So glad you joined the forum. These people have been a Godsend for me, I still pester them with all kinds of questions and they welcome them with open arms (and sometimes sarcastic remarks, which I love them more for).

Thanks, Tom. Our cardio does support home testing, the chain she works under does not...not even that "call in my results" type. They are close to having a program for it, but for the time being she is unable to write a prescription for the meter and strips. We have located a source for the...

Hi Pellicle! We are currently going to the ACC weekly for testing, I believe they use the CoaguChek XS. I am happy to go to the clinic for now (other than the copay every time) since the testing is as frequent as it should be, but in about a month they are going to back him off to testing once...

Is the Coag-Sense less expensive? Is it the type that comes with a capillary transfer tube? Looking in to buying one as the cardiologist works for a large chain clinic that refuses to allow her to write the prescription for a meter. I believe the clinic we test at now uses the CoaguChek...

Aw, that was the exact opposite of what I was trying to do! However, I like dogs more than people, so I would take it as a compliment..😋

Mathias had been on 2, 81mg n(162mg total) aspirin after his bioprosthetic valve was placed, no anti-acids or stomach coating medications went with it. He never experienced GI upset from it. He has been reduced to one 81mg tablet since his on-x implant in August. This may be an odd suggestion...

It was likely diet. He rarely has his BP rise because of doctors (one of the lucky ones I guess). 124/65 is perfect for him considering it used to run in the 160s/40s before his valve replacement. His cardiologist wants it to remain below 130/80, which he has been aside from the two higher...

Thank you! He took his BP today while I am at work and it was a perfect 124/65. Really put my mind at ease. Though, I don't like it if my being around raised his blood pressure! That could either mean good things or it could mean I aggravate him! 😂 I hope people continue to reply to this...

We have both an auto cuff and I will take it myself with a sphygmomanometer and steth. I haven't done a manual BP on him since discovering the fluctuation, only used the auto cuff. One of the readings was with an auto cuff at the Dr., and one was manual. Not really sure what I should and...

We have considered diet as well, as the last 2 or 3 readings in offices, he had salty food the day before or the day of. I am hoping that's all that was causing the fluctuation. Which is why I am here instead of calling the cardio. I don't think we are at a point where I will call them yet...I...