VR Newbie - Checkin' in.

[Billbmike]

Hello all,
What a great community! I am still a month away...July 16th is the date...but I still have alot of concerns and questions so I'm thankful there are those out there, nationwide, that are willing to share their experiences.
I joke that I went in for a colonoscopy and they found out I had a bad AV. Asymptomatic but moderate to severe regurgitation. Thru this site I was introduced to the On-X valve option. My doc, in Spokane, had said something about the St. Jude, but I think I want the On-X for all the reasons mentioned on this site.
I may be a month away, but I do have some of anxiety. Five 'til six AM is the worst for me...when I lay there over-thinking. I'm in fairly good shape for a 52yr old but maybe I should be working out more...lose a few lbs prior to surgery..? I'll assume that my over-eating to curb the anxiety should stop..? What about "minimally-invasive surgery" for an AVR? Is that a Q for the doc or do I have to have the "Full-Monte"? I have great support at home but I worry that I will become a complete pain as a patient...especially after kids return to college.
More thoughts to follow later, but thanks again for this "cyber-couch" to vent on.
Bill

 

[Phyllis]

Welcome, Bill. I put you on the calendar so it is "official" now. Mininally invasive is an option if your surgeon does a lot of them and you do not need by-pass. Definitely ask the question. Anxiety is normal. Hopefully reading all the great success stories here will help alleviate some of that.

 

[Jkm7]

Hi and Welcome, Bill. Happy you found us but sorry for the reason.

Most have us have found that dieting to lose weight pre surgery is not usually the best idea. Don't put added stress on yourself. Eat healthy but don't necessarily worry about losing the few pounds. Keep up whatever exercise your doctors approve. Being in good condition can make a measurable difference in recovery. It did for me and many others.

Your anxiety is so normal and all of us who have had our surgeries have experienced it. Try to keep positive thoughts and definitely ask your surgeon all your questions. Will you have another consultation with him/her pre surgery?

We're here to help in any way we can. Only those who have 'been there' can truly understand.

You'll do fine!

 

[ctyguy]

Welcome to the community, you've found a great resource with lots of great folks you can lean on for support.

I have a minimally invasive Aortic valve replacement and mine was with an On-X valve. My surgeon was recommending an On-X valve to me on our initial consultation. I had already done some reading and knew that this was the valve for me as well. I will tell you that the On-X is supposably more technically difficult to install. The profile of the valve is higher than other valves so you should make sure your surgeon has some On-X experience. My surgeon told me that he had put in about 50 On-X prior to my surgery.

Minimally invasive for me meant that I had a 4 to 5 inch incision with a partial sternectomy versus a full sternectomy and an 8 inch incision. When I asked my surgeon about it initially he said that for him a Mini-AVR was standard procedure for someone having the aortic valve replaced and had no other surgical needs.

By 3 weeks post-op I was starting to walk 30 minutes a day on the treadmill and was running by 6 weeks. Im now running about 10 miles a week and have no issues <knock knock>.

If your having anxiety issues, I know I did, I would suggest talking to your PCP and get a scrib for some Xanax. It took the edge off for me and certainly made the waiting a bit more tolerable.

Best of luck and ask any questions you may have !

 

[WayneGM]

Welcome to the VR community, Bill. Sorry for the circumstances but glad you found us. Anxiety is normal. However, it wasn't nearly as bad as I had feared. Best wishes and good luck.

 

[ruth]

Welcome Bill!

Waiting really is the toughest part and so are those moments lying awake in bed. Coping with the waiting is a challenge for us all.

Try to take the stress off in healthy ways if you can, no sense packing on too many extra pounds right now. Similarly, no sense dieting to extreme either. Just try to coast into surgery with as little stress as you can manage.

Do discuss incision and valve options with your Dr. I went for one of the so called "minimally invasive" options, a thorocotomy, and while there really was nothing "minimal" or "non-invasive" about the OHS I did get a nice cosmetic result.

Welcome, pull up a couch and vent away!

I wish you a successful surgery and an uneventful recovery.

Peace,
Ruth

 

[duncanjo]

hey newbie,

Con grads on the date. I'm glad you found this site just like you I was a lost soul searching for answers. As you see you'll have alot of support here with the locals. I see ur getting a valve replaced?.. If so, you'll probably go on blood thinner pills, if thats the case go on a good drunk, because ur not allowed to drink to MUCH while ur on the meds which is for the rest of ur life, and eat as much salad as u can. Apparently u can't eat that either...Good luck and don't worry about losing any weight because you'll lose 10-20 pounds during and after the surgery.

joe mech valve april 04/08

 

[hensylee]

mornin and welcome to VR. This is where you want to be to get all the info. When you are awake and 'overthinking' just get right up out of bed and head for the waiting room in VR and you might ease on up some. Glad you are here. Blessins.........