cruising...

[Gnusgal]

Hubby and I just got back from a 5 night cruise to the Western Caribian (Calica and Cozemel). We had a LOT of fun. This was hubby's first cruise, and he's already talking about wanting to go on another one.

I wanted to report one very odd happenstance that was an amazing coincidence. The male in the couple we were seated with for dinner has a St. Jude's valve that is 11 years old. He said he got endocarditis after one of the times he was shot (he'd been shot 8 times) and that damaged his aortic valve. However, he says he doesn't take his coumadin regularly, and doesn't get his INR checked very often either. I find it very hard to believe that someone would be so careless with something like this! How has he made it 11 years without a stroke or something? Also, he was told by his doctor that his St. Jude's valve would only last around 10 years. I told him that we were told the advantage to mechanical is that it doesn't need to be replaced. I don't know what the deal is, but I must say that we were not overly impressed with the guy. However, when I told him I had checked my INR in my room that day he was interested to know about the ProTime unit because he currently has to go to his doctor's office to get it checked. I couldn't remember the url for ProTime, though, so I wasn't able to give him the information, but maybe he'll actually talk to his doctor about it. Surely he's not as bad about keeping up with it as he claims!

Anyway, while on the trip, it was great to be able to check my INR. I made sure I was a bit high before I left because I knew I would probably eat more salads on the ship. Sure enough, I did. And when I checked it on Wed. it was 2.2. Oops. So I skipped the salad course a couple of times, though it was VERY hard. I should be back to normal in no time, now that I'm back to my "regular" diet.

We will be heading out of town again in just a few days. We will be heading to Huntsville, AL to visit my FIL for a few days. After that trip we will have to stay home the rest of the summer, as hubby starts summer school the first week of July. June sure is speeding by! Can anyone tell me where to find the "slow down" button for summer?

 

[LUVMyBirman]

Hi Niki,

Welcome back! Sounds like you had a wonderful cruise.

How scary about that guy. He is darn fortunate without a complication thus far. Few things may be saving him. Aortic position. Less of an issue with clotting than say a Mitral valve, Maybe the dose he is on is just working for him. Tthe grace of God, who knows.

To think we fret about this monthly I have been diving into the salads. Though, my INR has been running high the last month so it may be a wash. Will find out in a few days.

 

[Ross]

Sorry but to me the guy sounds like a fake(Obviously a loser). Did you actually hear ticking from the valve? Wonder what the reason is that he got shot? Hmmmmm ponder, ponder.

 

[bvdr]

Just a thought.

Just a thought.

I'm so glad you had a nice cruise. Cruising is one of my favorite ways of vacationing! We have had some very interesting tablemates over the years but I think this guy takes the prize.

It doesn't seem strange to me that a guy who managed to get shot 8 times (regardless how it happened) would be someone who would worry alot about keeping his INR in line.

Just a thought.....has St.Jude also made biological valves now or in the past? That would make more sense. But then of course why would he be on coumadin? Did he actually show you his scars

Betty(bvdr)

 

[bvdr]

Ross,

We must be thinking alike these days!

Betty(bvdr)

 

[Les]

Hi,
Ross is right.....sounds to me like a lot of "male bravado". Either that, or he tends to seriously pi$$ people off, or he has "friends" who are lousy shots! In any case, part of the "Vacation Entertainment Experience" can be meeting up with people like this. The one thing you must always remember is, "Tomorrow, they will wake up and still be them.........."
______________
Les AVR '93 / '95

 

[Nancy]

Glad you had such a wonderful time on the cruise. You needed that excellent fun!

Re: that "guy"--He's either the biggest liar in the world, a man who likes living on the edge, or is exceedingly lucky.

He's got "zip" for brains, just consider the source. No one ever said that having valve surgery would cure ALL of your problems, and he's proof of that.

It'll give you something to laugh about for quite a while, I bet.

Don't you go trying his recommendations, LOL.

I seem to remember that St. Jude came out with the first valves in 1977, someone, please correct me, if that's wrong. So my guess is that they didn't have much info about the longevity of the valves, 11 years ago. We know better now.

 

[Johnny Stephens]

Hey, Niki. Glad to hear you had fun on your cruise; my wife and I have kicked that idea around for a long time...maybe next year.

