Age old question..... tissue or mechanical

[neil]

Tell me please where I have attacked you? Please feel free to show me where I have copied and paste your remarks and used them on here anywhere ? Then have a look at the times you have . You will find I have never every done it. Unlike you who seem to do it every time I put my point of view. In case your unable to realise this is a forum for opinions and long may it continue

 

[neil]

Can I suggest that for everybody on here that in future me and pellicle do not comment on subjects unless its positive as it would seem we just rub each other up the wrong way. I am sure everybody gets fed up with the bickering.  For goodness sake let's move on .Thank you

 

[Roberta]

What the bottom line is do you want a reop or warfarin. I will tell you something true. We all wish we didn't have to make the choice

Neil,

Sometimes, it is not an either/or choice. i.e. re-op or be on coumadin.

For example, perhaps you are a young woman who really wants to have children but you really do not want to have another open heart surgery down the road. Here is where the water gets muddied. Now you are in the unenviable position of being told that a tissue valve is a better choice if you want to become pregnant because of less risk or take the risk of having a baby on coumadin. I wish it were that simple.

Here is where I would definitely want to know some stats on the risks that were incurred being on coumadin and having a child versus another open heart surgery. Just giving a female perspective.

 

[dornole]

The original poster is long gone . . . I wish you two understood each other better. You just have very different ways of making decisions. How about this thought script before posting

For Pellicle: I really believe that logic and data are primary and that's what I can contribute. Logic and data comfort me and help me decide things. Other people make decisions more intuitively and actually become anxious at a flood of data - that's hard for me to relate to, but I accept that this is a valid way to make a decision. It's not a personal attack for someone to say trust your instincts if it helps some people make decisions. Anxiety and decision paralysis is clearly medically bad.

For Neil: I think that intuition and gut feelings are reliable guides that can help bring peace with decisions. I think logic and data have their limitations. Too much feels stressful to me and can actually hurt my decision making, and I worry that others on the forum might feel the same way. I accept though that some folks ARE looking for data and are actually really comforted by it. I don't have to protect others on the forum from data. They can read it or not, their choice.

I'm pretty much right in between so I value each of you at different times, but I think nobody wants the fighting. What would happen if you both just said "Pellicle is our data king and Neil is great at encouraging people to consider their intuition in making a choice and be at peace." Some proactive affirmation of each other's gifts and ways of making decisions would go a long way. Maybe we don't need another episode of "Well, THAT escalated quickly . . . " Peace, man. Don't harsh our vibe . . .

Meantime here is a really interesting podcast on choice and the brain - I thought people might enjoy it

http://www.radiolab.org/story/91640-choice/

 

[neil]

Roberta i can see where your coming from and i agree 100 per cent, We all need data at some point all i was saying was sometimes it can be overpowering to some, i totally agree in what you said about young women, Dornole i take fully onboard what you say and your right, hopefully peace allround, i offer a peace branch to pellicle

 

[Roberta]

The original poster is long gone . . . I wish you two understood each other better. You just have very different ways of making decisions. How about this thought script before posting

For Pellicle: I really believe that logic and data are primary and that's what I can contribute. Logic and data comfort me and help me decide things. Other people make decisions more intuitively and actually become anxious at a flood of data - that's hard for me to relate to, but I accept that this is a valid way to make a decision. It's not a personal attack for someone to say trust your instincts if it helps some people make decisions. Anxiety and decision paralysis is clearly medically bad.

For Neil: I think that intuition and gut feelings are reliable guides that can help bring peace with decisions. I think logic and data have their limitations. Too much feels stressful to me and can actually hurt my decision making, and I worry that others on the forum might feel the same way. I accept though that some folks ARE looking for data and are actually really comforted by it. I don't have to protect others on the forum from data. They can read it or not, their choice.

I'm pretty much right in between so I value each of you at different times, but I think nobody wants the fighting. What would happen if you both just said "Pellicle is our data king and Neil is great at encouraging people to consider their intuition in making a choice and be at peace." Some proactive affirmation of each other's gifts and ways of making decisions would go a long way. Maybe we don't need another episode of "Well, THAT escalated quickly . . . " Peace, man. Don't harsh our vibe . . .

