30 years - 10/25/89

[rafan2011]

Chiming in a little late, but congrats to you! Wishing you many more years of good health!

Thank you

 

[Superman]

Read this because I was just posting my 29th. Congrats! And looks like you’re the youngest I’ve met still ticking away to have started Warfarin in their teens. No record for me then. 15? Must have been a big 15 year old to get your adult sized mechanical valve at that age.

 

[kevanndo]

Read this because I was just posting my 29th. Congrats! And looks like you’re the youngest I’ve met still ticking away to have started Warfarin in their teens. No record for me then. 15? Must have been a big 15 year old to get your adult sized mechanical valve at that age.

My daughter was able to get an adult-sized mechanical mitral valve (On-X 25 mm) when she was ten years old and has been on warfarin since. And she was not a big girl; I think her weight was somewhere between 60-70 pounds.

 

[Superman]

My daughter was able to get an adult-sized mechanical mitral valve (On-X 25 mm) when she was ten years old and has been on warfarin since. And she was not a big girl; I think her weight was somewhere between 60-70 pounds.

That’s awesome! Hope that’s her first and only!

I know they talked about “when” when I was that age, but it was always a goal to be mostly done growing before doing surgery.

 

[Pivotalrex]

Read this because I was just posting my 29th. Congrats! And looks like you’re the youngest I’ve met still ticking away to have started Warfarin in their teens. No record for me then. 15? Must have been a big 15 year old to get your adult sized mechanical valve at that age.

Thanks Superman. I was 5' 11" 181 lbs when I had surgery. 25A-101. They said they actually went a little bigger to accommodate for any addt'l growth. Valve is still fine, the aneurysm will be what gets it replaced though.

Curious how you had yours taken care of with 4.9cm. I think the standards were still at 5.0 cm at that time though. Or was it due to the 2 bulges? They won't touch mine until it's 5.5 cm, and it's been a few yrs since my last CT scan so I might be there now.

 

[Protimenow]

Congratulations Keith! Happy Anniversary.
This is very encouraging since my 20 year old boy had it since last 2 years. I am hoping and praying that carries it on like you. Please share some tips if you could. I will pass it on to him.

Keith - congratulations. (I always wonder about congratulating a person - including myself - for doing little other than maintaining INR, staying alive, and not doing anything particularly remarkable that contributed the the event that you're being congratulated for, but that's another story).
Spanda: I've only had my valve for 28 years, so I may not have as many good tips as those who've carried these things in their chests longer than I have.
I'm not sure about 'tips' for living with a mechanical valve and anticoagulation therapy. One tip - get a meter. Test weekly. Don't make sudden large changes to your dosing. Occasionally get the blood drawn by a reputable lab to assure yourself that there's nothing wrong with your meter or the lab - although I don't get out of my way to get a blood draw.

Try to maintain a fairly consistent diet - it helps to keep the INR stable. Don't eat a lot of greens one day and none the next, for example. Be careful not to do too many high impact activities, where the risk of bruising - on the surface or deeper in the tissues - is good. Don't fall off roofs. Don't fall out of airplanes. Be careful using dangerous tools.

Some say not to lift heavy weights or do things that cause you to 'bear down' to do.

Aside from that - life your life. Don't let the fact that you take warfarin have much impact on your life. And, if you can, enjoy your life - there's no guarantee that you'll have any others.

 

[Superman]

Thanks Superman. I was 5' 11" 181 lbs when I had surgery. 25A-101. They said they actually went a little bigger to accommodate for any addt'l growth. Valve is still fine, the aneurysm will be what gets it replaced though.

Curious how you had yours taken care of with 4.9cm. I think the standards were still at 5.0 cm at that time though. Or was it due to the 2 bulges? They won't touch mine until it's 5.5 cm, and it's been a few yrs since my last CT scan so I might be there now.

Mostly due to the rate of change. I went from normal (around 2.6 cm) to 4.9 cm in a couple years. Didn’t really like were it was heading and didn’t think waiting for a six month check up was wise.

 

[Duffey]

Today is 30 years for my St. Jude Mechanical Valve. Still ticking, not sure how many more years before it gets replaced though,(Ascending Aortic Aneurysm is over 5.0 cm, due for another CT Scan ).

Blood Thinners can still be a pain but wouldn't have gotten this far without them.

Happy Friday!

Keith

Congratulations! Long may you tick!

 

[Catie]

Amazing! I love to hear this.