52 years on ONE valve

[dick0236]

Well Dick, you've lasted so long because that ball and cage valve is so robust. The technician who put it together did a great job

As an aside, does your valve make noise?

My Starr-Edwards "ball-in-cage" valve was designed and built by a young heart surgeon Albert Starr and a young electrical engineer Lowell Edwards and the design relied heavily on an 1858 patent for a "bottle stopper".

I think it did make a clicking sound in the beginning.........but I haven't heard it in years.

 

[Carnelian]

wow to your good fortune------
thanks for the memories? That is supposed
to be for the good times....Bob Hope's theme song.

 

[pellicle]

Coming up on 53

 

[Superbob]

And a month after Dick celebrates (as will we all) the 53rd anniversary of his sturdy Starr-Edwards, my wife and I will be celebrating our 54th wedding anniversary, the good Lord willing. I don't know which is more amazing, my DW putting up with moody me all that time, or one mechanical valve ticking along dependably for so long. I will cede the prize to Dick -- let's all drink some champagne this August!

 

[Superman]

And a month after Dick celebrates (as will we all) the 53rd anniversary of his sturdy Starr-Edwards, my wife and I will be celebrating our 54th wedding anniversary, the good Lord willing. I don't know which is more amazing, my DW putting up with moody me all that time, or one mechanical valve ticking along dependably for so long. I will cede the prize to Dick -- let's all drink some champagne this August!

In the not to distant future, 50 plus years on one mechanical valve will have greater odds of success than 50 plus years on one marriage. Don’t be too quick to cede that prize!

 

[dick0236]

I'd like to be here in August as well......

 

[brijeshb]

Today marks 52 years since I got my "ping pong ball aortic valve" installed......8/16/1967-8/16/2019. At my age of 83+ I now check the newspaper obituaries daily.......to see if my name is there yet and notice that most of the folks listed are younger than me, so I guess my AVR can be considered a success and, more or less, without incident.

I continue to post my birthday for the younger folks who come on here wondering about their futures with their brand new shiny valves......yep, mechanical valves can last a long time .

Very inspiring indeed . I had my AVR 10 months back and I too opted for a mechanical value

 

[Protimenow]

Superbob - valves will last longer than marriages? It may depend on whether you got the valve before you got married. It also depends on how successful your marriage is.

A divorce at any time will prove you right.

I was 41 when I had my AVR -- I was married at the time and am still married to the same girl. Unless she goes first (god forbid), and I outlive her by enough years, the life of my valve wouldn't outlast the marriage. Of course,, if the marriage comes to an end, and I last long enough, your suggestion will also be correct.

Of course, I understand that this was a joke, but, being somewhat analytical (or the first four letters), I thought about the validity of your comment.

 

[dick0236]

I've had my first valve 52+ years........and my first wife 63+ years. Not sure which one has given me more trouble.

Spoken like a man who knows his wife will not see this post.

 

[pellicle]

I've had my first valve 52+ years........and my first wife 63+ years. Not sure which one has given me more trouble.

Has the valve given you any trouble?

 

[Protimenow]

I got my aortic valve 16 years, 2 months after we were married. Unless we break up now, and I survive another 16 years and, say, 3 months, the marriage will outlive the valve -- unless unexpectedly, I need the mechanical valve replaced.

 

[dick0236]

Has the valve given you any trouble?

Nope.....does that answer your question?

 

[pellicle]

Nope.....does that answer your question?

I sorta had a hunch, but I'm going with "neither has your wife" ... in case she reads this ;-)

 

[coffeelover]

Dick0236, you are a HUGE inspiration to all of us valvers! You always share great advise with positivity! What are are your favorite top 10 hints for staying in range while on warfarin?. For the last 8 years I'm in range 70 to 75 percent of the time ( 2.5 to 3.5 for mechanical aortic valve), but I would love to be in range 90 percent of the time...do you track or record your daily Vitamin K intake? Only eat a few different kind of veggies? Please share!! Thank you Dick0236! P.S. What day in August is your 53rd Valversary ? Lets have an online Valversary toast to you!!

 

[dick0236]

My top 10:
1, Take the pill as prescribed. Buy a seven-day pillbox!!
2. Test routinely and at least monthly. I test weekly.
3. Don't make knee-jerk changes to warfarin dosage. Small changes usually are best
4. Don't measure vit K consumption. Eat greens consistently but don't "pig out".
5. Don't overmanage INR. My range is 2.5-3.5 but an infrequent 2.0 or 4.0 does not alarm me.
6. Don't micro-manage INR. I have been in range 80.06% of the time for the past 6 months......but zero times below 2 or above 4. That's OK
7. Don't run with scissors
8. Repeat #1
9. Repeat #7
10. Warfarin is not a bogeyman that is out to get you........but if you screw around with it, it will bite you......HARD!

I usually stay 80-85% in range......but I am now old and sedentary and it is pretty easy to stay in, or close to, my range. I am almost always between 2.0-4.0 and my doc and I am comfortable with that. If you are young and pretty active I would imagine your 70-75% is OK so long as you do not stay significantly out of range for a longer period of time..

 

[Agian]

 

[Protimenow]

I'm much more bothered when my INR drops below 2. An INR of 4 or 5 (extremely rare for me) is less distressing. I'd rather bruisea bit more than 'usual' than throw a clot.

 

[coffeelover]

Dick0236 and Protimenow, Thank for sharing..I appreciate your advise!