Greetings From the Waiting Room

[Philip]

Greetings from the waiting room. I have been a frequent visitor for quite some time but could not allow myself to join, that would make this a bit too real. I have however wanted to comment on a few posts from time to time so I am giving in.
This forum has been a great source of information from a patient perspective and I take confront in the many success stories. I do not have many questions about the AVR that I will someday face; I have read far more than any non-medical person should ever have to digest on the subject, but I do have a few request/questions:

I would love to hear from the physically active in the group, particularly the runners. I would to have some pre/post valve problem race times. I can make the age related compensations on my end.

I know there are a few martial artist out there; are any of you still active in the sport with mechanical valves?

If there are any pilots in the crowd, what has been your experience in obtaining an FAA medical? I have read the regulations but would like to know how it went from your perspectives.

I am now in limbo with the cardiologist wanting to wait and the surgeon and I ready to go. Am I completly deranged for wanting to get this over with? I am not sure I can wait until I reach a more universally accepted standard of decrepitude. My level of function would be OK fo a sedentary person but I refuse to become a lump on the sofa without a fight.

Thanks for any insight and just being there.

 

[Karlynn]

Welcome! Glad you came in from the cold and joined us!

 

[gadgetman]

A lurker no more!!!!

Welcome aboard Philip. I can't answer many of your questions directly but I'm sure some will be on soon. As for running, there are many here who were active before OHS and continue now. Me, why run when you can drive????

I seem to recall some that have posted about martial arts and the pros and cons. I also recall either here or on another site a pilot who was able to get recertified after his OHS.

From our experiences here the Cardio usually takes a "wait and see" attitude and the Surgeon says "lets get in there now". I know our motto (thanks to Bob--I think) is "The worse it gets, the faster it gets worse!"

Good luck on your walk. Jump in anytime with questions and opinions.

May God Bless,

Danny

 

[Ross]

Moving to active lifestyles for the time being for some reponses. Anyone remember who it was that got the FAA certificate back? I should know this and forget.

 

[Mary]

Moving to active lifestyles for the time being for some reponses. Anyone remember who it was that got the FAA certificate back? I should know this and forget.

Buzz Lanning

 

[Marguerite53]

Hello Philip. Welcome to this wonderful community! I can't help you with any of your querries, but after laughing and sympathizing with your comment (quoted below) I just want to say hello and invite you to please join in at any time!!

Truly wishing you good luck with all of this. And yes, it would seem, as they say, that until quite recently I resembled that remark!! Excellent that you have your surgeon picked out and on your side. It is difficult to oversstep the cardiologist, isn't it? There are those here who will lend you strength to do so, should you choose to.

Marguerite

I am now in limbo with the cardiologist wanting to wait and the surgeon and I ready to go. Am I completly deranged for wanting to get this over with? I am not sure I can wait until I reach a more universally accepted standard of decrepitude. My level of function would be OK fo a sedentary person but I refuse to become a lump on the sofa without a fight.

QUOTE]

 

[Phyllis]

Welcome, Philip. Glad you decided to join in. Can't speak to any of the sports you are interested in, but Dick at 72 is right back at tennis, golf and biking. Lots of runners on the forum and I'm sure they will join in soon. Can't blame you for being in a hurry- life is good after AVR- especially when you are in good shape and active beforehand!

 

[JohnnyV_46]

Not sure about the Running, I just passed the 5 month mark and I've been back working hard every day since October. My doctor told me to do whatever I felt like. I feel better than I did 10 years ago. It will take you a little time, but I'm sure you'll be able to do after,whatever you were doing before...

 

[Georgia]

Hi, Phillip.

Seems to me that if you and the surgeon are ready to go, you might consider doing a little cardiologist shopping. There's a pretty fine line between the optimal time for surgery and waiting until your heart's damaged. And if you're an active guy, that line could be the difference between a quick recovery and months of waiting until your heart recovers - if it does. So if I were you, I'd try to get the cardio on my (and my surgeon's) side or find a cardio who's less conservative.

 

[MitralMan]

Phillip, I agree with Georgia.

Phillip, I agree with Georgia.

My cardiologist said I ought to get the surgery done within six months; my surgeon (recommended by my cardio) six weeks. My attitude was "get it over with." I was on the operating room table three weeks after my cardio first suggested I do a consult with the surgeon. It was only six months later that I learned both of them had been concerned that they might have caught it too late for a repair. I was lucky.

