Surgery Date Set & Many Many Thanks

[JJGo]

Well folks,

I know you haven?t ?heard? much from me but I have spent a huge amount of time here and it has been invaluable. I figured my questions and concerns had probably been addressed several times over so I used the search function and have been getting tons of (possibly a little too much) very helpful information. Your responses to my previous posts about preparations for surgery have made my life so much easier than it would have been without. So many many thanks to all of you who put so much time and effort into helping out us newbies.

A special thanks to Jennie. It turns out because of her suggestion I too will be going to Dr. Zehr at Mayo for my Synergraft Aortic Valve Replacement, next Thursday, July 18th. Yikes! One week left to do everything on my long list of things to get done before hand. Jennie, I just went through and read all your posts about your decision making process and how the surgery itself went for you. Although this process did make me feel a little bit like your Cyber Stalker. Hope you don?t mind too much, Jennie. We?ll both be part of the same study now!

At the moment I?m relatively calm about what?s ahead but have a feeling I could ?loose it? at any given moment. By the time I get everything possible done in preparation the surgery and hospital stay may just feel like a much needed vacation. I?m pretending that I?ll be spending a week at a spa. Spa Mayo, lavished with attention, heart massages and oh so specially prepared meals. Well, a girl needs her fantasies, whatever it takes to get through this. My motto is that if I can?t have some fun, then I?m just not going to do it.

On a more serious note, I?ll happily take any suggestions, information, etc. that you all have to offer to me. If you?d like more detailed information about my entire process, I have a health update website: www.caringbridge.com/mn/jymme

 

[Ross]

I love those pictures on your web site. It displays the range of reactions that we all get and that fascinate me.

I'll keep you in my thoughts and as your recovering from your surgery, I hope you'll keep me in yours. Mine is the 22nd. I hope you don't mind, but I put your date on the forum calendar so I won't forget.

If you don't already know, my first date of June 10th was cancelled due to a viral infection. I was really going bonkers June 8th, when it seemed like they were going to go ahead with surgery and didn't let me know until office closing time on the 8th. The hospital surgical schedule people weren't even told and they called me on Sunday evening to tell me to be at the hospital at 5:30 a.m. and surgery at 7:00 a.m.!

Try to maintain and visit us here if things start to really overwhelm your thoughts. We'll be here.

 

[Jennie]

Hi Jymme!

Great website! I just signed your guestbook! So you're getting ready to go, huh! No worries, all will be well. Kick back, relax, and don't expect to get much done in the next couple months. Priorities, you know? Everything else can wait! I hope your insurance pans out okay. The estimate that Zehr's secretary gave you is pretty much what I saw on my statement. Anyway, never mind this, I hope your surgery goes well! Welcome to the Club! I'll be looking for the news on you. And "stalk" all you want, it's a major thing that you're dealing with here, and we are so fortunate to be able to connect with others in the same boat, so to speak, for advice and support. It can be a maze going through this, it's good to have people in the front turn around and give a helping hand.

I hope you also read the posts by Brooks and John Cochran. These are the other aortic SynerGraft buddies on this site. John has a bit of a scary story to tell, but thankfully it has a happy ending.

best wishes, and prayers....
-Jennie

 

[Johnny Stephens]

JJ, all my best wishes for your upcoming surgery. I'm glad to hear the site has been of help to you as it has for so many of us. We'll all be sending positive thoughts your way!

 

[BrooksM]

You're in good hands.

You're in good hands.

JJ,
Have you met Dr. Zehr yet? He is great, I was a little nervous leading up to surgery but he put me completely at ease. I'm doing better than I could have imagined, back playing softball and basically doing anything I want at only 6 weeks. I'm sure my recovery time is not exactly normal but I had no complications and really no bumps in the road after I got home. I feel very lucky to have found this site and Dr. Zehr instead of getting the pig valve locally. I only had 2 days to prepare, I called Dr. Zehr's office on 5/20 looking for a june surgery date but they said he was booked or out of the office all of June but could I be in 5/22 for prep and surgery 5/23. Much better that way than to sit and stew for weeks.
I'm sure you've heard all the tips, but I'll give you a few anyway.
Walk,Walk,Walk. If you wake up at night take a few laps, I tried to walk every 2 hours or so around the clock. Nobody sleeps in those hospital beds all night anyway.
Deep breathing, use your lung exerciser hourly if you can.
Eat good, the hospital is great, the staff is excellent but the food still sucks. Eat it anyway and your energy will come back quicker.
Go outside, they let you go down in the courtyard to walk or sit, I did that everyday and it does wonders.
The nurses at Mayo are excellent, very attentive,helpful and knowledgable.

Good luck, you'll do fine.

Brooks McIntyre
Synergraft AVR - Dr. Zehr, Mayo Clinic - 5/23/02

 

[JJGo]

You guys are great

You guys are great

Thanks for all the good wishes and info.

Brooks, I've been meaning to be in touch with you and will still try to do that before surgery. Your words of encouragement are really helpful and I think our situations may be similar although you are even younger than me (45) to have gone through this. You are definitely going to be my roll model/mentor, as I hope to have the same smooth recovery, no blips or bumps like you. I'll take to heart your advice on walking etc. and that courtyard looked very inviting so will plan on being in it as soon and often as possible!

