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Body Acoustics & Restrictions Body Acoustics & Restrictions Body acoustics vary among individuals so it's hard to predict what kind of noise your mechanical valve and aortic graft will make. My aortic valve was replaced and an aortic graft was done in March of 2007. Noise really doesn't...

Surgeon? Surgeon? Interesting... your surgeon wants to do a follow-up with you at one year post-op? Mine turned be completely back over to my cardiologist after a couple of months. -Philip

Settling Down? Settling Down? It does take a while for things to settle down after OHS. Your body is pretty traumatized by what it's been through. Give it some time to adjust. -Philip

Stable? Stable? My INR typically fluctuates within my range and I really don't consider it unstable. Fluctuation for me is usually related to my metabolic rate. Exercise and general stress factors usually account for the fluctuations. -Philip

Opposite? Opposite? I'm the opposite of Rob... my exercise program revolves around heart rate performance zones and how much time I spend in the different zones. I worry less about distance. Never done a surf ski... my yak is a Greenland style boat. Hope to spend some time paddling in San...

Authorization? Authorization? Give some thought to changing doctors. There are probably other doctors who will be more responsive to your husband's needs. -Philip

Disconnect? Disconnect? Interesting... I assume you're paddling a surf ski or sea yak. It will be really interesting to see your progress as you move through rehab and get back into serious paddling mode. Keep us posted. -Philip

Teaching Hospital? Teaching Hospital? Opinions vary and others are entitled to think what they want, but I wanted nothing to do with having AVR surgery at a "teaching hospital." I was perfectly happy to let students "practice" medicine on someone else. I wanted pros who weren't being...

Remember? Remember? "Remember the good times, don't worry about the bad times, and take each day with stride..." Good advice, but terribly difficult to practice when you're faced with situations like this. Hang in there! -Philip

Disconnect? Disconnect? Okay, if you're working just as hard and going just as fast as you were pre-op and your heart rate isn't as high, where's the disconnect? Is it possible that your heart rate isn't as high because your heart is now working more efficiently? -Philip

Juice? Juice? Blackberry juice comes from blackberries right? Of course, us coumadin junkies are fragile and aren't supposed to drink alcohol, and must make sure we consistently eat the same amount of veggies every day... sorry, about the sarcasm. Blackberry wine... I might have to try that...

Dosing? Dosing? For what it's worth, even on those rare occasions when I swing out of my range on the high side, I don't ever hold a dose. Simply reducing my dosage brings me back into range with little fuss. Of course, I do my own management and don't run my results past a nurse or doctor...

More Misconceptions More Misconceptions First, as far as I'm concerned there are no bad choices when picking a valve which is going to save your life. Second, this said, at least make sure you're making your choice based upon fact rather than misconceptions. I eat what I want; when I want. I...

Like many others, I take coumadin and 81 mg aspirin nightly. I've never experienced any issues. I've never been much of a believer in over the counter meds. If my cardiologist hadn't told me to take the 81 mg aspirin, I wouldn't do that. The old family cure for a cold my grandfather always...

Max HR following AVR Max HR following AVR Your cardiologist is the best resource for outlining a rehab program for you following AVR surgery. It seems that a large number of folks here report a recovery period of six to eight weeks following surgery before starting a rehab program. I was an...

Fatigue? Fatigue? Nope, light fatigue from coumadin isn't anything I've ever experienced. I've never heard of anyone else having issues with coumadin causing fatigue. -Philip

Royal Pain? Royal Pain? Royal pain??? Perspectives obviously vary, but I've never felt coumadin presented any difficuties at all. It amounts to taking a pill or two every day and sticking my finger once a week. I guess the weekly finger stick gives me some pain, but that's about it. It sounds...

Choices? Choices? The information provided by others is good stuff. Valve choice is a frequent topic here as everone wants to make sure to get things right when replacement is due. My St. Jude Masters Series valve has been working just fine since it was implanted in March 2007. Like others...

Weight Loss Weight Loss Weight loss after OHS seems to be pretty common. I lost a bunch. None of my clothes fit after surgery; everything was too big. After my surgery, I did offer weight loss advice to a group of teachers who were trying to lose weight. Some how, none of them seemed to think...

Dizzy? Dizzy? I had problems with getting dizzy after being hit by a vehicle back in June 2009. The condition was related to head trauma getting things in my inner ear stirred-up. My problem had nothing to do with any heart problems. If your regular doctor or cardiologist can't figure-out...