Anyone ever regret the type of valve they chose?

[gary]

Buenos nachos, Sylvia. As luck would have it

Buenos nachos, Sylvia. As luck would have it

my Cardiologist won't read my Holter results this week as he is on a vacation and does not want an associate to read and relay the news.

He will get to it maybe next week, but I won't hold my breath, just keep taking the coumadin till advised otherwise.

Coumadin truly is a pain in the neck and I admire those who take it with a positive attitude. Even once you're regulated, if you step out of line just once, bingo! The juicy sweet peppers are looking cheap right now, so I like to sliver them and cook 'em for an hour till the nearly melt. 6 huge peppers can then fit into a coffee cup, in essence binging on sweet peppers. Uh-uh. Can't to that. Go to the beach for a week, eat shellfish and seafood, well---there the INR goes again right out the window.

Thank heaven this is only a protective measure for the 5% chance I might get A-fib and I might not be on Heperin within 24 hours. When I fall to 1.3 like I am now I don't get all discombobulated that I'm gonna have a stroke. At least of the thromoboembolytic kind.

72381433

 

[SHerrin Hutt]

Hi Mack,
I too, have a artifical valve. I have had so much trouble with my inr and the clicking is driving me crazy. Mine is so loud my whole family can hear it. I have so many brusies that I look like I have been abused. Plus this valve is messing up the blood just as bad as the bad valve did. Sherrin Hutt

 

[ALCapshaw]

Thanks for 'Sherrin' your story Sherrin.

What kind of valve did you receive? What manufacturer?

My St. Jude Mechanical can only be heard if my heart is really pounding (after exertion) in a very quiet room.

I'm curious about your bruising. I've bumped into a doorway and other objects but show no signs of bruising. What is your INR?
Does it remain steady? You may want to consider a home INR testing unit if your levels fluctuate.

'AL'

 

[SHerrin Hutt]

Hi AL,
My INR goes up and down. The high has been 6.4-to a low of 1.1 this as been going on since by valve surgery of 4/21/02. I have a st.Jude valve. It is really lound. My youngest daughter, who is 19 wants to know if they could use some kind of oil to quite it down. I told her I didn't there was anything they could do about it. I guess I will have to live with it. I guess I really should worry if I can't hear it. I had my inr check last wed. it was 2.2. I am going to an oral surgeon this afternoon for an abess tooth. My cardiologist wants him to put in the hospital to take out the tooth because of my history with strokes and blood clots. I will feel better if they do it this way. Not that I want to see a hosptial. But I want to live thrrough this without having a stroke or bleeding to death. Thanks for writing me back.

SHerrin Hutt
Mitri valve repair-4/99 cleveland clinic
Mitri valve replacement-3/21/02 norton's louisville

 

[Johnny Stephens]

Hi Sherrin

According to my surgeon, the loudness of the valves is effected greatly by individual anatomy. Since we're all put together differently, we're likely to have different "loudnesses" of these things.

 

[McCln]

No Total regret

No Total regret

The only thing I regret is the fact that I won't have children in the physcial way, but I can adopt children. Otherwise, no real regrets. I do not like surgery and want to put off anymore for as long as I can. I am glad to be alive and will live longer because of the choice I made. In taking the coumadin, it is not bad. You only take it once a day with ecotrin. I have to take other meds because I am retaining water. Otherwise, I am feeling great. Please be happy about being alive. I love walking now. Before, walking as an effort everyday. Feel blessed that you are more able to do more now than before surgery. Take care.

Caroline
09-13-01
Aortic valve replacement
St. Jude's valve

 

[sscholz]

I Don't regret my choice of valve, St. Judes Mechanical, this being my 3rd Valve the first 2 were Porcine, in 76, and 85, the last one was installed in 2000. The Coumidan is a drag, but so is the surgery. Beer consumption has been curtailed a bit. But at my age beer consumption starts to stick. Age 41. Still fairly active, walk and ride bike to work. Can still hang in there on the Curving Whiffle ball.

Sam

 

[sscholz]

As far as I can tell, alchohol makes you thinner which is good, to thin is not good if you fall down, crack the melon, ooze all over the place. Consistancy is good, put 4-5 beers consistantly does not make for squeezing into the speedo.

