Surgery 2/24/05 valve repair

[heart04]

Well, I'll be having mitral valve repair on the 24th @ university of Maryland, didn't get any replies from anyone having surgery with Dr. Gammie or @ the University, but hope all goes well. If coronary arteries are clean on on cath will be having minimally invasive procedure to have valve repaired. I have the ut most confidence that Dr. Gammie will do a fine job, he did 110 of these repairs last year with zero mortality. Anyways, will check back in with you all during the week/weekend.

Donna

 

[country]

I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers, Donna.

 

[gadgetman]

Donna,

I think the University Hospitals (I had mine done at University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)) are great. I think they are trying to teach our new generation of Doctors better bedside manners (if you know what I mean) and everyone who visited me showed a sincere concern for my condition. My nursing staff was outstanding. Hope you have wonderful experiences during your walk. It sure helped me through the rougher times.

Unfortunately for me, I wound up having three by-passes at the same time. I had always hoped that less invasive surgery would be my fate but it was not to be.

Our prayers and good thoughts are coming your way. Try to have someone lined up to let us know how successful your surgery was.

Danny

 

[Karlynn]

Wishing you a very successful surgery Donna!

 

[Phyllis]

Best wishes, Donna. We will be waiting to hear all good results!

 

[geebee]

Donna,
So happy to hear they expect to be able to repair your valve. I hope all goes smoothly and I will pray for you.
Not to sound pessimistic but have you discussed valve choices just in case the valve can't be repaired? It does happen sometimes. I am not trying to scare you, just trying to make sure all options have been covered.
Good luck.

 

[lance]

Operation February 24

Operation February 24

Before you know it, you'll looking back on that day, and on the road to recovery.

Cheers

 

[Christina L]

God speed Donna!

God speed Donna!

I had mitral valve repair in Cleveland by Dr. Cosgrove 15 months ago. It is quite the experience to go through heart surgery, but if I can do it, you can also!!

Good thoughts and prayers are with you on your journey. Before you know it, you will be 15 months post surgery also!

Christina L.

 

[heart04]

MV Repair

MV Repair

Hi,
Thank you for writing. How did you feel after you were in ICU and awake. Did you seem to have a lot of pain, or don't you remember? I am ok with having the surgery, I know I am in GOD'S hands, and it will be ok. I just want to have it fixed and done with.

Thanks, Donna

 

[Birky]

ICu

ICu

I remember waking up when my family came in but I don't remember being on the vent or them taking it out. I also remember pulling back the sheet to see my chest. I was really hot since they put on warming blankets. I wasn't in a lot of pain. Got to ICU around 9 at night and at 6 the next morning had me walk from the bed to the chair. They then came in and took out my chest tubes and gave me ice or jello and put me on the regualar floor. I would describe it as being more uncomfortable then painful. Hard to find a comfortable position. Was in the recliner more than the bed. Got me up and walking a couple times of day. Tubes and all. You will be fine. I was scared too, but it was not as bad as I had imagined it. You will have a lot of support from this site.

 

[Christina L]

Donna,

Donna,

I have selective memory about a LOT of things. It is only when Wayne or my sister start to "remind" me of what I went through in the hospital does my memory get better.

I didn't have a lot of pain because my surgery was minimally invasive (as your surgery will be) and also I was on a lot of pain pills!! One night while still in the hospital I decided to forego taking my pain pills because I realized that they were lowering my heart rate and they were going to take me back to the ICU because of the low heart rate and BP and I didn't want that!! That was a huge mistake - I had to call the nurse at 2 a.m. for more pain pills. So, take your pain medicine and you will be fine!

The biggest thing I remember is not being able to sleep in the hospital and watching TV into the wee hours of the morning. However, I could not watch anything on TV but the hospital's "new age" music video channel. Even for a few months after my surgery, all I could watch was the food channel on TV - that is what I remember the most - just not being able to deal with anything stressful - and that included what I watched on TV.

They have you up and walking the very next day after surgery - it is all truly a miracle and most of us on this board are walking miracles. You are right, you are in God's hands, but God has blessed so many surgeons with their talent and we are the lucky, lucky recipients of that talent.

One bit of advice is to take it easy after your surgery - a lot of people try to push themselves and end up with minor complications from the surgery. Do your easy walking around the house, your breathing exercises, and I also recommend drinking high-protein Ensure or Boost to help your heart tissues heal, plus of course drinking lots of water and eating right.

If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to privately E-mail me.

Christina L.

 

[Marguerite53]

Hello!

Hello!

Just wanted to send my good thoughts your way. I'm still waiting around for my valve to worsen and require surgery so I can't offer you much but support!

I grew up in Silver Spring (now in Oregon) so I'll be able to visualize your whereabouts and I'll be thinking of you on the 24th and will look forward to hearing from you after surgery.

There are great links to be found in the resource section of this forum. The search engine here will bring up lots of great threads about post surgery experience, and ICU, etc. Other members can chime in and help you locate specific "conversations".

My best to you!

