Joan's Posts

Hello HVS brothers and sisters! Today marks 10 days since my surgery for MV repair, and it has been going pretty well until I hit some bumps in the road this past Tuesday night. I ended up in the ER at our local hospital with an irregular HR in the 120's, shortness of breath, dizziness and near syncope. Turns out I had gone in to atrial fibrillation, a very common scenario with HVS and especially the MV. They also found 2 small pleural effusions in my lungs, but thankfully it was not pneumonia. So i was admitted to ICU and they were able to cardiovert a fib back to normal sinus rhythm. I was transferred out of ICU to the tele unit and that is where I am right now. The cardiologist and hematologist both think that anti-coagulation is in order at least temporarily to avoid my fairly high risk of stroke. So that is what is being done now. Walking a very fine line with my bleeding issues and now the stroke risk. Oy ve! Can't be easy can it? It looks like I will be on lovenox and then coumadin at least for the time being, with very close monitoring. Makes me really nervous, but I trust the docs. Sorry I have fallen off the radar recently. With my recovery issues, I have not really felt up to keeping up with communication. I do want you all to know that i have been thinking about you and keeping you in my prayers, even when you don't hear from me. Thank you again for all of your well wishes, words of support, and prayers. They continue to carry me through this challenging time. Prayers that this anti coagulation issue is resolved soon with a positive outcome would be really appreciated. With love and gratitude, Joan

Hello to my fellow HVS brothers and sisters, I am happy inform you that my surgery went well, with no usual bleeding, and a MV repair rather that a valve replacement. Yay! Thanks be to God! I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to all of you, for your reassurance, encouragement, and of course all of your prayers. I could feel the support from all of you as I went through surgery and in the initial recovery period in the hospital. When the medical team was doing post-op teaching, so much of what I was told rang a familiar bell due to all of the helpful information you have shared so openly from your own personal perspectives. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my new and improved heart! You are certainly a very special group, and I feel so blessed by everyone here. And of course Adam, you deserve special acknowledgment for all that you have done and continue to due for our community. I just arrived home, and I am feeling very tired, but I wanted to give you a brief update. I will post a more detailed report (along with a picture or 2?) in the next fews days when I am feeling a bit stronger. At the moment, I am just so grateful to be alive. What lies ahead in recovery may be tough, but I am here and I will face it a step at a time. That's what we do . Love to all, Joan