But the days of vast alcholic consumption are over for me. I look at life between the valve replacements (15 - 20 years) the last being in 2.02, as being on the newer end of getting things or something done. I guess it's like that in life but these surgeries give one time to gauge the process, the yardsticks along the way. Hopefully this "life time" valve, still running in a test sheep someplace, will make me find a better measuring system. But any way less beer doesn't make me appreciate beer less but more, I just fall asleep if I have to many more.

Sam

 

[tnboomer1013]

Hi Allen

Hi Allen

I also had a mech. valve or should I say a bass drum inserted into me. It was last July so it has been just over a year now. I can't speak for everyone here but I have some very mixed feelings about it. I have a carbomedics valve and it can be so loud sometimes I can't fall asleep.

I am glad that I don't have to go through another surgery. But with the clicking and the it seems like the every week visit to the lab, watching what I do at work because I am in heavy industrial constuction. injuries are a part of everyday life for us. I sometimes wish I had a tissue one. Going into surgery I had wanted a Ross Pro. done. because of the blood thinner therapy and what I do. But That was not possible because of complications. I often think what it would be like to not have to worry about coumidin and hear this thing banging away in my chest. Who knows what might happen in the future. As the good book says - no man is guarnteed tomarrow. And there is another thought, because this was brought about because of birth defects and not knowing about the danger of what was going on with me. I unknowingly lived with a time bomb for 44 years. I shouldn't have been afraid of resurgery years down the road.

But I do have a valve they say that should last my lifetime and because the two bypasses I also had done were done with mamory arteries I shouldn't need resurgery on those either. It is a love hate thing with this. At least it is for me.

I guess what I am trying to say is that we have been given a second chance. Though with a few changes and maybe a few more hassles. But I can live with that. I want to get old and grey and be able to aggrivate my wife for a long time and spoil my grandkids. I will be able to do that. God willing.

I hope things work out for you. You have alot of good advice here along with people who have been through what you have for some real great support. I know I used some of that support last year.

 

[Christina]

To Boomer......

To Boomer......

Hey Boomer,

I was of the same opinion about the Sultzer Carbomedics valve beating like a bass drum in my chest. It was thumping in my throat and I could see the thumping of the valve through my eyes as I was watching TV.
During that first week I complained to my husband how it felt to have a mechanical valve thumping in my chest (he of course had no clue) and that I had no idea how I ever would get used to this. I didn't want to gripe too much, because I didn't want to sound ungrateful because it did keep me alive.
As you can tell I said "was" because I no longer have that Sultzer Carbomedics valve in me.
Because of a screw-up at the cardiologist office, 11 days after the Carbiomedics was implanted my surgery needed to be redone, and my surgeon implanted a St. Jude's Mechanical.
This one I cannot hear unless everything is quiet in the bedroom and I am on my left side trying to fall asleep.
So I always have to tell the story that something good came out of my second AVR surgery.

Boomer, you should think about getting your own Protime machine and do your own testing. This already should be a huge load of your shoulders when you can do your own protimes. This is "freedom" man.
I've been doing my own protimes for more than 18 months and it is great. No more labs to go to. I test weekly but call my doctor every other week with the results and he is fine with this plan.
I am going to Europe this winter and am taking my protime, so no worries about finding a lab for protimes.
QAS will help to get your insurance to pay for the machine. Just call 1-800-298-4515 and ask for Lance or Brian.


Happy ticking!

Christina
Aortic Stenosis
AVR's 8/7/00 & 8/18/00
Tucson, AZ.
Dr. Gulshan Sethi

 

[SHerrin Hutt]

Valve Choice

Valve Choice

I too. Don't know rather I made the right choice with the st. jude.
My surgery was in 3/02 and my pt is up and down like crazy. Trying to get the insurance co. to pay for a machine. Right now I am going every week. I was in the hospital for a week just to get an abess tooth pulled. THe ticking drives me crazy at times. The migraines are getting worse. I am going to ask a crazy question?
When your pt is real low can it effect your thought & memeory process? I am beginning to thinnk I have old timer. I just turned 50 my last b-day. Don't get me wrong but I am glad to be a live to see my two lovely girls grow up. Just got back from a visit to Boston with my girls. It wa so nice not to have drag around oxygen tanks everywhere I go. Not to mention what it did to my back for the three years I carried it around.
THanks evreyone for listening. I think my family has had enough.
It just nice to have a place to vent.
Sherrin Hutt

 

[SHerrin Hutt]

Re: Porcine for 11 years

Re: Porcine for 11 years

Allan:

I had a porcine valve put in in Nov 1991. I have had the 11 most wonderful years of my life. I am now faced with making the decision again, as the valve is beginning to show some deterioration. I am leaning towards another biological, but will have to make the decision concretely within the next month.

