The old members

[neil]

Just looking through the old posts and we have lost so so many of our old members, they have drifted off for whatever reasons so many who am sure some of you remember, this forum for whatever reason is not as busy as it used to be and that's a shame, hopefully we will get new members joining

 

[Eva]

I noticed the same thing, Neil, and I remember that "today's posts" were 2-3 pages!

i admit I am guilty of disappearing and reappearing. Sometimes there are circumstances stronger than us nor giving us any free time. Some may have other reasons. Some are still around! I hope things will get back to the old days too, as this is the best hep website around with a wealth of information.

 

[jwinter]

I confessed before that I was a lurker after my first replacement in 2012 and came back in 2016 shortly before my second AVR. I came for information and encouragement and received both. For that I am forever thankful.

The forum has some great things going for it but also some real problems IMO. I have decided I can take it or leave it.

 

[drivetopless]

I'm back!!! Is there a facebook page that promotes this forum? That would likely help. Search engines like social media links these days.

 

[Duffey]

Glad you're back! Forum activity seems to be cyclical. I've been here for 13+ years and there have been new websites spring up along with the social media sites.. There is a valvereplacement group on FB but it's never been very active nor has the Twitter account.
For me, my greatest member loss has occurred from members' deaths. Granbonny, Gadgetman, Blanche, Simon, Ross, Debrah, and Norma to name a few. Time passes; life goes on, and hopefully VR will too.

 

[OldManEmu]

I am still a regular reader of the posts, however I don't post very often these days. I have been around for over 12 years.
There were also a number of long term members left and joined another VR site about 6-7 years ago and no longer post here.

 

[ottagal]

I am also guilty of being active and inactive depending on what is going on in my life. However, I do try to contribute when I can. I agree...this is the best forum for heart valve patients. I will always be grateful to all the members who were there for me before, during and after my surgery. I hope to continue to be as active a member as possible.

 

[user 16827]

Newbie here, i've been reading for the forum for a few years now but only recently decided to join.

I have searched the site for help & advice and on almost every occasion i find the Info i was looking for.

I can't comment on the old days but as a newbie i find the site absolutely fantastic.

Keep up the good work :Face-Smirk:

 

[jeffp]

I'm still around. I read some posts now and again, but, alas don't contribute much nowadays. It's been 12+ years since my MVR and things have settled down to a state of normalcy and life's goes on. For the first year or so I relied on and got/gave lots of support and enjoyed the community. I'll pass the baton along to those in current need. Keep up the good work.

 

[JAMES W]

I too am guilty of "lurking" on and off....Still on original porker valve since Jan 2003..had two ablation repairs for A-Fib in December and May...am looking forward to my retirement from law enforcement in November...Hopefully will be on more...Thanks for all you do...!

 

[epstns]

I'm still here, too - but sometimes life has a way of re-setting our priorities and keeping us from being as active as we would like. I think that the one single thing that has changed this board is the decrease in the "pure social" banter that used to take place here. The forum named "Small Talk" where we talked about anything and everything in our everyday lives used to be the busiest forum on this site. To be honest, I'm not sure if it even still exists. The closest thing I see is the back-and-forth that often takes place in Super Bob's "Stayin' The Course" threads in the "Throwdown" forum. We wander across all kinds of topics there, but the other forums (fora?) on this site stay pretty much on subject. I do remember fondly dropping in to Small Talk every few hours to see what is going on among all my friends.

That same social banter could also be what caused some members to splinter off to "that other" board. There were a number of members here in the past who wanted the site to allow free discourse on all things political, which most often deteriorated into ranting filibusters and mud-slinging, which some felt was driving away the members and potential members with legitimate valve-related needs. People were asked to stop the political diatribes, and they left to go somewhere else where that behavior was welcomed.

I personally appreciate the less angry tone of things here over the past years, but I think we could broaden out the topics to include those that make up the everyday lives of heart valve patients.

BTW - To all of you who were lurkers and now have stepped back out into the open. . . WELCOME! I hope you'll stay around with us.

 

[Superman]

Define "old member", please. Just curious is a 2009 join date qualifies, or if it's pre-2005.