Meantime here is a really interesting podcast on choice and the brain - I thought people might enjoy it

http://www.radiolab.org/story/91640-choice/

Thank you Dornole. That was very well put. I, also fall between the logic and intuition (as probably most of us do). When I needed AVR, I did a ton of research on the topic, spoke with my specialists and others about my options, but also listened to my gut.

I certainly value everyone's input on this forum . Like you said, some of us may lean more one way in the decision making process versus the other.

We are all unique and that what makes this forum so valuable.

 

[mcarmical]

The original poster is still here. I come back to this page every day and I am thankful for those of you who have responded to my questions. Please keep in mind as a pre op patient I am trying to find out everything I can about my condition. More information, more insight, more shared experiences is of great help. It helps with the anxiety of the unknown, and I am sure it is the mission of this site to help all of us along as we take forward steps with our conditions. Somewhere along the way this thread unfortunately went sideways.

There have been a few developments since I originally posted. I have set a date for surgery, Februay 6th. During a CT scan we discovered an aortic aneurysm, so replacement of the aortic root is not part of the surgery. In all my studies over the years I researched the valve replacement without ever thinking the aorta itself would part of the discussion. I am going with a mechanical valve. I am not buying into the possibility of a futureTAVR into tissue ten years down the line. I do not wish to have multiple surgeries and believe I can do fine with coumadin My surgeon suggested the On X valve as he believes side by side they are equal however should long term test results could lead to reduced blood thinning measures. I am scheduled to have cardiac catheterization next Friday to see if there are additional procedures that need to be completed. I am scared however set on my choices and am ready to get on with it.

I value the shared experiences, It was never my intention to spark a debate. Maybe I am just being a little selfish.

 

[neil]

Hi Mac your certainly not being selfish no way. So never ever think that. Am sure you will do just fine.The waiting is far the worst bit IMO. Good luck mate you will do just fine

 

[neil]

Well the hand was offered to pellicle guess he decided not to take it

 

[pellicle]

Well the hand was offered to pellicle guess he decided not to take it

sorry Neil I was deliberately avoiding this thread as I was just feeling anxious and stressed about it. So I have (as I just saw this in the activity and have yet to revise it) not yet read further.

If you can perhaps glimpse where I have been in the last three years I suppose that you can understand that I'm feeling some combination of anxiety, depression, stress and outright agony.

I'll go read it now, but I will generally just steer away from anything you write from now on as (despite not shying away from a fight) I just feel fragile.

Best Wishes

 

[pellicle]

i offer a peace branch to pellicle

accepted with sincerity and of course I would like to offer peace and goodwill to you too.

 

[pellicle]

Hi

The original poster is long gone . . .

probably ... but I do know these threads are sifted through eventually.

For Pellicle: I really believe that logic and data are primary and that's what I can contribute. Logic and data comfort me and help me decide things. Other people make decisions more intuitively and actually become anxious at a flood of data

I understand this ... I've never been good at being an emotional thinker. The difficulties of these last three years has pushed me back into becoming only a logical thinker (or at least focusing on expressing only that pathway. The reason for this is (as I've just alluded to) that I no longer am able to rely on my emotional reactions to things. Clearly they occur and dictate to some extent my responces, but I just try to keep the focus on the points under discussion and not skew off.

For what its worth some things pour gasoline on my burning embers and my wife and our lives now gone are NOT forgotten.

I try to contribute what I can but sometimes I just fail.

 

[skeptic49]

let's just hug

 

[neil]

Let's draw a line under it all pellicle. Guess we both bit stubborn lol. Now if you lived near me I'd say let's crack open a beer.

 

[pellicle]

Hi

Let's draw a line under it all pellicle. Guess we both bit stubborn lol. Now if you lived near me I'd say let's crack open a beer.

Agreed , how about next time I'm in the UK we do that. Likely to be later this year

 

[neil]

Sure thing. In the mean time I might just have a big piece of cake