BUT: I didn't switch cardios, because my cardio is a GREAT guy and a GREAT doctor.

Hi, Phillip.

Seems to me that if you and the surgeon are ready to go, you might consider doing a little cardiologist shopping. There's a pretty fine line between the optimal time for surgery and waiting until your heart's damaged. And if you're an active guy, that line could be the difference between a quick recovery and months of waiting until your heart recovers - if it does. So if I were you, I'd try to get the cardio on my (and my surgeon's) side or find a cardio who's less conservative.

 

[hensylee]

Mornin, Phillip - welcome. We have been waiting for you. We have another Nawleans member (Praline, of course - what else?).

Lance is from Canada - do FAA rules apply the same?

We have lots of runners and some will drop by. You should be able to do whatever you did before, given time to heal.

Hope the waiting room is well stocked - we try to keep proper magazines, coffee, snacks handy for all. And the group here is ready with answers and if we don't know (is that possible?), some of us will certainly hunt it down.

 

[Mary]

Buzz Lanning

I was hoping someone would find the thread Buzz started (because I still have no luck doing it) and post the link. But no such luck!
So Phillip, you need to do a member search for Buzz's name, then look at threads he started, and you will find the thread where he posted his experience. Buzz has a mechanical valve, and he just recently went through the process of becoming recertified.
I hope this helps.
Mary

 

[gadgetman]

Philip,

I don't know how to do links to a post but Buzz's Thread title is:

Final Post-Surgery Hurdle - FAA Medical Recertification!

I found it using "pilot" in the search mode. It was about 6 or 7 lines down.

Hope this helps.

May God Bless,

Danny

 

[Philip]

Thanks to all!! With my previoous "lurking" I feel as though I know many of you.
Philip

 

[carbomedic]

Hello Philip,
Until last summer, I was active in both softbal and volleyball. I guess that best feedback I can give you is the feedback a team mate gave me during a VB match, "hey, your not panting like you used to". See, I was chaulking my lack of endurance and diminishing of skills to old age and "being out of shape". Run? man I couldn't even keep up walking with my wife and son.
After I knew I was needing a repair, I too had a window, 3 to 6 months, preferably, closer to 3 months. The decidieing facter? I couldn't finish snowblowing my driveway, I thought I was having the big one.
So, no sports, particulaly golf (sternum they tell me) for 6 months after surgery, then back to it.

You will feel supercharged!

carbo

 

[afraidofsurgery]

Postsurgery

Postsurgery

Jeez, I had stopped running, just made me too darn tired, couldn't go more than a half block. I never was a strong runner (gee, wonder if it was the regurgitation??).

I'm back at work, AVR was Sept 7. I don't have as much time to work out as I want, but I have noticed I can now jog for a while and do some sprints and feel awesome.

I was recently cleared to do "whatever I want". Can't wait for better weather (it is now winter in Chicago) to test out the new bionic heart, but so far I feel much better than before surgery.

There have been other posts for serious distance runners, as I recall they stated a year was a good rule of thumb to be 100% back to presurgery time and workouts, but best to search back for these posts.

Patty

 

[epstns]

Philip - Don't know how I missed your questions, but I just noticed the post. I am not a lot of help, but maybe some. I'm still in The Waiting Room with aortic stenosis (moderate to severe), having a valve area of around 1.0 sq cm. I've been a recreational runner/jogger for 25+ years. Not a competitive runner, but consistent. I'm now 58 years old and continue to jog 5 days a week at a 9:30 to 10:00 /mile pace. Yes, I've slowed down from just a few years ago, but my valve condition is advancing. Nothing I can do to stop it, just watch it and stay in touch with the doc's. If I jog my usual 4 miles (indoor club, on a treadmill) at 10:00 min/mi, my heart rate ends up in the low 150's. If I push the pace to 9:30, HR heads up to the low 160's. Thus far, my cardio hasn't been restricting cardio exercise. He just says not to push it if it doesn't feel good during and after exercise. He has, however, restricted my weight training to weights of no more than 40-50 lbs., to avoid pushing my blood pressure up too much.

Hope this helps. The best thing I think we can do is to learn our limitations, work at those limits, and be very aware of any changes that take place. If anything changes greatly, suddenly or strangely, I would contact my cardio and perhaps hold off the run until I get an answer.

Good Luck.

Steve