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I'll WI Tomorrow or Monday, as that is my WW day. Starvation seems to have helped a little bit, but I'm leaving 4 to 6 points on the table every day to have any effect. The scale has crept downwards by a pound or 2 over the last 2 weeks, but all the celery and carrots dropped my INR and I had to...

Ugh. I can't seem to lose no matter how hard I try. I'm stuck at 148. 2 years ago I was 132!!! I've given up chocolate, alcohol, cheese, and now I've cut down on carbs and beef. Eating my daily WW points plus activity points didn't work. That's how I gained the weight in the first place...

He's an ANAL surgeon, not a cardiologist. Certainly not a valve specialist, and he's NOT CERTIFIED IN ANTICOAGULATION THERAPY. He's certified in butt holes. And you don't want to be that 1%. Nor does YOUR cardiologist have to be on staff at this hospital for you to insist that they consult with...

As a general rule, when your INR drops below 2.0 you are supposed to use lovenox to bridge. Of course, lovenox causes more uncontrolled bleeding than coumadin. With a mechanical valve, as little as 3 days without anticoagulation can cause a stroke. I know you've had a bleed, but blood cells can...

youngmom, You can eat anything you want to on warfarin/coumadin. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise (just nod your head and roll your eyes at their ignorance - I remember a co-worker who was told and believed he couldn't even eat iceberg lettuce while on warfarin). Ideally, your intake week...

I refuse to get on the scale after a weekend at Caddo Lake with 2 other couples and 5 total retrievers (who never got in the water b/c of alligators!). Coldcuts and chips are bad for my diet. It doesn't seem to matter how hard I work, I'm not losing. I'll lose a pound or two, then I pop back up...

I had an itchy scar at the base. I put a silicone strip (scar treatment) on it for several months as a cushion. Maybe that would help?

My rule on drinking is, if I'm too high out of range, no wine with dinner for a day or two (along with whatever adjustments are required). If I'm too low out of range, gee, have wine with LUNCH! And Dinner! Seriously, 1-2 glasses of wine per day is ok. Equivalent beer is ok. But Watch Out if...

Andrea, There are lots of surgeons in Dallas area who are advertizing use of the DaVinci, but not all for heart surgery. My aortic valve surgery was done by William Ryan, who's at Baylor Plano - The Heart Hospital. I know Baylor Plano has the DaVinci, so you might want to start with Dr. Ryan...

My first OHS was also near-emergent. Like you, I could not carry on a conversation for having to stop and gasp for air in the middle of each sentence. And cough, and no sleep. After my MVR I went into v-tach and had to be cardio-verted (I had an external pacemaker in place, so I assume they...

Yes, it's quackery. "http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/chelation.html"

I had a second operation, but it was for a different valve! My initial MVP diagnosis was delayed, resulting in lots of damage to my heart. At my first post MVR checkup I found out I would probably require a second replacement - my aortic valve. Then the strain of the pacer/ICD wires made the...

I understand! I was coughing so much before my MVR that I couldn't speak a full sentence without gasping for air. Sing? no way. I well remember the first time after my MVR surgery that I caught myself singing with the radio. Answer: probably about 6 weeks if you are as bad off as I was, and IF...

Somehow I doubt I can do much harm. My exercise schedule runs 30 minutes on the elliptical 4 days/week, yoga 1 day/ week at 5 a.m. 1 mile walk at lunchtime, then in the evening 1 hour yoga class once per week, and probably 2 extra evening walks per week (since DH is walking Miss Jet the retired...

Sorry I'm MIA, but we are busy at work, and I am disgusted with my weight (147, up from 134 2 years ago). I know 2 cruises in 9 months don't help, but seriously, if I shake off 3 lbs, it comes right back. I can't exercise any more (2-3 times per day is plenty, thank you), and it is very hard to...

My husband had the same issue with statins. He tried two. It took weeks for the pain to stop. It's just not worth it, especially since his high cholesterol is genetic, not dietary.

If you buy direct from Philips or Roche, make sure you tell them you want an outright purchase. And buy your own strips. Don't let them suck you into a lease/supervision plan. If you do, they'll charge your insurance, and you'll burn up your deductible every year before insurance pays a dime...

Well, I'm not a doctor. I went with mechanical because it lasts longer and minimizes additional surgeries. And I was past child-bearing. But if you want more children, a tissue valve is a better choice until after you are done having your family, although it means a replacement with another...

You should be followed very closely by your doctor. Yours would be a "high risk" pregnancy here in the states. You might want to find the forum for congenital heart defects, and post there. You are very special, and no two people with CHD are alike, from what I hear tell. However, IMHO, with...

Sounds like you're going to be a double valver, like me. I would say get it done now. You'll only get worse, and the recovery is worse the more ill you are. Been there, done that (though the delay was from misdiagnosis, not by choice). More delay means more heart damage, more risk of a-fib and...