VOTE for me!...

[Birdman]

...I've grown so weary of the Political Season that I have decided to have my Minimally Invasive AVR on November 4th.

Then again, that was the earliest that could be scheduled...

My AVR is scheduled for Election Day, when I got that news I called my County's Election Office & was able to get an Absentee Ballot (& an address change also).

I have already Voted, then they informed me that my Signature didn't match my card on file. I registered about 33 years ago. So I had to take care of that.

Anyway, the wait is just about over.

This whole mess started back on August 4th with me having some breathing problems. I had been having these problems for a few weeks. I thought it was allergy related. It was getting worse, & I was getting weaker. At the time I didn't have a regular Doctor, so we go to the neighborhood emergency room. Swedish/Ballard Hospital hooked me up to their goodies & said that I was having a Heart Attack. Jimminy H. Cricket! I thought they would say some kind of breathing problem & give me an inhaler. They decide to transport me to Swedish/Cherry Hill where the Cath Lab is. Three days later I get to go home. The Doctor doesn't know what happened, the blood numbers say that I had a Heart Attack, but my Heart has NO DAMAGE! They did discover a 'leaky' Aortic Valve. The pump rate of my Heart is 45 (55+ is normal).

After getting home, I go out on walks to get my Heart Rate up in the 120bpm range. I am ready to get cleared to go back to work. My Doctor doesn't like he fact that the blood numbers didn't go down like they should have. He decides to get another sonogram where they discover that my Aortic Valve is now fully open, & not closing at all. Good News is the Pump Rate is near 60. The drugs & walking has done its job.

Gee Wiz! I now get to go thru a battery of tests! Scans, X-rays & enough blood to make a Vampire drool! The rest of me is in great shape! We'll forget that I am about 80 pounds overweight.

We have discovered High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, & Cholesterol (201). The Diabetes puts me at a slightly higher risk for infection after the surgery.

The worst thing for me is the fact that I might not be able to work the plate as a Little League Umpire. Because I am so young (I just love it when they say that), A mechanical Valve is what I need. Y'all know that this means blood thinner for the rest of my life.

Those 11 & 12 year old kids can throw hard enough to be a concern. My Surgeon says that 'a Foul Ball strait back to the mask can still cause internal bleeding that nobody will ever stop!' Kinda makes ya think... I have Umpired in Ballard Little League since 1991. I earned my Birdman Nickname in District 8 All-star Tournament. I look like I am flapping my Wings on close "Safe" calls. The players have called me "Low Strike Mike" since back then also. Heck! the top of the knee of a 10 year old is about 6 inches off the ground...

Spring is a long way away! I still might able to work the bases.

I read Electric Meters for Seattle City Light. I have not worked since this has stated, thankfully I had more that 7 months of sick leave built up. My boss said that he figures that if I am out the rest of the year, I will have about 400 hours remaining, he was amazed!

mike​

 

[ChouDoufu]

"A mechanical Valve is what I need."

shouldn't that be your decision? from what i've learned here, age is not the only
factor to be considered. (disclosure: i'm 44, planning on tissue avr jan 09)

"I might not be able to work the plate" & "internal bleeding that nobody will ever stop"

that doesn't seem right. there are plenty of cyborgs on this forum, taking
coumadin and still enjoying a normal life - including motorcycling, hang-gliding,
parachuting, rock-climbing, etc.

if it's the case that a foul ball could be life-threatening, then life itself would be.
drop a bowling ball on your foot, slip in the tub, sneeze too hard - all could cause
massive internal bleeding. nothing left but to wrap yourself in bubble-wrap and
lock yourself in a dark, padded room.

you're on a tight schedule, but you have to research some more first. don't let
your doctor make the decision for you, especially if he/she may not be fully
informed. remember, just because they have an md after their name, doesn't mean
they're qualified in every subject. ex.: when i first was diagnosed with high
cholesteral (240), my v.a. doctor (smoked, 100 lbs overweight) told me not to
worry; his cholesteral was around 300 and he wasn't concerned.

 

[THigginsVT]

Mike

Best of luck with AVR on Tuesday. Keep us informed.

I am out 2 weeks from surgery. Feeling great but still smarting from CABG surgical cut. Be confident and optimistic.

When you wake up we will have a new President and you will have a new valve. Tom

 

[Eva]

.......
My Surgeon says that 'a Foul Ball strait back to the mask can still cause internal bleeding that nobody will ever stop!' Kinda makes ya think [/COLOR][/COLOR]

mike​

I was hesitant about the mechanical valve because of the Anti-coagulant medicine for the rest of my life! Wrong reason. I came to his website and I found people who had been taking Coumadin or Warfarin for over 30 years and did not have problems, and 2 days before surgery I informed my surgeon that I wanted the mechanical valve.

I am surprised the surgeon told you the above. In worst cases such as internal bleeding, a trip to ER and they give you a Vitamin K shot which will stop it.

The last decision should be yours alone, if you feel OK with the tissue, go for it, but if you are chosing it to avoid coumadin, there are many tissue patients who end up taking coumadin after the surgery! Good luck.

 

[netmiff]

yeah well, if warfarin is the ONLY reason for not choosing mechanical, my advice (and I am not a medical professional) is to read the anti-coagulation forums and think again. Also, ask yourself, do you really want to have to go through this again in 10, 15 or 20 years?? Either way, tissue or mechanical, there are no guarantees that you will not have to go through this again, but with mechanical the chances are that you won't; tissue valves can last longer than estimated, but there is a chance that they will last less long than stated, too. Sounds a little like a crap shoot, eh? Well, in a way it is. You make the decision that seems best for YOU at the time, and live with it. I am sure there will be others along with their opinions, too, but in my case, at 52, the decision to go mechanical was a no-brainer.

I have learned a lot about anti-coagulation on this forum, and although I never feared it, I am so much more comfortable with it now.

It must have been a shock to hear you neded it NOW. I had about 8 years of annual check-ups and being told "someday" before that NOW word was said! There are others here who had as little warning as you.

Getting you ribs cracked open is not as bad as it sounds, I was freed from hospital in 6 days, and after I was home, took nothing but OTC pain meds. You just have to be careful for a while.

Another thing to help you through this, there are thousnds of people each and every day that get bypasses, they get their ribs cracked, too, and they struggle through it.

Ooooops, almost forgot to welcome you to this crazy family.

 

[hensylee]

WELCOME! sorry that this brought you in. Is it the OCTOBER SURPRISE????

We will all be rooting for you come Nov election day. I am voting for you!

When you go in:

GODSPEED!

 

[Mary]

See you're all ready on the surgical calendar; good luck and best wishes!

 

[Wise]

I just cast my vote for you. Prayers and best wishes to you.

 

[Cooker]

Mike .... Wishing you a successful surgery and a smooth recovery??Godspeed.

 

[Superbob]

I am voting for a successful surgery and smooth recovery. All best to you.

 

[Jkm7]

Wishing you a very successful surgery and uneventful recovery. I've heard excellent things about Swedish Hosptal.

Hope you will post and let us know how you are doing when you are able.

Happy you found us and hope we can help you with your questions post surgery when those niggly little issues come up and you want to speak with someone about whether.....did we also experience that? We all go through that.

Good luck. We're casting our vote for a safe journey over the mountain for you.

(Just need to add...... I agree with those who say valve choice should be yours, in consultation with your surgeon. You choose; he doesn't. But be sure you carefully do your research and know all about your choices.)