Two weeks and counting....

[Fast Eddie]

One down one to go

One down one to go

Hi all

Well, the cath procedure was yesterday and all went well. I have some minor plaque build-up but nothing that requires fixing during the upcoming surgery. The vote is still out on whetehr or not the valve needs to be replaced.

I still have to do some more reading on valve selection. I am leaning towards the On-X because I really would rather not have OHS at 70+ years if I can avoid it. But there are still some issues I need to research dealing with ACT and an active lifestyle, so I'll be hanging out in that forum as well.

For any folks waiting for a catheterization procedure to be done, it really is no big deal. The anticipation is much worse than the procedure. The worst part for me was having to be flat on my back for several hours. I always get lower back pain if I am on my back for too long.

And I did thow a 'vagal' when the nurse first applied pressure to my groin. After about a minute of pressure, I started feeling queasy and clammy. Luckily this occurred while I was talking to the doctor who had done the procedure! So a quick dose of atropine in the IV did wonders.

Oh..and there is one other part which was less than pleasant. (Any women reading this can move on)

For us guys they use a condom catheter, at least they did for me at Beth Israel. And that is really helpful, as they don't want you moving for 4-6 hours after the procedure. What they don't tell you is that they use an adhesive in the condom. So when you go to take it off....well, let's just say my catheter and I had become quite attached to each other.

To 67walkon:

I have been tempted by the MS 150 rides. The PMC is really expensive as far as fund-raising goes. This year I am on the hookf ro $3600 if I ride or not. I have heard the MS rides have a much lower fund raising minimum.

You probably should have then do at least an echo on your heart to see if there is an aneurysm lurking. If it's there you should know and depending on the size assess the risks of riding. I did a lot of hard riding in the years after we found mine. Maybe I'm just real lucky. Let me know what happens.

To susieq14:

I keep hearing that Ralph de la Torre is a real go-to guy in Boston for aortic problems. He was really generous with his time when my wife and I met to talk about my situation.

I was able to deal with the seven years of having the aneurysm by not thinking about it a lot. Probably a stupid move, but it allowed me to do a lot of good bike riding. And deep down I figured if the aneurysm popped at least I was doing something I enjoyed.

But now I've done my last ride for a while. I really hope to be able to ride again in June/July and not have to even think about my little friend in my chest.


Thanks to you all for your thoughts. I appreciate every one of them.

 

[Phyllis]

So glad the cath went well. Now we are all praying for the same good results on May 8th and look forward to hearing about your first bike ride in June or July!

 

[Guest]

Very glad the cath went well .

Thoughts/prayers coming your way....



Cort:33swm."Mr Monte Carlo.Mr Road Trip".pig valve.pacemaker
PICS:lego.HO.model.MCinfo.RT.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort
my radio show:CD SHOWCASE.7:30p central.Friday/April 27 = www.wrmn1410.com

 

[Philip B]

You might be okay to ride

You might be okay to ride

Hi Eddie,

Welcome aboard!

If you surgery is in early May and the ride is in August, you might be in shape to ride. Both my cardiologist and surgeon told me I'd be back into normal activities within twelve weeks after my AVR and aortic graft. They also told me I wouldn't feel like I had surgery at all after twelve weeks. Now, I think both of these guys are being optimistic, but I felt the same way when they told me I would be back to working 1/2 days three to four weeks after surgery. Imagine my surprize when I was back to work on a 1/2 day basis at the beginning of week three and it felt really good.

As others have said, with the guidance of your docs set yourself some realistic goals and targets during the recovery and rehab stages of your trip and evaluate where you are in late July and early August. You don't want to over do things, but wouldn't be nice to find that participating in the ride might be within reach. Don't count yourself out until you see how recovery and rehab go.

-Philip

 

[mntbiker]

Hi fast Eddie,
You may very well be able to do the ride, just make sure you have a bail out if you need it.

I started on the trainer three weeks after my surgery and returned to the trails at three months, the only reason I waited that long was because my wife would not let me hit the trails any sooner, something about the only part of riding that I had mastered being falling.

When I returned to the trails at three months I was able to do some decent length rides and push rather hard.

Good luck and welcome to the site.

 

[67walkon]

Eddie, no one has reported an aneurysm, and I have echoes pretty regularly. I'm sure the CT scan week after next will tell me.

Catheters and all that don't sound like much fun, but you did well. Good luck and don't hurry back on the bike too fast. Listen to your wife-they are smarter than us about things like that.

John