Blake777
Well-known member
Hello my name is Ronda and I was here back in 2004. Had mitral valve repair on 04-16-2004 and been doing really well until now, except for tiredness at times throughout the year, but doctors said I was fine. After doing on of my yearly check ups and echos they found that the ring around my valve has clamped down onto my valve causing stenosis, so you all know what that means.
My first cardiologist or intern said I needed a TEE and it may not be that bad and he scheduled me for a thoracic surgeon because at the time one of my sternum wires had popped out of my chest, yes popped out. Well don't ever mess with those things when they do that, because I clipped mine and it was still sticking out by the time I seen the intern cardiologist, but by the time I got to the thoracic surgeon it had went most of the way back in.
While talking to yet another (thoracic surgery) intern about the wire, he had me go take x-rays and come back right afterwards. He then went to the head thoracic surgeon who has no pitty on you what so ever, he came in and basically said there's no need for him fixing the wire because I needed to have open heart again -- he had been reading my file.
Well I wasn't prepared for that at all, now I kind of figured I would have to have surgery again but was still hoping the TEE I was scheduled to take would say otherwise -- so here I go again. He continued to say that I had a bigger risk the second time and I would have to get a mechanical valve and be on blood thinners for the rest of my life then proceed to write up all the pre-op blood work and cath. All this happened right before Christmas, what a gift!
Anyway he then proceeded to push on my chest really hard where the wire was sticking out, OMG! It hurt so bad because my sternum has been sore for the last 4 years, like I said this guy had no mercy. And why was he doing that anyway? Went home and took neurontin for pain, felt much better. I take this for degenerative disc disease and other pain I have throughout my body.
On top of that, before this last appointment my internal medicine doctor told me that my lungs were shrinking. No explanation why, just told me I needed to take more PFT's and would be sent to Pulmonary doctors. I've been suffering with a unknown illness or disease for 12 years but they said there wasn't anything wrong with my lungs, but now it is, go figure. So the risk just tripled for heart surgery, if I'm able to have the surgery. That's is what the thoracic surgeon told me also, if I'm able to have it.
Been having shortness of breath pretty bad and can't bend over sometimes without having problems with breathing. Thoracic doctor told me it was probably from blood backing up in my lungs from the stenosis.
I wanted to ask if anyone after heart surgery had horrible arm pain like someone's squeezing a main artery in your arm and arm gets weak and can't lift? This has been going on with me for 4 years and wakes me up from my sleep, no one seemed to care until the other day when they told me that sometimes nerves under the arm get messed up sometimes because your arms are spread outward during surgery.
Well hope I didn't rant to much, want to say hello to everyone and I'm praying for you all going in and coming out. God Bless!!!
My first cardiologist or intern said I needed a TEE and it may not be that bad and he scheduled me for a thoracic surgeon because at the time one of my sternum wires had popped out of my chest, yes popped out. Well don't ever mess with those things when they do that, because I clipped mine and it was still sticking out by the time I seen the intern cardiologist, but by the time I got to the thoracic surgeon it had went most of the way back in.
While talking to yet another (thoracic surgery) intern about the wire, he had me go take x-rays and come back right afterwards. He then went to the head thoracic surgeon who has no pitty on you what so ever, he came in and basically said there's no need for him fixing the wire because I needed to have open heart again -- he had been reading my file.
Well I wasn't prepared for that at all, now I kind of figured I would have to have surgery again but was still hoping the TEE I was scheduled to take would say otherwise -- so here I go again. He continued to say that I had a bigger risk the second time and I would have to get a mechanical valve and be on blood thinners for the rest of my life then proceed to write up all the pre-op blood work and cath. All this happened right before Christmas, what a gift!
Anyway he then proceeded to push on my chest really hard where the wire was sticking out, OMG! It hurt so bad because my sternum has been sore for the last 4 years, like I said this guy had no mercy. And why was he doing that anyway? Went home and took neurontin for pain, felt much better. I take this for degenerative disc disease and other pain I have throughout my body.
On top of that, before this last appointment my internal medicine doctor told me that my lungs were shrinking. No explanation why, just told me I needed to take more PFT's and would be sent to Pulmonary doctors. I've been suffering with a unknown illness or disease for 12 years but they said there wasn't anything wrong with my lungs, but now it is, go figure. So the risk just tripled for heart surgery, if I'm able to have the surgery. That's is what the thoracic surgeon told me also, if I'm able to have it.
Been having shortness of breath pretty bad and can't bend over sometimes without having problems with breathing. Thoracic doctor told me it was probably from blood backing up in my lungs from the stenosis.
I wanted to ask if anyone after heart surgery had horrible arm pain like someone's squeezing a main artery in your arm and arm gets weak and can't lift? This has been going on with me for 4 years and wakes me up from my sleep, no one seemed to care until the other day when they told me that sometimes nerves under the arm get messed up sometimes because your arms are spread outward during surgery.
Well hope I didn't rant to much, want to say hello to everyone and I'm praying for you all going in and coming out. God Bless!!!
