New Member, Surgery 5-29

[beth]

Hi everyone!
My name is Beth and my husband Alan will ge going in for OHS May 29th at Boston Medical Center. He has a BAV and an aneurysm (4.5) in his ascending aorta that extends to his arch. He is 46. His occupation is a full time snowboard coach at a Private School (High School), and also coaches football and lacrosse. He is on the snow at least 5 days a week from Thanksgiving to April. His other extracuricular "passion" is riding his motorcycle. We have 2 children, ages 20 and 21. After careful thought, he has decided to replace his valve with a Carpentier Edwards. Between his carreer, lifestyle, and personality, this was a "relatively" easy choice. Coincidently, his younger brother (age 44) had OHS 7 weeks ago for a 6.7 aneurysm and had his "normal" aortic valve replaced with a St Jude Mechanical. His brother is very happy with his choice. The same surgeon is doing Al's surgery.

I just found this site yesterday and it helped confirm our decision, feelings, and answered some more questions. Lots of great information. Thanks to all of you!
Beth

 

[geebee]

Welcome, Beth.

It sounds like the valve choice is the right one for your husband considering his lifestyle.

I have heard only good things about Boston Medical and you already know he will be in good hands from his brother's experience. Very interesting that they will almost be going through this together. Sure glad that 6.7 aneurysm got repaired before it let go.

Let us know how we can help.

 

[Phyllis]

Welcome, Beth. I'm glad you found the site and we could be of help before surgery. I put your husband on the calendar for the 29th. Please be sure to let us know how he does and best wishes for a successful surgery and uneventful recovery.

 

[briansmom]

Welcome to the site. Best wishes to your husband for a successful surgery and recovery.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

You may have noticed that Valve Selection can lead to an emotional debate.

Your husband's choice and his brother's is the perfect example that the actual valve choice is less important than the fact that each is happy and content with THEIR choice. BOTH Valves will allow BOTH Men to have longer and hopefully productive and happy lives for many more years to come.

I'm glad that what you found on VR.com helped you and your husband be at peace with your decision.

Best Wishes for a successful surgery and uneventful recovery.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Arlyss]

Thank you, Beth, for sharing your family's experience. It highlights the importance of checking all family members once BAVD/aneurysm is found in someone. Although one of them had what appeared to be a "normal" aortic valve, they are both affected with abnormality of the aortic valve and ascending aorta. It shows how much variation there can be, including the younger of the two brothers having the largest aneurysm.

I am very glad that they both have had their conditions diagnosed and wish them many many years of happiness to come.

Best wishes to your husband on his upcoming surgery. He will do just fine!

Arlyss

 

[Susan BAV]

Welcome to the site, Beth; glad you found VR.COM. Surgery the 29th? That's coming right up!

Does your husband have any other siblings besides his brother? Any other known heart valve issues in the family? Is your brother-in-law as active as Alan?

Best wishes to your husband, you, and your family; and hoping all goes extremely well. Please post again.

 

[WayneGM]

Hi Beth. Welcome to the VR community. Sorry to hear your husband has to go through this but glad you found us and decided to join. As you can tell by my avatar, I also share your husband's passion for motorcycles. Best wishes on his upcoming surgery, and for a speedy, uneventful, recovery. I look forward to an update from the other side of the mountain.

 

[TrophyWife]

THIS is indeed THE site to be on. I just got here myself (AVR SJM cabgx3) in April and already these guys (and gals) have helped me turn my head back around!
Keep us all posted!

 

[beth]

Thanks for all the kind replies! We just found out that they had to push back Al's surgery a day - so he is now scheduled for the 30th. Arrgggghhh! One day really is not that big of a deal in the big scheme of things...........but I have to say the wait has been a killer.

Al has a very strong history of heart disease. Dad bypass surgery at 37, died at 47 of a heart attack. Mom bypass in her 40's, died of heart attack at 53. Same history extends to grandparents, aunts and uncles, and most recently a healthy, active cousin at age 50. He is not aware of any problems with aneurysms or bicuspid valves, but then not all had autopsys and diagnostic techniques have certainly improved over the years. So Al just assumed that he would someday have heart issues - but both brothers do not have any blockage. Go figure! They have another younger brother who has had issues with high cholesterol and BP. Recent heart testing (echo, stress test) has all been OK. Both of our kids just had echos and neither has a BAV. Al's brother (who had the surgery) has a 13 yr old with a total cholesterol of 250.........

Al's brother is not as active as him - does sports on a recreational basis. His job is in the car and behind a desk. He had trouble with warafin in the beginning - thought he may have to take an anticoagulant by injection for the rest of his life, but they have figured things out and all is going well. The ticking does not bother him. He may at some point do home testing, but his is in a bigger city so going for blood work is not an inconvenience at this point.

I keep second guessing the valve choice more than my husband. But he is confident and kept going back to his first choice. This whole process has been very stressful as most of you are welll aware. He will be looking at a career change over the next few years - it was something that he had been planning even before all this.

Take care
Beth

 

[Natanni]

Hi Beth

My husband's (AVR @ 34 for BAV) Dad had a heart transplant 15 years ago, but was adopted so all our history stops there. His father had an unspecific cardiomyopathy, perhaps viral. Our daughter (10) had her pulmonary flow murmur echoed last July and ruled to be completely normal but we will hopefully echo our son (15) this summer (no murmur).

The waiting is one of the hardest things, and I am sorry to hear things got pushed back. In our experience, the valve choice was the absolute hardest time in our lives. The entire family was pulling in all different directions. Once my husband made up his mind, he was completely content and that was the end of it. I worried about the choice right up until surgery. The one thing he did want originally was an On-X, but the Mayo refused to use one at that point.

Wishing you guys all the best

 

[beth]

Natanni
Thanks for sharing. You do bring up another stressful point of all of this -did we pass this on to any of our kids. We are all fortunate to now know our immediate family history and to have our kids screened. This will allow preventitive measures in our family members and to not allow anything to come to a crisis point like it did with many people on this site. It is one gift we can pass along. My best on your sons screening this summer.
Beth

 

[Dennis S]

Greetings.

Greetings.

I had my bicuspid aorta valve replaced nearly two years ago. I was wondering myself about "blockage" issues. My cardiologist stated that, in his experience, few people with BAV had this problem. It turned out his guess was right in my case. Glad to hear your husband's experience is similar.