47 year anniversary

[perrybucsdad]

I was looking at my calendar this morning and I completely missed that yesterday was the 47th anniversary for my first open heart surgery. I was born with a coarctation (CoART) and a bicuspid valve, and 47 years ago, when I was 8, they did the CoART repair ( end-to-end anastomosis).

The one thing I really appreciated about that surgery back then was when you are 8, they can go in from the side, spread your ribs a little with a rib spreader, and not have to cut any bone. When I had my valve replacement in 1997, they had to cut the sternum, was the one part that hurt the most afterward.

As far as the CoART repair, as of my last echo, they said it all looked good.

 

[Chuck C]

That's a great milestone!

The one thing I really appreciated about that surgery back then was when you are 8, they can go in from the side, spread your ribs a little with a rip spreader

Interesting.

 

[carolinemc]

I was looking at my calendar this morning and I completely missed that yesterday was the 47th anniversary for my first open heart surgery. I was born with a coarctation (CoART) and a bicuspid valve, and 47 years ago, when I was 8, they did the CoART repair ( end-to-end anastomosis).

The one thing I really appreciated about that surgery back then was when you are 8, they can go in from the side, spread your ribs a little with a rib spreader, and not have to cut any bone. When I had my valve replacement in 1997, they had to cut the sternum, was the one part that hurt the most afterward.

As far as the CoART repair, as of my last echo, they said it all looked good.

I can't forget mine surgery at 8 years old, was Halloween, the same week, on Halloween watched the Sonny and Cher show, Halloween special. And was in ICU for a week. It was in 1973. Repair bypass at that time. Years later at 36 years old, have the valve replacement in 2001, over a year after losing my mother to RA that developed Leukemia.

 

[vitdoc]

I just thought about my own experience. My first surgery also was 47 yrs ago. So congratulations to both of us. I was 29 at the time.

 

[treichert0312]

Sheesh you guys are so old! But then I check the calendar - 45 years since my first OHS. Full sternotomy for the sub aortic stenosis. Also a Halloween thing - maybe the 29th? I think there was extra fluid and they may have opened me up second time before I was awake, but that was good until porcine replacement of BAV in ‘14 (they tried bovine first, doc did not like the performance so got the porcine in there.) then I broke the porcine in 22 and went full on mechanical. Was signed up for the Eliquis trial to avoid the rat poison, but they cancelled the trial when I was supposed to start. Now, I really like my warfarin and am thrilled that there are no issues with it.

 

[Art O Ceitinn]

57 years ago I had my first OHS coarctation of the aorta. The surgeon offered me the choice of opening up from the side or front. As I was a 14 year old taking an interest in the opposite sex I went for the side.

 

[Protimenow]

Warfarin may have been used in large amounts to kill rats (making them, essentially, stop clotting and bleed to death internally). Thankfully, it's been discontinued because of the effects that warfarin has had up the food chain. There are newer ways to kill rats -- one apparently turns off the signal to the rat's brain telling it to drink water, and the critter essentially dries to death?

If other medications were as cheap to make, I bet that they, too, can be used to kill rodents. High doses of beta blockers, or anything that messes with our hearts can also probably be used as effectively (or even more effectively) than warfarin -- if these were being used, would we also call them rat poison?

If a generic elequis ever becomes available, wouldn't it be equally effective at killing rats?

Calling warfarin 'rat poison' may be accurate, but no longer relevant.

I trust the stuff. I like that the effects can be easily reversed if something goes wrong, or if an emergency requires reversal (that happened to me once - packed platelets lowered my INR enough that I could have my toenails trimmed without danger of bleeding out). It's also affordable. Its effects can be easily assessed. Although I will sometimes check my INR a few days after switching generic manufacturers, I've usually found the stuff to pretty reliable and accurate from manufacturer to manufacturer. (I had an issue with Jantoven -- another generic -- I had trouble regulating my INR when I was taking the stuff).

 

[spartangator]

Congratulations! Thank you for sharing your story.

 

[tom in MO]

Congratulations!!

 

[d333gs]

I can't forget mine surgery at 8 years old, was Halloween, the same week, on Halloween watched the Sonny and Cher show, Halloween special. And was in ICU for a week. It was in 1973. Repair bypass at that time. Years later at 36 years old, have the valve replacement in 2001, over a year after losing my mother to RA that developed Leukemia.

Wow , !!!!!!! What a journey

 

[ValveAdmin]

Wow! Congratulations!

 

[Eva]

Congratulations. Wishing you many happy and healthy returns.

