Jan's Posts

Hi Jan! I am sorry to hear that you are not feeling well. I am currently wearing a Phillips Holter monitor for 30 days to check on whether I am having a-fib episodes. (Acquired a-fib 4 days after my April 2024 aortic valve redo surgery.) Not sure if your “Heart Bug” is the same as the Holter monitor. Are you on any medications? Amiodarone was causing me to experience a lot of side effects.

Hi Suelynn This a-fib thing is really concerning ..... I wasn't really ready for it. It sounds like you're in the same situation. I'm on apixoban as a precaution & want to go off prescribed medication completely, hence the HeartBug monitor - which is working better now, but getting very itchy. I think a HeartBug is similar to what you're wearing .... same purpose anyway. I'll be back later to see how you're going. ❤️

So get the itchiness from the lead adhesives. My cardiologist decided to end my original 30-day monitoring at Day 21. He didn’t want my skin to get infected from the many blisters/hives that were forming underneath. Funny thing is that the skin irritation and rash was from using the hypoallergenic leads! I am on Eliquis (blood thinner) and hope that my monitor report will give my cardiologist the confidence to stop it. Appt is early August. I am very sensitive to meds, etc., and like you, my goal is no meds (if my dr agrees).

Yes, same Suelynn. I'm on Eliquis too - that's one of the brand names for the apixaban drug. I was on 'Bicor' (bisoprolol fumarate) too, a beta blocker to reduce heart rate. But I stopped that because in getting back to new 'normal' my heart rate was too low! And yes, I hope the data from your monitoring means your prescribed medication is no longer necessary. Good luck for your next appt. Take care. ❤️

I am sorry to hear you will need a reoperation, but it is always a possibility when we have tissue valves or allografts. I am 6 years into my bovine tissue valve (and Dacron ascending aorta / aortic root,) and we just never know how long they will last. You have some good motivation to stick around to enjoy your son, and i pray that everything goes well for you in November.

Yes! You need to me here for your son. I have a mitral valve repair in late August. Recovery has been a bumpy road for me but I have 2 daughters and 2 grand babies and I want to be around as long as possible. Whatever it takes. Prayers for a smooth journey for you.

They will probably use an Edwards Konnect conduit with Resilia valve already sewn in. This can accept a TVAR down the road if the surgeon plans for it. (moving coronary buttons higher) The hope would be that by the time you need a TVAR the technology will be such that they last a lot longer than they do now. Best of luck to you! My surgery is on Nov. 15th.

Its the fallback if they cant reuse my own. Doc will take a look and if it appears he can fix my own valve and make it last at least as long as a bio he will rehang mine in the dacron. If not, then the Edwards Konnect. I have a lot of confidence in Dr. Roselli.

Jan, Heart surgery has advanced so much in recent years even since you had your initial surgery. I was definitely scared when I learned I needed my surgery. The surgeries we have do sound/are complicated but what I kept in my mind before mine was, this is what my surgeon does regularly. This is his "another day in the office". My trust in him and knowing so many people were sending prayers and wishing me well helped me to approach it, in the moments before, with a calmness I never imagined I would feel.I will be sending my prayers to lift you up during your surgery.🙏 I also have 2 sons about your son's age ❤️

Thankyou all so much, I really appreciate your kind comments & feedback. ❤️ I'm having an unexpected down day - just found out my first CT-CA scan wasn't comprehensive enough for the surgeon (CT-TAVI required). I'm not into unnecessary diagnostic procedures. At this stage I encourage everyone to keep asking WHY, & all the niggly questions??? I didn't ask 'why' enough on this occasion & I have a not so rational aversion to X-rays & the like! And yes, I will battle on for my lovely son. Good to be reminded. 😊 I also want to share my opinion on how precious the heart-valve-surgery story & info sharing platform is - it really is sanity saving at certain stages of our journeys. Stay thriving everyone.

Hey, Jan! On the other side of the world I’m having a bicuspid valve replaced tomorrow! I also have a 20 year old son. Has your son been screened for heart defects? Mine has an appointment next month. Hoping he’s all good, but knowledge is power! You’ve done this surgery before and seem to be thriving. Your going to do it again!

Hi Jan, That procedure is seldom performed in the USA anymore due to the complexity of the operation and the rapid failure of the aortic homograft itself. It's incredible yours has lasted so long. My homograft only lasted from 1991-1994. I had a Ross Procedure at the follow-up surgery (1994). Bioprosthetic tissue valves and the Ross Procedure are a more common re-operation for replacing homograft valves. Are they still suggesting the homograft again in Australia?

Thanks for your feedback Cathleen. No they are not suggesting the homograft - I'm having some investigations completed before a surgeon referral. I'll need surgery soon and am just doing as much research as possible to go in with relevant questions, options and knowing what I don't want. It's challenging to stay positive but I really want quality of life. I hope you're doing well now. 😊

I'm going to self respond to my general query above, for anyone else who has the same query. Although the aortic valve and route allograft was right for me 25 years ago, it is not the right procedure now, i.e. complicated to remove diseased calcified allograft, re-attachment of coronary arteries problematic, makes any future re-operation more challenging and TAVR would not be an option etc. I'm still going for a bio valve replacement but this time it will be cow valve plus woven Dacron aortic graft. It is designed for future TAVR - that's the plan. Stay thriving all. ❤️