I'm baaaack! I apologize for drifting off into the clouds for a bit, but I am still here, upright and consuming oxygen at a normal rate here on planet earth! In fact, unless the pinched nerves in my back act up, I am exercising with free weights daily and on the treadmill at the gym 5-6 days a week, or outside - if it would quit snowing.
All of this, and I just realized that yesterday was the 10th anniversary of my valve replacement. In case my signature isn't still there, I have had my Edwards Bovine Preicardial valve for 10 years now. I had my annual echo a few weeks ago, and the report says it is doing fine and looks/sounds like it did when it was implanted. I told my cardio that I want to wear this one out, but not too soon!
These past 10 years (really? 10?) have been all that I could have dreamed of. My daughter is now a successful professional, married with two young sons. My wife is fully retired, and I am semi-retired, working one week each month. I have found time for my hobbies, for travel (until Covid), for family and for whatever took my fancy. Life has truly been a blessing.
My only recent heart-related negative experience is that I have developed paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. That is AFIB that just comes and goes. When it happens, it doesn't seem to affect me much. I guess it would if I was exercising, but often it hits when I am sleeping. I haven't been held back at all, but I now have to take Xarelto along with all of my other meds. Such is life. My other negative experience is that I somehow developed prostate cancer. (Yeah, that happens to old men. . . ) I am lucky. It was caught early, was of minimal volume and grade, and has been successfully treated (treatment completed in late 2016). Now, all it does is add another couple of specialist visits to my annual medical dance card.
I keep saying this, but this time maybe I can be a bit more serious, when I say that I will be around to help where I can. Sometimes I feel that my experience is out of date, from a technical perspective, but now I also realize that the mental and emotional side of valve replacement doesn't change much, and I went through that, too.
My thanks to everyone who has been around here. You all made my valve journey much easier, and I feel that I owe a debt to the group to help those who come after me.
All of this, and I just realized that yesterday was the 10th anniversary of my valve replacement. In case my signature isn't still there, I have had my Edwards Bovine Preicardial valve for 10 years now. I had my annual echo a few weeks ago, and the report says it is doing fine and looks/sounds like it did when it was implanted. I told my cardio that I want to wear this one out, but not too soon!
These past 10 years (really? 10?) have been all that I could have dreamed of. My daughter is now a successful professional, married with two young sons. My wife is fully retired, and I am semi-retired, working one week each month. I have found time for my hobbies, for travel (until Covid), for family and for whatever took my fancy. Life has truly been a blessing.
My only recent heart-related negative experience is that I have developed paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. That is AFIB that just comes and goes. When it happens, it doesn't seem to affect me much. I guess it would if I was exercising, but often it hits when I am sleeping. I haven't been held back at all, but I now have to take Xarelto along with all of my other meds. Such is life. My other negative experience is that I somehow developed prostate cancer. (Yeah, that happens to old men. . . ) I am lucky. It was caught early, was of minimal volume and grade, and has been successfully treated (treatment completed in late 2016). Now, all it does is add another couple of specialist visits to my annual medical dance card.
I keep saying this, but this time maybe I can be a bit more serious, when I say that I will be around to help where I can. Sometimes I feel that my experience is out of date, from a technical perspective, but now I also realize that the mental and emotional side of valve replacement doesn't change much, and I went through that, too.
My thanks to everyone who has been around here. You all made my valve journey much easier, and I feel that I owe a debt to the group to help those who come after me.
