Happy Birthday to my valve!!!

[twinmaker]

Just wanted to let everyone know that my St. Jude mechanical mitral valve celebrated its 24th birthday on August 20th!! We never used to celebrate its birthday until it turned 20 and then each year, my husband and I get very excited that its another year older. Similar to a Timex...it just keeps clicking and clicking and clicking! Linda

 

[rbl1999]

WOW!!!!!!! Congratulations, that is something very special to celebrate!!!Rose

 

[vboesen]

Happy day

Happy day

My 19-year-old daughter just recieved a St. Jude valve on 7/11/05 I hope hers lasts that long!

Valerie Boesen

 

[geebee]

Congrats.

This is certainly a tribute to both you and St. Jude valves. I hope you get at least 50 more.

 

[Karlynn]

I'M going to start celebrating your anniversaries too!!! The more years you log on your valve, the better my own future looks!!!

Congratulations!!!

 

[catwoman]

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope you & your hubby took your valve out to dinner and for some bubbly.

 

[hayden]

My valve will be "1" on August 31st!!

 

[Mike]

happy birthday!

happy birthday!

Wow! 24 years. That's incredible and wonderful. My valves will be 8 months old tomorrow, but working well!

Mike

 

[Christina L]

Happy birthday

Happy birthday

to your valve!! What a milestone for you. You sound so happy and healthy - an inspiration to us all.

Congratulations and continued blessings for many, many more of this kind of anniversary.

Christina L.

 

[Sherry]

Hey, Linda. Congrats on your "birthday". Those of us who are a few years out are looking to you for inspiration.

 

[twinmaker]

Thanks everyone for all the nice notes! It is exciting, that no matter what type of valves we all have or will have, that medical technology has come such a long way in helping people like us. And even though I had my first OHS back in 1974 and have learned a lot since then, I have learned so much just in the last couple of months since I found this site. There's nothing quite like talking with people who are "in the same boat". You are all inspirations to me! Linda

 

[901]

My valve(S) just turned two months on Tuesday!

Hope I'm still clicking along twenty-four years from now!

Congratulations on your birthday. Will next year be your valve's silver birthday?

 

[twinmaker]

You bet!!! Maybe I should do something really special for that one. I'll have to give it some thought.

 

[Brian]

Fantastic

Fantastic

Linda,
That is fantastic...and THANKS for posting that message, it is a great inspiration for the rest of us all who have one..do you get diamonds next year??...

 

[twinmaker]

Diamonds sound good! I'll pass that along to my husband!!!

 

[Brian]

I'll leave that up to you

I'll leave that up to you

Linda,
I'll leave that up to you..If I tell him that, he'll know it was a conspiracy...LOL..
How old were you when you had your valve replaced? What doseage of warafin are you on? I'm on 10 mg/day.

 

[twinmaker]

Brian, I was 29 (by only two days) when my valve was replaced. I just turned 53 last week. My valve replacement was my second OHS. My first surgery was in 1974 when I was 22 and it was a mitral commissurotomy. That's where they go in and cut away the calcifications from the valve. Since my valve replacement, I've been on all dosages of Coumadin. Anywhere from 17 mg. to 10 mg. daily. Currently, I'm on 10 mg. and that's the lowest it's been, but I have a feeling that next week the dosage will be bumped up some. Most of the time I've been on 15 mg. everyday. My cardiologist tells me I'm a fast metabolizer which is why I require such a large dose. Linda

 

[bvdr]

Congratulations! Today my St. Jude's Mitral valve is 2 years old and I didn't even think about it until I read your thread. We went out to dinner to celebrate.....not my valve birthday but my grandson's first day of kindergarten. I didn't know it was going to be a surprise and told him beforehand . Oh well, we had a good time anyway. Two years ago I would have doubted that the day would come when Aug. 25th slipped by just like any other day. I'm just so thankful to be busy and enjoying life again. My life is full of blessings.

 

[twinmaker]

Betty, Happy Birthday to your valve! I'm glad you were able to go out and celebrate your grandson's first day of Kindergarten also. If you're anything like me, you find that time passes so fast. I can't believe that 24 years have gone by so quickly since my valve was replaced. I agree that when you're going through the surgery and recovery, you wonder if life will ever be close to normal again, but God is good. And we all have many blessings to be thankful for. I am still amazed at all the technology and advancements in the cardiac field. Linda

 

[INRtest]

We should call it a "Re-Birthday"

We should call it a "Re-Birthday"

Linda, thank you for sharing. To repeat what has already been said, you are an inspiration. I celebrated "my" first birthday on 08/17 and after what I went through last yr., it was hard to imagine that I'd ever celebrate this "birthday." Reading about valvers with older valves gives us all hope for long, long lives.

I now pronounce that all valvers should live healthfully (& happy) until their 90th bdays - ...

Jess