loud ticking

[mharris]

Today I took my daughter to the orthodontist and while he was looking at her teeth, the nurse was writing down notes for him. She put her wrist to her ear and then said oh that must be your watch I hear ticking. I told her no that would be my heart valve, she was so embarresed and felt bad, so I had to tell the whole story over again. Does the ticking ever get quieter? Does it ever get easier to go over the whole story of what happened? I think I am just having a bad week. Men probably can't understand this but my husband is going in on Friday to get a vasectomy and even though we were done having kids with our last one being 4months old. The doctors also said that my heart couldn't go thru another pregnancy besides being on warfarin. It is bothering me though to know that this is going to be so final. We have 4 beautiful children from age 9 to 4 months so that should be enough but I can't help feeling sad. I am only going on 3 months post op so maybe that is why I'm being so whiney about it.

 

[Nancy]

The ticking might not get much softer, but you won't notice it as much. You will get over those feelings when you discuss what you have been through. Don't expect people to understand much of it, and some may be afraid to hear it. At least that's what we have found.

My husband could care less about the ticking. He has two going on at once and not in sync with each other. Sometimes people cannot figure out where the ticking is coming from and it kind of scares them. When they ask my husband if he hears any ticking noises, he always says he doesn't, that he doesn't know what they're talking about. Just his little joke. Then they get alarmed that maybe it's some hidden "device". That's my 72 year old imp, having fun with his heart valves.

 

[LoraW30]

I don't even hear the ticking anymore. It's funny when someone who doesn't know me asks about my watch. I've actually gotten to the point of checking my wrist for a nonexistent watch. Last year, at a routine visit to my cardio, I was having an ekg and in the middle of it the tech asked me what time it was. She went all red because she actually knew about my valve, but had a "blonde" moment, and apologized. I just laughed and told her not to worry.

 

[McCln]

ticking valve

ticking valve

I used to listen to it when I went to bed at night, now I never hear it unless I am in the right position. Don't fear it, be glad when you do hear it. Had mine dor almost two years now. But telling the bypass story does get tiresome. Maybe you should write a minibook about it and when someone want the story, you pull out the minibook. Just for a laugh, hehe! Take care.


Caroline
09-13-01
Aortic valve replacement
St. Jude's valve

 

[Ross]

I've really only heard mine on 2 occasions, the first was right after surgery and the second was in the dead silence of last weeks blackout. Outside of that, I don't hear it at all.

 

[Gnusgal]

I can hear mine if I concentrate on it. Except outside. For some reason outside just isn't conducive to listening to the tic. But I "feel" it more than hear it, in the back of my neck. Okay, so I'm strange. But if I'm not thinking about it, I'm completely unaware it's even there, unlike in the beginning when it kept me up at night.

Every now and then my husband will start to say something about his watch being awful loud, then he'll realize it's me and his watch is digital.

My brother-in-law (who is 10) is the perfect height to put his ear to my chest when he hugs me, so he's always listening to it. I get extra long hugs that way . Sometime he teases me and will "tic, tic, tic" along with it then say "It stopped!" He can be pretty silly. Takes after his older brother...

I've never had anyone hear it unless I tell them to listen for it, though. and I've had mine for over a year.

 

[wlaldridge]

I hear mine in quiet confined spaces with hard/glass/ceramic walls, etc. Bathroom, standing by the door (glass) waiting for the dog to come back in the house.

My youngest son hears it from across the room and my oldest heard me in the back seat of his car. And I thought the younger generation were deaf from the loud music.

I can hear it going to sleep, but as many have said "its comforting and sure beats some of the other choices"

tick on and be happy.

 

[Johnny Stephens]

You *may* find that the "loudness" of the valve is variable - I find that it is really hard to hear either of my valves when I'm bloated or retaining fluid. Conversely, they telegraph quite loudly when I'm dehydrated, or otherwise dry from using my "helper" diruetic. Sometimes I can hear one but not the other, and can tell by the tone which one it is I'm hearing. At my last echo appointment, the technician remarked "Wow, those are noisy valves! I'll bet they keep you awake at night." They don't. Like the others here, most of the time I don't even notice them.

 

[bvdr]

I've been real interested in this noise issue. I am rather noise sensative and have been a bit concerned about how loud my valve(s) will be. I've decided that I'm going to just embrace the sound and not worry about it and consider it comforting right from the get go.

 

[Beverly]

Loud ticking

Loud ticking

I had my aortic valve replaced in 1990 with a St. Judes valve. I remember that I could feel the ticking in my neck and that once when I went to the doctor the nurse said she thought it was her watch and I could hear it quite well myself. I know that now I only hear it when I'm in the bathroom bathing in the morning and sometimes when its very quiet at night but only if I'm concentrating on trying to hear it. I have never had anyone other than that one nurse back in the beginning ever say they could hear clicking or ticking when they were next to me so I do believe in time that the noise does become less. Don't let it throw you!

 

[fyrfytr]

Loud Ticking

Loud Ticking

I find myself at times when I am lying in bed and it is quite and I think that I can't hear it I have to move around so I hear it again. It is no big deal anymore with the ticking. At least I know that I am alive as long as it is ticking.

Dave
_________________________________
Surgery: 4/21/03
Aortic Aneurysm Repair
AVR, with a St. Jude Mechanical 27mm
Heart Center of the Rockies