Thank you Valve replacement . Org

[David W]

Hi everyone. I just thought I would re post my words post op as to say a huge thank you and send some love through the ether to everyone on VR.org who took the time to reply to my worries when I was diagnosed. I cannot thank you enough for all of your insight and experiences that you shared with me so willingly. Thank you.


"Hi all. I'm post op footloose and fancy free. I got out on Monday (28th Aug) after 6 days recovery in hospital and I was never so pleased to get back home and get on to the sofa (Rugby World Cup time here in the UK......Go Wales) So I would just like to say a big thank you to everyone who took the time to offer advise relating to my questions, it was so greatly appreciated. I'm a bit exhausted as I'm sure you are all aware from your own experiences, but very slowly making progress......very slowly. Since having a chat with another member pre op explaining that some people use the forum, have the op and are never heard of again I will stick around and offer what advice I can to anyone about to have a similar procedure as everyone's words in here has been such a comfort. So I hope I can return the favour and love.

Thank you.

Dave"

 

[pellicle]

always good to hear the good stories

Best Wishes

 

[David W]

Thanks mate. Top folk in here.

 

[Seaton]

Great to know it all went well David. And that the rugby didn't start without you!

And for those of us still waiting and reading your words – thank you, too.

 

[honeybunny]

Sending the love back at 'cha

 

[almost_hectic]

Yup, congrats. Its a great little thing we have going on here. I know it was a huge lifeline for me in the days leading up to and after surgery!

I will say though, in the politest way possible this site does have a few hicups. It seems to get pretty buggy at times. Posts dont load or crash my browser and then I try to reload a page and it says critical error. Editing posts poses the same problems. What I was only pointing out is that it seems its time for the site to maybe get an upgrade. I have no idea what the means in terms of difficulty, time or cost. But I think I recall reading somewhere on here that it would be a matter of purchasing a new, more robust forum software to load to the site. If there were some kind of gofundme drive I would gladly donate and pass the word around through social media to as many people as I possibly could. Its amazing the causes people will donate to. I bet we might even find some corporate sponsors if we were to try. Is this something others would also be interested in helping with if its possible to do?

 

[Paleowoman]

Really great you found this forum David ! I know there's nothing like it in the UK so we're really lucky that Hank started it over the other side of the pond for everyone around the world too. The people on here are fantastic giving their experiences and knowledge !

 

[David W]

When I was told that an aneurysm of 6.1 cm had been discovered at the root of my aorta and needed emergency surgery, I cannot explain the isolation and loneliness that I experienced. I truly thought (naively) that they would just be able to fix it and I’d be on my way skipping back into life. At a further consultation with the surgeon the severity of the op was given to me in black and white. This was the whammy! Shock, worry, indecision set in, valve choice, recovery, major surgery, lions and tigers and bears oh my!

It was incredibly cathartic to learn that there was a community out there with patrons who had done it all before and incredibly therapeutic to be able to express my concerns, rational or irrational within the forums and have them held and responded to. I truly am thankful. Keep up the good work everyone, as this forum for me has been a godsend as I’m sure it has been and will be for countless others.

Almost hectic, I’d be willing to help.

 

[dick0236]

It was incredibly cathartic to learn that there was a community out there with patrons who had done it all before and incredibly therapeutic to be able to express my concerns, rational or irrational within the forums and have them held and responded to. I truly am thankful. Keep up the good work everyone, as this forum for me has been a godsend as I’m sure it has been and will be for countless others.

Congrats on coming thru the surgery OK. Your comment above highlights the real value of this forum. Knowledge is power, especially for those who have to undergo this type of surgery. When I had the surgery very little info was available to the "lay" patient and a successful surgery was measured in a decade or two. Now we know that this surgery is a loooong term fix and allows the patient to resume and live a very normal life. The continued success of this forum depends on folks, like you, sticking around after your surgery to answer the many known and unknown questions of the new folks.

 

[Trinalovescats]

Wow,6 days?I was there for two weeks!

Glad your feeling better...it gets better with time.

 

[David W]

Wow,6 days?I was there for two weeks!

Glad your feeling better...it gets better with time.

Hey Trina. I had mine valve replaced this time last year and an ascending aorta needed to be fiddled with and now I'm back on track loving and appreciating life again. I was quite healthy going in to surgery so hence a 6 day turn around. How are you feeling now?

D

 

[cldlhd]

Here in the states 6 days is pretty standard unless there are complications. Probably because insurance companies don't want to pay for more.

 

[Trinalovescats]

Cldlhd-

I woke up 6 days later,but 2 days later they took out my chest tubes,the nurse forgot how tiny I was and gave me way to much oxycoden and I was resedated for 3 hours.I could hear my parents crying and asking the nurse if I'm still alive.They did reversal medicine and I woke up 30 minutes later.

David-I'm good now.My incision no longer hurts,still tingles from time to time.I can lean back now on the couch.Walking in general is no longer scary for me.