 

[YogiSue]

I can't forget mine surgery at 8 years old, was Halloween, the same week, on Halloween watched the Sonny and Cher show, Halloween special. And was in ICU for a week. It was in 1973. Repair bypass at that time. Years later at 36 years old, have the valve replacement in 2001, over a year after losing my mother to RA that developed Leukemia.

Just stumbled across this organization recently. My first open heart surgery was 44 years ago on my ninth birthday; an aortic valve repair. When I was 18, I had the St. Jude’s aortic valve. 35 years on Coumadin, 2 adopted daughters due to the warfarin therapy. I live an active lifestyle, teach elementary school, travel lots, & teach yoga. Life is good; grateful for the technology that allowed us all to be here.

 

[Chuck C]

Just stumbled across this organization recently. My first open heart surgery was 44 years ago on my ninth birthday; an aortic valve repair. When I was 18, I had the St. Jude’s aortic valve. 35 years on Coumadin, 2 adopted daughters due to the warfarin therapy. I live an active lifestyle, teach elementary school, travel lots, & teach yoga. Life is good; grateful for the technology that allowed us all to be here.

Welcome to VR Sue! Glad that you found us.

had the St. Jude’s aortic valve

#metoo Although mine is only 3.5 years old.

35 years on Coumadin, 2 adopted daughters due to the warfarin therapy. I live an active lifestyle, teach elementary school, travel lots, & teach yoga

Glad to see another long term St Jude valver and great that you live an active lifestyle

 

[pellicle]

Life is good; grateful for the technology that allowed us all to be here.

hear hear!!

and welcome aboard

 

[dick0236]

Life is good; grateful for the technology that allowed us all to be here.

Welcome YogySue. Like you, I am here only because of technology. In 1966, when I was 30, my Cardio and Surgeon told me I would not live to 40......without a heart valve replacement. This 'lil ole mechanical valve" I got in 1967 has allowed me to more than double the dire prediction they gave me back then......and I ain't done yet!

BTW. Stick around this forum. The group needs to have "long timers" to help the new folks facing this kind of surgery. It's a helping hand that you or I didn't have when we had our surgeries.

 

[carolinemc]

Just stumbled across this organization recently. My first open heart surgery was 44 years ago on my ninth birthday; an aortic valve repair. When I was 18, I had the St. Jude’s aortic valve. 35 years on Coumadin, 2 adopted daughters due to the warfarin therapy. I live an active lifestyle, teach elementary school, travel lots, & teach yoga. Life is good; grateful for the technology that allowed us all to be here.

Had a friend recommend this place in 2001, a few months before my Aortic valve replacement. It helped me a lot back then as it does now. I have a Mitral Valve calcification now, due to age and past surgery, but am being monitored carefully. When I had my repair on the aortic valve, bypass was still experimental, and they were starting to create surgical tools to do surgery on newborns, which that has come a long way since, back in 1973.

 

[YogiSue]

Welcome YogySue. Like you, I am here only because of technology. In 1966, when I was 30, my Cardio and Surgeon told me I would not live to 40......without a heart valve replacement. This 'lil ole mechanical valve" I got in 1967 has allowed me to almost double the dire prediction they gave me back then......and I ain't done yet!

BTW. Stick around this forum. The group needs to have "long timers" to help the new folks facing this kind of surgery. It's a helping hand that you or I didn't have when we had our surgeries.

That’s amazing!

 

[Yankeeman2]

Just stumbled across this organization recently. My first open heart surgery was 44 years ago on my ninth birthday; an aortic valve repair. When I was 18, I had the St. Jude’s aortic valve. 35 years on Coumadin, 2 adopted daughters due to the warfarin therapy. I live an active lifestyle, teach elementary school, travel lots, & teach yoga. Life is good; grateful for the technology that allowed us all to be here.

Amen. Also got my St. Jude's many years

Just stumbled across this organization recently. My first open heart surgery was 44 years ago on my ninth birthday; an aortic valve repair. When I was 18, I had the St. Jude’s aortic valve. 35 years on Coumadin, 2 adopted daughters due to the warfarin therapy. I live an active lifestyle, teach elementary school, travel lots, & teach yoga. Life is good; grateful for the technology that allowed us all to be here.

ago. The surgeon said it will last a long time, and he wants it back when I'm through with it. But he's dead, so I guess I can keep it.

 

[YogiSue]

Amen. Also got my St. Jude's many years


ago. The surgeon said it will last a long time, and he wants it back when I'm through with it. But he's dead, so I guess I can keep it.

Safe to say, the valve is yours to keep!