I did meet with, Zehr, not sure if you read about that on my website but it gave me much confidence and between that and you and Jennie's experiences I feel very very good going into this. John's experience gives me hope that even if things go wrong the outcome can still be great, but i'd certainly prefer following your path, not his! LOL

I have to share this with you all: Yesterday I went to see my acupuncturist, Dr. Xin Rong He for whatever help she could be in preparation for the surgery. I always love seeing her. She is a sweet, wonderful, wise woman with incredible knowledge of Chinese medicine. Whenever I?m with her I feel like I have a wonderful Chinese mom for a short time. Well, she outdid her self yesterday! She must have told me a hundred times that this surgery would be ?no problem, don?t worry? and started listing the reasons why. She started out with four reasons and by the time my appointment was over an hour and a half later she had a list of ten (with an extra one tacked on for good measure). At some point in the middle I said, ?These are great, I should be writing them down.? So she had her assistant/translator write them all down for me. Number one makes me really laugh. I guess everything is relative! I?ll be posting the original in my hospital room because it made me feel so good. So here?s the list:

Jimmy?s[sic] 10 Advantages (or strengths)
1. The surgery is not a heart transplant; it is not a big surgery. Don?t be afraid. Don?t worry.
2. This surgery is not an emergency. You can choose the best time for you.
3. You have experience in surgery (for breast cancer before).
4. You have good mood which helped you recover from breast cancer, which will help you recover from the heart surgery.
5. Summer is a great time for life to recover and grow. It helps you recover, too.
6. You have no high cholesterol, no diabetes, no high blood pressure, which helps you go through the surgery.
7. You have good health insurance coverage. You are very lucky.
8. You are young which will help you go through the surgery and recover.
9. Good friends will take care of you.
10. Dr. He will help you before and after the surgery; especially help you prevent depression after surgery.
11. You have the best clinic (Mayo). ? Added as I was on my way out the door.

So there you have it. Nothing to worry about. I am feeling very good about it all. I will be ready for surgery on Thursday. Of course, I know I won?t have everything done on my list of things to get done before surgery but that?s not stopping me from trying to get them all done! On Sunday I?m taking a day off from all this and spending 24 hours pretending I have a normal life; no thoughts or activities focused on heart surgery; a date with my sweetie, the Farmer?s Market in the morning, a fun outing, a movie, whatever sounds good at the moment.

 

[Bill Hall]

JJ - I enjoyed you 10 advantages. You might change 4 to say you have a good attitude or you might just add it as number 12. After all, who's counting. Best of luck and I will have you in my prayers on surgery day.

 

[Nancy]

HI JJ-

Looks like you're ready to go. Everything will work out just fine. We'll all be here for you.

 

[EVELYN]

HI JJ....OUR PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU....YOU'LL DO FINE. I DIDN'T BELIEVE THAT WHEN EVERYONE TOLD ME THAT ABOUT TYCE, BUT BOY WERE THEY ALL RIGHT. YOU'VE CHOSEN THE RIGHT SURGEON, AND THERE'S NOTHING ELSE YOU CAN DO BUT LET GO AND LET GOD....EVELYN AND TYCE(AVR 6/26/02 @ ST. FRANCIS HOSPITAL, NY AND DOING GREAT!)

 

[Granbonny]

Will be thinking of you

Will be thinking of you

JJ, Just think, a week from today you will be up and walking around the nurse's station. You would have lost some pounds..but I gained 10 of mine back (3 months) but I feel great. My advice to pre-surgery members is to walk, walk, walk, that nasty stuff out of your body... In the house when you go home and outside as soon as you feel up to it. I found a cane helps and by all means use the mobile wheelchairs at WalMart, grocery store for first few weeks...Then before you know it you will be skipping along at a good pace.. Will be thinking of you on Thursday. Bonnie

 

[Ross]

JJ Thanks for your thoughts and prayers in my thread.

I wish you nothing but the best possible recovery also.

I guess we'll talk when this is over for the both of us.

Take care until then,
Ross

 

[JJGo]

I'm posting this in both threads...

I'm posting this in both threads...

I JUST GOT THE APPROVAL FROM HEALTH PARTNERS!

SURGERY IS ON AS SCHEDULED!!!!

Oh my god, hold on for a second while I breathe into this paper bag.....

Well, now I guess I better finish packing.

I can't thank everyone enough for all your support and energy that has been directed towards this. It's made a huge difference for me and I choose to believe it made a difference in the outcome this morning. If we can make this happen (with the Insurance), I have no worries about the surgery going well. I think I've been through the hardest part. Maybe the last two days were just to give me perspective.

Not sure when I'll be able to update here again but someone will be updating my website with progress reports.

www.caringbridge.com/mn/jymme

 

[Ross]

I'll certainly say a few extra words to my creator for you tonight.

......And I'll say a few more tonight too!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

We'll be talking soon........

Ross

 

[Christian]

Congratulations, and good luck to you!

Ross, the same goes for you. Best wishes.

Christian

 

[Ross]

Thanks Christian, likewise to you and yours.