White Noise Machine for Valve Clicking?

[heartyone]

Want to get the wife a white noise machine for at night. Her St. Jude's is sometimes making her absolutely insane and I'm hoping a bit of white noise may make her life a little more comfortable.

Any recommendations?

 

[Nancy]

Joe uses one made by Homedics. It has several white noise sounds. He likes the ocean waves. He has two mechanicals and they do make noise when he sleeps.

It helps him a lot.

I bought it on Ebay, but if you do a Google search, you'll come up with lots of alternatives. I think Sharper Image or Hammacher Schlemmer have one, but it's probably quite pricey from them.

 

[Ross]

Y'all will think I'm nuts, but I use a box fan. Works for me. Of course, I complain about the electric bill because our bedroom is electrically heated, but the fan runs anyhow.

 

[JimL]

We use a fan.

 

[MelissaM]

My dad and his wife use an air purifier. Not sure what it does for the air, but keeps them from hearing each other's snoring pretty well.

 

[Nancy]

Ionic Breeze and other similar air cleaners that electronically charge dust particles, can cause ozone to be released into the room. This is a lung irritant. Not a good idea for heart or pulmonary patients.

Air Cleaners with Hepa filters are OK.

 

[heartyone]

Thanks for all your suggestions. Am going to have this under the tree for her this Christmas.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Interesting...

I only hear my 21mm St. Jude aortic valve if I hold my breath or in certain positions. The sound is exacerbated when I experience a 'pounding' heartbeat which comes and goes.

Changing (sleeping) position may help.
Generally, physical conditioning seems to help everything.
Does she exercise?

'AL'

 

[ccrawford]

Funny you should ask - I just bought a Timex at Wallyworld yesterday. It has fm/cd and four nature sounds. I haven't figured it all out yet, but the nature sounds played at least for several hours last night and seemed to help. My St Jude is more noticable when I sleep on my right side, somewhat on my left side and barely noticible on my back. I can subjectively monitor my blood pressure by how intense the sound comes through. When the Beta blocker kicks in, the bp drops significantly and so does the sound. The Timex sold for about $50.00 and is a nice little compact model that won't monopolize all the room on your desk side table. Chris

 

[heartyone]

Al,

She's in incredible shape, otherwise she would have never survived the dissection. She's regained her pre-op strength quickly and walks daily with stretching and other stuff thrown in.

Her valve is LOUD. At night I can hear it loud and clear, and if we are within four feet of each other in a quiet room I can hear it. Sometimes I think if I had that thing thumping away like that in my chest all day and night I'd go out of my head. So far, she hasn't, thank goodness, but at times it is very bothersome.

 

[Marge]

hearty, are these valves really THAT noisy? Or is it just at night?
I like classical music & go to a lot of concerts where, if you so much as dare to unwrap a cough drop, people glare at you for crinkling the cellophane. If I have valve surgery, am I doomed to a diet of rock concerts instead?

 

[Johnny Stephens]

I have 2 mechanicals and USUALLY never hear them. However, once in a while, they become loud (retaining fluid, stress...whatever) and I get focused on the sound when I'm trying to sleep.

I set up a 30-gallon aquarium in the master bedroom, and the sounds from the pumps and filters are very soothing and masking.

 

[catwoman]

Marge:

Immediately pre-op the noise was louder -- loud enough for my husband, my sister, niece & nephew to hear the valve while standing beside my hospital bed.
At one time I could hear the ticking while in the car, with the motor running, radio on and AC on. Called St. Jude and was told the sound varies according to chest cavity physiology.


Seems the noise has pretty much eased up. I wouldn't worry about my valve bothering others, unless you have concertgoers glued to your chest. Might be laws against such.

My husband has never complained about the noise. Better not, he has a CPAP machine.

 

[tommy]

I count the clicks - like counting sheep. Don't normally get past 50.

 

[Birky]

flipper

flipper

My valve seems to be quite noisy at times. It is noisier if I lay on my left side otherwise I don't hear it too much. My husband heard it last week and started laughing because it was so loud. He was glad it was ticking away. If I get nervous, it seems to get really loud. I try to fall asleep on my right side. If I relax in the bathtub it sounds like it is going to come out of my chest. My oldest granddaughter hears it all the time.

 

[RickKiem]

Mine is so loud I worry if the darn thing is going to be able to hold together for 30+ years...LOL It sounds like someone banging two heavy plastic plates together. I can hear it all the time but it is really bad when I lay down and it doesn't matter how I lay. My wife can hear it very easily if we are in a guiet room. The up side is my kids are fasinated with it. They absolutly love to listen to it. They always tell me that it is going "TICK TICK TICK". I hope someday I will get used to it but right now it is driving me bonkers.

Rick

 

[Nancy]

Our cats love the sound of Joe's valves. He's always got one or two lolling around on him. The little orphan cat we got several years ago sleeps right on his chest at night. She thinks it's mommy.

 

[bvdr]

My cat "Shadow" sleeps on my chest many nights with his cold nose under my chin. If I move his whiskers tickle my nose. My valve is very quiet and his purring makes what little noise there is fade away.

Rick, my dad had a "trigeminy" rhythm all the time I was growing up. That just means that every third beat was too early and then there was a little delay before the next one beat. My sisters and I all remember sitting on his lap listening to his heart. It was such a comforting thing as children knowing that this sound came from someone we loved so much. Years later he went into atrial fib. When I started in atrial fib. I just felt this connection to my dad (even though by then he was deceased) that is hard to explain.

 

[catwoman]

Nancy and Betty:

Our Persians are oblivious to the St. Jude's ticking, but they're oblivious to A LOT of things anyway.

The 3 Abys who run through the house are 7, 7 and 9YO and I think they may need hearing aids -- true to the breed, they never mind and apparently don't hear the ticking.

On the other hand, the Oriental Shorthairs can hear something but aren't sure what's going on. They tilt their heads and I see question marks in their eyes.

 

[heartyone]

Am glad to hear that my wife's St. Jude's (aortic) valve isn't the only noisy one out there!!! Maybe it's because she's so skinny--the valve noise isn't muffled by a big, full chest.

Marge, don't worry about being "doomed!!" If you experience a noisy valve you'll most of the time be grateful to hear that sucker ticking away in there, protecting your life. I had to make the choice for my wife whether she received a bovine or mechanical valve and obviously I chose mechanical. She was 50 at the time of the surgery and was intubated, unconcious and nearly dead when the choice had to be made. Seeing her that way, there was no way on God's green earth I would have given her something that needed to be replaced again some day. Living on Coumadin isn't so bad and she is relieved that this valve should last her well.

One time we were in a real quiet movie and the person sitting next to her got up and moved, after spending a half-hour glancing at her. I think she believed we had a bomb with us or something. We also go to symphony concerts and the like and it hasn't presented a problem there. In our bible study group, held in a very small room with 10 or so people, everyone cracks up when we all quiet down at the end for a silent prayer. I think everyone prays that the valve will quiet down over the years.

Well, I did get her a white noise machine for Christmas, I got the super-duper ridiculously expensive Brookstone AM/FM Radio Noise Machine. Can't wait til Christmas night!!