C's Posts

I’m 6 months from surgery this week. Notes from this month include: + In general, back to pre-surgery normal, and then some. The lows are not that low. Things are getting incrementally better, even now. + Trip to London, (posted about earlier) where I got to test my energy & stamina over the course of a week and did great. Lots of walking, but not much cardio. - Towards the end of my vacation, I did notice some shortness of breath, and this thing I call “heartcups.” It’s sort of like a hiccup — I try to take a breath but don’t get any air. I had these right after surgery, and they went away after a month or two. It only happened a few times on my trip, and hasn’t happened since I returned. - All my life, I have felt short of breath while exercising. I would take a deep breath, but it never felt like I was getting a ton of air. I felt that way when I re-started cardio after vacation. But now I know how it is supposed to feel, and I know when something is not right. After a few days of cardio, it got better — now when I take a deep breath and get a lungful of air, I can really feel it. It’s amazing. That shortness of breath was a clear reminder of how different things are now than they were before surgery. I hope that in time, a few days off will not cause problems. + I am getting better at understanding my heart… I feel I need to keep up the regular cardio exercise to keep my heart strong, keep it in that intense-but-not-too-intense zone (11-13 on that weird scale they use at cardiac rehab), and rest when I need to. I haven’t had palpitations / extended irregular heartbeats since early February, when perhaps I was going at it a little too hard. + I have noticed changes in my feet and abdomen, which had become swollen a few years before diagnosis. I thought this was just weight gain and menopause. A year before surgery, I took a photo of my feet wearing some new shoes — my feet are puffy, you can’t see my ankles. I re-took the photo the other day, and I can see ankle definition, ankle bones poking out, tendons, veins. I have a waist again — lost three notches on my belt. My rings fit again. According to my $20 body composition scale, my weight and body composition haven't changed much since early December, so it makes me wonder if some of the swelling may have been edema from heart issues. + My intra-op TEE showed my valve had no regurgitation, but at my post-surgery echo, my repaired valve had mild regurgitation. I could feel it — it felt gurgly, tho not as intensely as before surgery — and my husband could hear it when he put his ear to my heart. It’s gotten better — haven’t felt anything and my husband hasn’t heard anything in a while. I am hoping it will be better at my next echo. - I had to stop my running experiment because of my knee… Doing knee strengthening exercises, and will try again in the summer. I feel like this would be a real test of my heart performance. I used to love running and am very motivated to get my knees healthy to try again. + Daily living is so much easier now… I have energy at the end of the day to walk the dog, do chores, cook. Taking the heart healthy diet seriously. I feel lucky to have had clear arteries for this surgery, and hope to keep them that way. + I still get fatigue, but not the same or as bad as before. I don’t have pain / tiredness in my legs, and I wake feeling rested. - Hills are still difficult — I have gone for walks with friends where I have to talk while climbing hills. I’m short of breath, while they’re doing fine. Grateful to everyone ahead of me who shared their positive experiences, and provided inspiration, motivation, and hope. Best wishes to everyone whose surgeries are upcoming and to everyone in recovery. 56F / BAV regurgitation & aortic aneurysm / aortic valve repair & aortic replacement 9/18/2023.

I’m about 5 1/2 months out… just came back from a week in London. It was so exciting I barely thought about my heart the whole time. I managed my own bags (a suitcase, a backpack, and my handbag); got over 20k steps a few days; stayed out late, danced, and got up early. I was a little anxious at first, but eventually forgot about all my health worries. I wore supportive but heavy boots that I had given up on a few years ago — they made my legs too tired — now I can hike around the city all day in them. I couldn’t have imagined being able to do this prior to surgery. I had taken all the exercise recommendations from rehab to heart — and feel stronger and fitter than I have in many years. It is a thrill to be able to do the exercises, which I wouldn’t have been able to do before without extreme post exercise fatigue, and then see that pay off in having a more active life. Plus it was a wonderful way to celebrate still being alive. Hope others feel similar improvements or better as they recover. Best wishes to all . 💗

I am a bit over 5 months out of surgery for aortic valve repair and aortic hemiarch replacement. Milestones for this month include completing cardiac rehab, and starting walk / run intervals on a track. It's amazing to be able to run and not be short of breath. It is very exciting, and I am looking forward to see what else I will be able to do. There are a couple of local hikes I had to stop doing, and I want to give them a go again. I was feeling a lot of PACs throughout January, and did wear the monitor again, but everything seems to have settled down. I like to put on headphones, which block out other noises, and listen to my strong, steady heartbeat. I have been trying to manage my low BP by being careful to stay hydrated, and haven't had any problems. Everything's feeling great right now. Just wanted to share some positive news. ❤️