Marguerite

 

[Marge]

<<Hi,
Thank you for writing. How did you feel after you were in ICU and awake. Did you seem to have a lot of pain, or don't you remember? I am ok with having the surgery, I know I am in GOD'S hands, and it will be ok. I just want to have it fixed and done with.

Thanks, Donna>>

Donna, I had mitral valve repair surgery in February of 2004 (hard to believe it has been a whole year!!!!). I honestly do not remember a great deal of pain either in ICU or later, and I do not believe it is because of selective memory: the pain management in the ICU was wonderful, as it was later on the step down ward.

Maybe I was just very lucky, but the worst thing I remember from ICU is that for a while I was very nauseous, until they were able to control it (with Zofran). Dry heaves while still on the breathing machine were not pleasant but, oddly enough, not painful either.

The thing I was really worried about -- having to be on the breathing machine -- turned out to be no big deal for me.

Try to find out as much as you can about procedures in your hospital's ICU ahead of time so you won't be too surprised, and let them know what your concerns are -- pain management, the breathing machine, or whatever.

I was very concerned (having had not-so-good ICU experiences for a different type of surgery, years ago) so I was very insistent on learning as much as I could. I even managed to get a brief interview with the ICU physician (a specialty called an "intensivist") the day before surgery. I was very reassured to learn that I would have at least one nurse with me at all times, plus the intensivist going from cubicle to cubicle to check on the patients. As it turned out, much of the time I had TWO people with me in the cubicle. The care in ICU was so good, as a matter of fact, that when they told me they were ready to transfer me to the step-down ward, I didn't want to go!

Good luck .... although the prospect is scary, you will be surprised how fast all this will be behind you.

 

[geebee]

Donna,
I think pain is probably the thing everyone worries about the most and usually turns out to be a non-issue. NOT that there is no pain, OHS hurts but there are so many ways to control it now that it becomes secondary.
Try not to sneeze tho - that can make you feel like you will blow up any second. You may not have as much of a problem since they are planning the minimal incision entry but it's still bad.
You will also find that, once you wake up and realize you are alive, the pain is actually a reminder that you made it.
I will be thinking and praying for you on the 24th. Please try to get someone to post for you so we know you are OK.
Best of luck and God bless.

 

[Kay]

Hi Donna!

Before my aortic valve replacement I was very afraid of 3 things -- the vent, nausea, and pain.

The vent was not good but I was awake on it for 5 hours and did remain surprisingly calm. So I guess I would have to say it was not nearly as bad as I had imagined. But I don't want to do it again!

NO nausea whatsoever! I was on a general diet from the first day after surgery and had no problems at all.

Pain. This was a biggie with me because I'm allergic to most pain killers. All the good stuff! So I was really dreading the pain. I'm still shocked that the pain was so minimal. I had an abdominal hysterectomy last year and nearly died from the pain. And that pain lasted for weeks! OHS was a piece of cake compared to that! The pain was never unbearable and within a few days of surgery it was almost non-existant.

I must warn you though, when you think you're healed and well and think you're about back to normal, watch out! I'm 11 weeks post-op and really hurt myself by kind of twisting my upper body to reach something off a closet shelf 10 days ago. It caused a serious burning pain in my sternum and then the same pain in my shoulder blades that I had experienced in the first few weeks post-op. It was so bad it sent me back to the Vicodin! The pain was more intense than immediately after surgery and for a week I haven't been able to take a deep breath. I'm to see the surgeon tomorrow and have a chest x-ray if it's not a lot better. The PA in his office assured me that I have not done anything life-threatening, but somehow I jarred my sternum or moved the wires enough to inflame it all again. So my warning to everyone here is to BE CAREFUL to the point of being ridiculous! When you think you're healed, you may not be, and you can undo things and cause a bunch of problems without warning. I thought I was totally back to normal but got a rude awakening to the contrary. I have dearly paid this week and am still not over it. So watch out!

I pray that the peace of God will surround you and lift you up in the last few tense hours before your surgery. I pray you'll sail through the surgery and will have a boring and uneventful recovery. It will be over before you know it, and you'll love it on this side!

I'll be watching the boards to read the good report of your successful surgery, and you're in my prayers from this moment on.

God bless you,

Kay

 

[SHerrin Hutt]

Donna
I wish you all the luck. My prayers are with you and your family.

 

[Melanie Gaines]

Did you Ever Get the Surgery and How Did It Go??

Did you Ever Get the Surgery and How Did It Go??

Hi,

I was reading that you were planning to have surgery with Dr. Gammie in Maryland and that was the last post I saw.

I, too, am considering Dr. Gammie and I was wondering how everything went. Hopefully, you are fully recovered now and doing wonderful.

I'd love your feedback on the surgery.

Hope all is well,
Melanie

 

[Mary]

Melanie,
I checked and Donna hasn't posted or been on the site since last February. If you want to ask her specific questions, you should check her public profile and see if you can send her an email. To view her profile, place your cursor over her screen name on the first post and click. The profile will come up in another window.