As far as activity here - I find that when life is going well and uneventful, I don't come in here very often. Sometimes something will spark my interest - and I'll get active again. Recently had a check up with a new cardiologist. Had some edema and they tested me for congestive heart failure, just as a precaution. Ruled out - so that's good. Still didn't like them even thinking along those lines.

I started running again and I've dropped over 10 lbs since that appointment. That was a positive outcome. Was able to cover three mile run this weekend.

I know the newbies need some veterans in here and maybe I should be more supportive. My hope is that the best encouragement can be that folks don't need to lean on a resource as great as this forever. Normalcy resumes again.

 

[dick0236]

I am one of the "old members".....both in terms of membership on this forum(10+ years) and in terms of "belly button" birthdays (81+ years). For 40+ years post-op I, more or less, fumbled around living with a mechanical heart valve.......and then the Internet happened and information became readily available and easily understood.
I found this site not long after I got my computer......and figured out how to turn it on. It was a Godsend for a lay person......even one who was years post AVR.

I still consider this site to be the "go to" place for "been there, done that" advice........and I still continue to learn from others who have a grasp on the "ins and outs" of living with prosthetic heart valves.......mechanical or biological.

 

[epstns]

Dick makes a good point. I am coming up on 16 years as a member - first as the "manager/host" of The Waiting Room, then through my surgery, recovery, and now some good years after. I still continue to learn things from the members here, and find it worth the time for myself. I also think that some of us older members should stay around as reminders to the new folks that there is often a very long and normal life after valve surgery.

I invite all of the old-timers to come around as often as they can, to continue to show the new folks that valve surgery is often "just one more warm beer in the six-pack of life." Yes, many members feel that the appropriate way to behave is to just get back to their normal lives and put vr.com behind them, but if we all did that, how would the new folks know that we didn't all die a month after surgery?

 

[Paleowoman]

I'm a member here for just over seven years. First in the waiting room, then through surgery, and now in a sort of waiting room again as my replacement valve is on the small side so always testing with six monthly echos and other tests rather than the annual echos before surgery. I would have stuck around after AVR anyway as I like to repay the help and support I received from forum members prior to sugery and during recovery by trying to support other members if I can....I'm forever grateful to other forum members.

 

[dornole]

I think Facebook generated the big change in forum use -- the social chat now goes on there, and the few forums that survive are less busy and more focused on information sharing. I've seen the same trend in another forum I belong to for parents of special needs children. It used to be a much "tighter" community with near daily sharing of joys and concerns. Now it's mostly "hey I need a good occupational therapist" or "event coming up." I miss the closeness sometimes, but everything has its season. I haven't been on this forum long enough to see the difference. Super glad this site isn't political! People get agitated enough about tissue vs. mechanical (LOL)

I am really grateful for all the info shared here and what's really great is you can search the forum and still get information from years back that's helpful to a specific situation. You can't do that the Facebook. This site is a great archive of the experiences of so many people. As a person with a somewhat less common valve condition I really appreciate that.

 

[Paleowoman]

I think Facebook generated the big change in forum use -- the social chat now goes on there, and the few forums that survive are less busy and more focused on information sharing. I've seen the same trend in another forum I belong to for parents of special needs children.

I own/moderate a forum for parents of children on the autistic spectrum who homeschool - some years ago it was daily extremely busy and we needed two full time moderators, now it's rare for someone to post. The same has happened on two other forums (fora?) I'm on. People have gone for Facbook. I personally don't like FB and much prefer forums which have topics/threads that people start which are then followed through and give good information and support.

 

[ejc61]

I kind of come and go. I have also developed a low grade prostate cancer and am enrolled in an active surveillance program. I'm now a bit more occupied with prostate cancer education which is unique and confusing to say the least. Interesting, the forums dealing with that have the same personality dynamic except patients argue about which intervention is better. Is it surgery, radiation or active surveillance as well as other issues? I do like to come back here however.

 

[lance]

I'm guilty of lurking too and don't post very often. Great site and the exchange of information second to none.

 

[spartangator]

Indeed, this place is such an asset, judging by the number of people using it at any given moment (131 currently--6 members), so there are still lots of people benefitting from your wisdom. It's great to be reminded of some of your stories and how long you've been contributing.