johnnycake23
Two-time AVR Vet
Hello all,
Today is my two year anniversary with my new tissue valve. Obviously I'm glad I'm still here but it was a much harder recovery the second time around. I was not feeling "new" again until a year and a half later, which was much longer than the first time, when it was "only" a repair job and I was in my twenties. But the truth is I was having a hard go of it for at least 18 months post-op. My latest check up showed normal bp, and the valve is holding up; no leaks or murmurs.
I guess the biggest change for me is that I no longer play hockey. I was not given that specific restriction but I am now a bit apprehensive to go out there again; I worry something bad will happen if I exert myself too much. The most I do these days is go for long walks. It's hardly the same thrill.
The good news - besides being here to type this, of course - is in that time I got married to a great chick, and I enjoy every day as much as I can. And who knows, maybe I'll get back out on the ice someday after all.
Thanks to everyone who takes the time out of their days to give support and comfort. I lurk a lot more than I write and I think it's great there are those who contribute.
If there's some wisdom I can give here it's to those who are recent post-ops who are not recovering as fast as they'd like. Don't be discouraged if you're not one of those Doing-Great-After-2-Weeks stories. It may take longer; it varies for everyone. Hang in there and eventually you'll be fully recovered.
For myself, I hope to be around long enough to see the Cubs win the World Series. Given their history, it better be a damn strong valve
All the best to everyone.
Today is my two year anniversary with my new tissue valve. Obviously I'm glad I'm still here but it was a much harder recovery the second time around. I was not feeling "new" again until a year and a half later, which was much longer than the first time, when it was "only" a repair job and I was in my twenties. But the truth is I was having a hard go of it for at least 18 months post-op. My latest check up showed normal bp, and the valve is holding up; no leaks or murmurs.
I guess the biggest change for me is that I no longer play hockey. I was not given that specific restriction but I am now a bit apprehensive to go out there again; I worry something bad will happen if I exert myself too much. The most I do these days is go for long walks. It's hardly the same thrill.
The good news - besides being here to type this, of course - is in that time I got married to a great chick, and I enjoy every day as much as I can. And who knows, maybe I'll get back out on the ice someday after all.
Thanks to everyone who takes the time out of their days to give support and comfort. I lurk a lot more than I write and I think it's great there are those who contribute.
If there's some wisdom I can give here it's to those who are recent post-ops who are not recovering as fast as they'd like. Don't be discouraged if you're not one of those Doing-Great-After-2-Weeks stories. It may take longer; it varies for everyone. Hang in there and eventually you'll be fully recovered.
For myself, I hope to be around long enough to see the Cubs win the World Series. Given their history, it better be a damn strong valve
All the best to everyone.
