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Eddie, this is probably one of the stupid questions. I can figure out what a condom catheter is--I didn't realize they used any sort of urine catheter for a heart cath. Is that usual, or were you just unlucky? Personally, I don't much look forward to that little thing.

We love hearing good results! It is a real blessing that things can go a little wrong during the process and yet still turn out great.

Thanks, all. The OHS was never off. It is set for July 6. The cath thing is just a bump in the road. Eddie, the bills for this stuff are incredible. I had no idea a cath would run that much. The good news is that my out of pocket annual max will be eaten up pretty soon, and the rest is...

Neither the surgeon nor my primary doc are concerned about the lymph nodes, so I guess I'm not concerned. The primary didn't understand why you would biopsy normal sized lymph nodes. The surgeon told me that if they weren't enlarged, he wouldn't be concerned. He did say he would biopsy some...

Dj, you have the unfortunate dilemma many of us have. I'm 57 and have a bicuspid valve. You mentioned "fitness running" which suggests you are a somewhat more serious runner. In my younger years, I was a serious recreational runner, including several marathons in the 3:20 range. As I grew...

What Ross said. The local cardio looked at my echo and told me to come back in 6 months, but did recommend I start thinking about surgery sometime in the 6 month to 2 year window. The surgeon ordered a CT scan and discovered that my ascending aorta was at a very dangerous size; according to...

Sean, it is hard to know. The tech who did my last echo is a serious, macho road bike rider. I, on the other hand, am a 57 year old semi serious and not very macho road bike rider. The tech guy rides at about 25 mph when he's cooking and I, until my little valve issue, could ride at maybe 18...

I think working out is something you either love or don't love. I love it. Having this silly condition crimps my workouts, but the docs tell me it will be fine. Find something you like. Whether it is walking, jogging or riding a bike, it takes a while to get there. An old running book I had...

On May 10, I had a CT scan at Shands to check on my aortic root and ascending aorta. The aorta is at 5 cm and I am scheduled for surgery to fix that, the root, my bicuspid valve (now at 1cm) and a maze procedure to take care of an old afib problem. My local cardiologist finally called me about...

Excellent news. Your son has been in my prayers ever since this came up. Be sure and let us know when he doesn't need prayers, or at least not for this little bump in the road.

Daniel, by the time you read this, you'll be well on your way to full recovery. Cograts! I can't wait to join you on that side of the mountain.

I like hearing good stories!! Thanks. And continued blessings to your husband.

How do they expect you to plan the other things in your life that are important? All this is very difficult, but hang in there, it will soon be a memory.

Wow, and I feel sorry for myself sometimes! Lyn, your kid has to be one of the bravest 19 years olds I've ever heard of. He is taking all of this much better than I would and I'm exactly 3 times older than him. God has blessed you with a child full of wisdom and courage. The time will come...

And today is a good day! Thanks for all the encouragement. It seems like it doesn't take much to push one over the edge in this pre-surgery mode, and it is probably the same post surgery. I think 3 independent factors contributed to it being a bad day. I was tired from doing yard work...

Some days are difficult. This was one of them. Even though I don't have any real major symptoms like so many of you have, I can't do the things I normally like to do. Work is difficult because I have a hard time focusing. I was kind of mean to my wife when we were walking the dogs, and it...

Dan, I'm 57 and looking at the same procedures on July 6. How small is your valve and how big is your ascending aorta? There are surgical guidelines out there. The local heart surgeons scare me. I'm in the Palm Beach County, Florida, area. A number of them do these surgeries and treat them...

I'm not on the other side yet, so I can't compare pre and post. But in Mid April, I did a 150 mile bike ride over 2 days, 75 miles per day. We knew the aortic valve was down to 1 cm, but without symptoms, it seemed safe enough. Then about 3 weeks ago, I consulted with a surgeon who had a...

That is a tough question! Probably if you can run 3 miles, it isn't too bad. Check the AHA/ACC guidelines. Anywhere below 1 cm is where they say you will start having symptoms. Also, is your aorta okay? My BAV was at 1 cm on a March 15 echo. I emailed the echo to a surgeon at Shands at UF...

Sounds like he may be past the worst. I'll keep him and you in my prayers.