Judy's Posts

It's now 4 1/2 months post-op for me. In January, I had mitral valve replacement at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Unfortunately, there were major complications. I was supposed to get a tissue valve, but it didn't take. I was put back on the heart/lung machine and they replaced the tissue valve with a mechanical valve. After that, my left ventricle started massive bleeding. They patched it up, but told my family that I had a very low chance of survival. The surgery lasted almost 12 Hours and they had me in a medically induced coma for two days. When I woke up, I had no idea of what I had been through and what my family had endured. I was in the cardiac ICU for 11 days and then in the cardiac care unit for a week. I'm so thankful for my physician and the staff at BWH. I would not be here if it wasn't for their diligent care and compassion. After being discharged, I went to a rehab hospital for 2 weeks. I had to learn how to walk and take care of my own basic needs, again. The physical and occupational therapists worked with me and were so encouraging. When I went home, I could walk short distances with a walker and could climb stairs one step at a time. Now, I can climb stairs just like everyone else, and can walk on my own. I have such a great support system - especially my husband who helped me through the whole ordeal. My children do not live nearby, but they were with me through my hospital stays. Now, since I have a rapid and erratic heart rate, I have to have a defibrillator/pacemaker implanted to ensure that I don't have sudden cardiac arrest. I'm hoping that my resilience, family and faith will help me make it through another experience. I've always been a fighter, which helped me through all of this, so I'm not giving up yet. Your thoughts and prayers are welcome.