Search results

Congrats, Steve. This means that mine is just around the corner, as you were a week or so ahead of me!

Glad to see you on the other side, and hear that you are doing well enough to be released. Keep on chugging!

Good news, I asked my HR benefits manager about the Coaguchek, and she says that since it is durable medical equipment it is mine to take with me. Now I just need to buy some extra strips. I generally get mine through the Alere folks, but they send them in bunches of six. I see they are...

Yes, it is official. I have been talking with a company out of Mackay, QLD, for about six months regarding an opportunity with their company. At first I wasn't thinking that it would go anywhere, but after some more in depth discussions it seemed like it might be a good opportunity. My wife...

Amen! I am at just under a year right now, and have had my 1 year checkup just this week. My cardio said the same thing; things look very good, and be aware that you are still in the remodeling phase and will continue to get better for years. Someone might consider making this post a sticky...

I checked this morning, and it was at 2.2. Directionally positive!

I was testing every month, and it was on a monthly check that I was 4.1 and they changed the dose. At that point they put me to every two weeks, and it has gone to 2.4 and then 1.9. I think my changes downward were more due to changes in diet and exercise, so was kind of expecting them. I am...

Agreed, check it out!

My guess is that your INR isn't stable yet for reasons other than the beer. They will look at the number for the INR much more so than if you tell them that you have had more greens, more beer, less exercise, etc. I had a difficult time getting my INR into stable mode after surgery, but then...

I have been bouncing around a bit with my INR due to changes in exercise and travel, and have been testing and changing doses per the INR clinic. The INR clinic I am near seems to follow the Online Coumadin Dosing calculator perfectly, so that is very good. I have been secure with this...

I agree with John. At least from my personal experience and from what I have read, they suggest caths for two primary reasons. First, if the echo wasn't conclusive but pointed to a potential for surgery soon, they will run a cath to visually verify their findings. I think they will also do a...

Good to hear you are doing so well. Thanks for coming back and giving an update.

Morgan, I am sorry you are having issues such as this, and I understand your feelings. I had a hard time dealing with it when I had A-fib following my surgery, and multiple bouts starting and stopping on their own didn't help my frame of mind. It got to the point where I found I was waiting...

Brad, your post reminded me of all the popping that my neck and back did after surgery. I had the same situation as you, with a LOT more popping than before surgery. The good news is that it has since gone away, and come to think of it hasn't been happening for quite some time now. I hope...

Wow, I certainly hope that it doesn't fill up again!

I was started on 75 mg twice daily of metoprolol after surgery, and this was bumped up to 100 mg 2X when I had recurring A-fib. A month or so after the last bout of A-Fib, I was dropped back down to 75 mg twice a day. That lasted for quite some time and then my heart rate started dipping into...

I have read many times that something as serious as open heart surgery is often associated with anxiety or depression. I myself had anxiety following the surgery. As Greg said, rehab worked wonders for me, as well as some very light doses of anxiety medication. If the doctor is prescribing...

Thanks, Lyn. I do recall now that Sean is in the waiting room, and not post-surgery! Thinking back to my personal experiences after having the diagnosis and before the surgery I think my comments still apply, as I was DEFINITELY having anxiety then, although I didn't know it or acknowledge it...

Sean, I think that some of these things are normal post-surgery tweaks, but it is always best to check it out with a true medical professional. My personal history is clouding my thoughts, as I definitely did have anxiety after surgery. I am taking a very light dose of anxiety med now for...

We have three boys, who were 7, 8, and 10 at the time we found out about my surgery. We told them straight out what was going on, and that I had been born with a defective part that was needing to be replaced. I can't say that they completely understood the magnitude of the surgery, but I can...