Justin's Posts

Justin - Yes, I like Mara had mitral valve surgery. I experienced a tightening chest during my recovery, I still get some tightening now and again almost a year later. But was told it can take up to a year for the sternum can take a year to fully heal, you just have to take is slow.

Wow! That is a lot to go through. Must have been frightening! I hope things are going in the right direction for you now. I got an aortic tissue valve when my aneurysm was resected 2 years ago. I have noticed that my heart beats much stronger now, especially when I take in a deep breath. I can imagine it is because this new valve works more efficiently and puts out more per beat than my original bicuspid valve did. It has been this way since my surgery. Praying that things get back to normal for you soon!

I have always heard mine. I recall being in ICU, waking up and hearing it. I wasn't supposed to get a replacement but a repair. However, my valve ended up not repairable and I knew instantly when I awoke. I had extreme anxiety for a few days and sudden onset anxiety for a couple of months. Seven months - 1 day I am fine. I coach kids playing baseball 7 days a week. Keep fighting and getting better. The sound will never go away but you will learn to deal with it. Find an out and embrace it.

Justin, I'm so sorry you've had to struggle through all these complications. I'm soooo glad that you advocated for yourself and kept returning to the ER and I hate that it took four trips! I'm thankful your pseudoaneurysm is repaired. I don't doubt that the ticking and strong pulse are uncomfortably distracting. I had a strong beat for weeks after my surgery but it quieted down in time. I hope yours will settle before long or that you'll be able to get used to the changes. Hope things start getting easier soon!

Hi Justin. I am happy that you are here! I had a AVR with a mechanical valve w/ Ascending Aorta Aneurysm repair about 18 weeks ago. I think I have even mentioned on here how my heart felt like it was a revved up race car engine in a little gremlin car. Wom-wom-wom-wom. I could feel and see my heart start its forceful beat at the top of my chest and travel down to the left side of my flank area. The forcefulness did get better with time. Today, in dealing with trying to get my in-home INR monitoring approved, I am feeling that forceful beat again. Especially at the top of my breath. I know my blood pressure is up and attributing to this. It will calm back down. I have removed caffeine from my diet and it has also helped. The tic, tic, tic. OMGawsh- it was defining last night. I can attribute the loudness of the tic to what my INR is and blood pressure. I know last night it was from my INR trying to actually become normal. I knew it was not therapeutic before testing because the tic had quieted- and sure enough it was only 1.7. Coumadin increased to 10 mg and I can tell it is taking effect. I find comfort sleeping with a sound app on my phone to drown out the noise. I totally get and understand all these concerns. The tic is very distracting. The pounding of my heart (that I can feel in my throat and belly) is at times uncomfortable. I was feeling pulsating in areas that I had never felt them before- back of my neck, right at my throat above my incision, on my side. I was going crazy one day last week and was telling a colleague about this. He let me know that he can feel his pulse in those areas too. That maybe, because we haven't had good blood flow (in my case, my whole life) that we are just having to get use to how a heartbeat is supposed to work! Best of luck, and I look forward to following your progress.

Justin, you are doing what many people wish they could master: listen to your heart! Well done, man. You brought the team together to circle the wagons and you are alive because of it. Sorry to hear your journey is bumpy and filed with challenges but you will conquer these challenges. ❤️💪

I am sorry you had to have all these surgeries at such an early age! I did notice early in my recovery that my heartbeat was more prominent laying on one side. That has subsided now, at nearly 2 years post op. However, I got a tissue valve since I was 63 at the time of surgery, and did not have to contend with the ticking. I am sure that the noise will become less bothersome with time. I also had some bothersome ectopic beats for a few weeks after surgery. None of my episodes lasted more than 30 minutes, so I did my best to ignore them even though they were quite concerning at times. Try to be patient with yourself throughout your recovery. You have been through a lot in your young life. Godspeed on your recovery!