Definitely sounds like you needed your hip waders on around your dinner guest - my first thought was also "BS."

 

[Gnusgal]

"That guy"

"That guy"

Well, since he mentioned the St. Jude's valve before I mentioned mine (I'd just said something about having congenital heart defects) I figure he must be legit. And his wife said that the ticking has woken her from time to time. And I had not mentioned that yet either. And he also told of the story when he was in the hospital and his mom brought him in a huge salad and the doc came in and "yelled" at him. He said he started out on 24 mg of coumadin, but now is down to 10mg. I feel like he must at least take it most of the time. But I didn't ask for details. I wasn't sure I wanted to know.

Hubby and I started feeling a bit like snobs as we listened to this guy's stories. Especially when he told us that he hunts, but never eats any of the meat, just gives it away. He doesn't hunt because he likes the meat, he just likes to kill (his words!). And when they didn't show up for dinner the last night, we certainly didn't feel sad. Is this wrong of us???

Anyway, despite the "interesting" dinner companions, we had a great time. We did a lot of snorkling (hubby did the helmet dive, but they wouldn't let me) and had a blast at Carlos and Charlie's (a restaurant in Cozemel). I definitely reccommend cruising to others. I just wish it hadn't ended so soon.

 

[Ross]

Is this wrong of us???

Strange brews come from all over. It's just a shame that they have to show up on an otherwise enjoyable cruise. I certainly wouldn't have lost any sleep over them not showing up. In fact, I would've probably slept a whole lot better.

 

[sylviayasgur]

hi niki!
sounds like you and your husband had a wonderful time on the cruise.
interesting story about your dinner "mate".... some people are just lucky i guess (to get away with what they do for as long as they do).... hunter, huh? is that how he got shot? some of his hunting mates? by accident???
don't you just hate when great vacations come to an end? i'm glad you enjoyed yourselves and are doing well.
good to have you back.
stay well, sylvia

 

[John Cochran]

Hi Niki,
I love hearing stories of how much fun people have in spite of heart/health issues. I've never been on a cruise, but it sure sounds like you had a good time.

Your dinner companion's comment about "just liking to kill" reminded me of a guy I used to work with. One day he thought I was looking a little down, so he said something like, "Why don't you come out to my place this weekend and we'll go out in the woods and shoot up a lot of animals...it will make you feel much better."

Weird scary peeplz out there!!

--John

 

[Gnusgal]

The best part of all...

The best part of all...

Was how different THIS summer is over LAST summer. It was one year ago Tuesday (June 24th) that I had my valve replacement surgery. And just about ALL of my summer was dedicated to preparing for or recovering from that surgery. So I told my husband that THIS year I wanted to actually DO something and not just sit around the house all summer. So far we've done a great job of that. And tomorrow we're off again! However, in July he'll be back in school, so things will slow down. But we've talked about maybe going camping some weekend with some friends... We'll have to wait and see. I guess I'm trying to overcompensate for last year, but I just can't help wanting to actually have a little fun. The summer before last we spent perparing for and recovering from our wedding, and the summer before that was when I graduated from college, so it was filled with moving, finding a job, etc. I finally feel like I have a summer that is MINE, and not dedicated to some event. (don't get me wrong, I enjoyed getting married, but it is far from stress-free) So maybe I'm going overboard, but you have to take it where you can get it!

 

[John Cochran]

So maybe I'm going overboard, but you have to take it where you can get it!

Niki, given your last two years, going overboard is fine as long as you don't do it on one of those cruises! Seriously, renewed zest for life is a sure sign that you've recovered. Go for it!

 

[Granbonny]

Nike

Nike

so glad you enjoyed your cruise. I love them..but the guy at your table. doesn't surprise me. I have 2 friends who live here in my gated community..who take coumadin..One has his checked every 3 months by a local pcp. and one has his checked every 3 months at clinic. Their wives tell me I dwell too much on mine..(INR) Just learned not to talk about it anymore. One had a severe nosebleed and she said it was from vitamin e ..he was taking. Bonnie

 

[Marty]

No Coumadin?

No Coumadin?

Remember the anecdote Al Lodwick posted a while back. They discovered this guy in India who had a St. Jude mechanical that after surgery went back to his village and never took anticoagulants. Twenty(or was it thirty?) years later they followed up and he's still doing fine!