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Black Tea? Black Tea? I drink black tea and green tea. Others are free to subscribe to limiting what they eat and drink due to concerns about the impacts of different foods and beverages on INR. I simply prefer to monitor my INR and make adjustments on my coumadin dosage to stay within range...

Tired? Tired? Welcome back... keep working through things. Things will get better. -Philip

Freakout? Freakout? OHS is a major trauma. My recovery and engagement in rehab work was much easier than many others report, but things still hurt. The surgery typically requires that bones be flexed in directions they aren't designed to be bent in... that's not a trauma one's body forgets for...

Post-op Activities Post-op Activities I returned to work on a half day basis immediately after my release from the hospital and full days during the week after that. I did a lot of exercise (walking). My cardiologists dropped me into a rehab program at two weeks post-op to have my quick...

Sex... yes, please! Sex... yes, please! I tried to talk my wife into having sex while I was still in the hospital, but she was concerned that the nursing staff would interrupt things. I had to wait until I got home. It was less than a week post-op... not soon enough. -Philip

Side Effects Side Effects Didn't they tell you that growing man ****s was one of the little publicized benefits of having OHS? (Just kidding, of course) -Philip

Disclosure Disclosure "How much higher would my premiums be if I disclose my condition?" You've got to be kidding. This is the wrong question. It should be something along the lines of, "How much will it cost me if I don't disclose, receive benefits and the insurance company discovers my...

Work Work Recovery & rehab is different for everyone. I returned to work on a half day basis the week following my surgery. Basically, I took the week of my surgery off. Following my week of half days, I was back full days the week after that. I really liked my job and it undoubtedly kept me...

Night Sweats Night Sweats The night sweat thing is pretty common in the weeks, sometimes months after surgery. I think it's the body's way of getting rid of some of the chemical stuff they use during OHS. -Philip

Success? Success? Sounds like another success story in progress... Love the pillow! Hang in there and keep smiling! -Philip

Reality Check? Reality Check? People are certainly entitled to their opinions, but I often wonder where some of these opinions come from. Is it first hand experience that makes us wise or what we hear and believe from others. I've heard criticism of the "nationalized" or "socialized" health...

Pragmatic? Pragmatic? Costs associated with cardiac procedures and operations have spiraled upwards. Personally, I've had the misfortune of receiving pretty lousy insurance coverage from employers on more than one occasion. When I was in my twenties, I had to default on a $2,000.00 bill I...

AVR Experience AVR Experience It sounds like you've got your mindset adjusted and are ready to go! Experiences do vary among members. My AVR surgery and recovery time in the hospital were pretty easy. The hospital I was in referred to the unit I was placed in immediately after surgery as its...

Active Lifestyle Active Lifestyle As others have noted there are excellent options on both sides of the valve selection issue. I opted for a mechanical despite the fact that my diet is random and I pursue an active lifestyle. Developing a brain bleed after getting hit in the head with a...

Hans? Hans? Welcome back Clement. It's good to hear you're on the road to recovery. Things will get better. BTW, who's Hans? I think you meant Hank in your reference to the creator of the website. -Philip

Pain Pain Constant sharp pain? Sounds like a trip to get checked-out by a doctor is in order. If the pain is constant and sharp, sooner would be better than later. -Philip

Worries? Worries? Hi Eloise, Welcome! I'm glad you have your surgery scheduled and are taking things day-by-day as it approaches. I think most of us have faced the same kind of fears and uncertainties you are dealing with. When I had my AVR surgery back in 2007, I didn't have two kids to...

Sensitive? Sensitive? Keep in mind that you're roughly only around six months post-op. As you engage in workouts like running, you're probably still doing some remodeling work on your heart. Even though I'm approaching the four year anniversary of my AVR surgery this spring, I still notice...

Rolling Veins? Rolling Veins? My veins are rather large and don't roll. Despite this, the lab techs at the small mountain hospital in the community I was living in couldn't manage to get a clean hit on a vein to save their lives. Often it would take them six tries. I'll take a finger prick...

Longevity? Longevity? Just out of curiosity, do we have any members who've managed to get 12+ years of service life from a tissue valve? I've seen many posts from members who've experienced having their tissue valves fail within a few years and I've seen lots of discussion about research...