So, no regrets what so ever - although I am scared to go through the surgery again

 

[csutherland]

We don't discuss it much, but I think both Jerry & I have doubts about his choice of St Jude's mechanical valve.

The good points: Hopefully it'll never have to be replaced. In his case it isn't noisy at all. I've only heard it twice and had my ear on his chest then.

The disappointments: He has rarely been able to go more than 2 weeks between INR testing. And he bleeds so easily that we constantly have to be on guard about stains on clothes, upholstered furniture, etc. He's very active so gets lots of "boo-boos". But the main thing is that we didn't comprehend that he'll never be able to take an anti-inflammatory drug. He's had severe plantar faciaitis (foot pain) for 3 months or so, and anti-inflammatory drugs are the best thing for that. And when you think of another 30 yrs (he's 65) possibly with arthritis, etc. that's a long time to do without those drugs.

It just seems to me that the doctors sure push the mechanical valve. Do they get a kickback? Am I too cynical?

 

[DickV]

Seems to me if doctors got kickbacks on valves, they would put in tissue valves because they need to be replaced far more often.

My doc left it up to me and told me I didn't have to decide until the day of the surgery.

 

[wlaldridge]

My guy was equally willing for me to choose.

The St. Jude is done more, taught more, and is less technically challenging (fewer stepss) and offers shorter aortic cross clamp time. All in all they are less involved in the down the road effects than they are in a good outcome a the time of surgery.

I know my guy is more comfortable over all with the mechanical but understands the desire for tissue. Some times the anatomy dictates that the mechanical is more suitable, he will just have to check out the lie and play it as it lies-don't know if he golfs.

 

[tnboomer1013]

Hey Christina

Hey Christina

Don't know about resurgery ha. Alergic to pain!!!! But I have already tried to get the Pro Time and my Ins. Co won't pay for it. Calls it a convienence and not a nessessity. So it's off to lab every 2 weeks. Wish I had one though. Oh well.

 

[persianlady]

DEAR ALLAN MACK HELLO MY NAME IS CHRIS IM 48 I HAD AROTIC VALVE REPLACED TWO YRS AGO I CHOSE THE ONE I WANTED WHICH WAS A MECHANICAL ONE BUT I GET TIRED OF CHECKING THE LEVEL OF COUMIDIN I HAVENT DONE IT IN OVER A YR BUT MY COLD I HAVE A WORSE AND FLU IT GOES RIGHT TO MY LUNGS WHEN I GO OUTSIDE IT HURTS TO BREATHE IT FEELS LIKE COLD AIR GOING DOWN MY LUNGS AND BOY DOES IT HURT THE ONLY WAY TO STOP IT FROM HURTING IS NOT MOVE AND AFTER MY SURGERY MY LEFT ARM GETS NUMB NOT ALL THE TIME BUT AT TIMES ITS SCARES ME HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU CHRIS

 

[Nancy]

Hi Persianlady

I read your post and it said that you haven't checked your Coumadin level in over a year. Did I understand that correctly?

If that's true, you need to get it checked ASAP and you have to continue to get it checked regularly. It's dangerous not to get your level checked and you also have to make the adjustments in your dosage that the doctor says.

 

[TSH]

Hello. I agree with most of the others that your colds are not related to the Coumadin. I'm on Coumadin, and I actually get less colds now than I did prior to the valve replacement.

I regretted my choice for the first few months because the clicking of my St. Judes Valve drove me nuts. I still hear it now, but not very often and I am quite used to it. I guess we humans can become accustomed to most anything.

The only time I regret the choice now is when I'm out with friends and can't drink alcohol with impunity like I used to. Unlike Rob, I'm still a little nervous about overdoing it with the alcohol. I guess I'm just paranoid that I'm going to overwhelm my liver with a Coumadin/Alcohol cocktail. So, I limit myself to 3 drinks. (That sucks!)

All in all, I think we mechanicals have it best not having to worry about another surgery in the foreseeable future. (Because I know I would worry about it if I had a tissue valve.)

Take care.