It is now 7 years since I had my mitral valve replaced with a St Jude mechanical valve.
Backstory: i contracted Rheumatic fever around 8 years old that damaged my valve and developed stenosis. For a long time I was on intramuscular Penicillin prophylaxis.
At 39, the valve opening had narrowed to less that 1cm and was causing fluid backup into the lungs and it was time. New York Presbyterian did the OHS on a Friday morning 8/16/2013 and I was discharged the Wednesday after.
They also found a bicuspid aortic valve with mild to moderate regurgitation that is still monitored with annual echo and may require intervention at some point.
For those who agonize over valve choices, or range of INR. I do not care about what I eat, I just have a mental note of what direction my INR is trending, my last INR reading and I know what I have been eating and make adjustments until I do my next test that either confirms my trend or a slight dose adjustment. I am usually in a narrow band around 3.
All in all, life is great. Warfarin 7.5 and Metoprolol tartrate 50 x 2 and I am (knock on wood) healthier than I have been my adult life.
Of course a big shout out to New Yorkers who flattened the Covid pandemic curve. Think about your neighbours, when you think masks infringe on your rights. There are plenty of people with chronic conditions that need healthcare facillities every day.
Backstory: i contracted Rheumatic fever around 8 years old that damaged my valve and developed stenosis. For a long time I was on intramuscular Penicillin prophylaxis.
At 39, the valve opening had narrowed to less that 1cm and was causing fluid backup into the lungs and it was time. New York Presbyterian did the OHS on a Friday morning 8/16/2013 and I was discharged the Wednesday after.
They also found a bicuspid aortic valve with mild to moderate regurgitation that is still monitored with annual echo and may require intervention at some point.
For those who agonize over valve choices, or range of INR. I do not care about what I eat, I just have a mental note of what direction my INR is trending, my last INR reading and I know what I have been eating and make adjustments until I do my next test that either confirms my trend or a slight dose adjustment. I am usually in a narrow band around 3.
All in all, life is great. Warfarin 7.5 and Metoprolol tartrate 50 x 2 and I am (knock on wood) healthier than I have been my adult life.
Of course a big shout out to New Yorkers who flattened the Covid pandemic curve. Think about your neighbours, when you think masks infringe on your rights. There are plenty of people with chronic conditions that need healthcare facillities every day.
