Kate's Posts

For those who knew Rita Savelis: I recently logged back on here to check on some people, only to be crushed by the news about the death of our friend Rita Savelis. Though I never met her in person, Rita was very special to me, and I know she was to many of you, as well. We "met" on here in 2016 as I was preparing for my 2nd OHS for a double valve replacement. She was one of the first patients I met who also had multiple mechanical valves and was on warfarin so we immediately had that connection. I was also drawn to her because she was always authentic, supportive, and kind in her comments. I felt understood by her because I didn't have a "perfect" recovery, nor did she. I am a sensitive person who feels so much and so did she. She helped me to feel ok expressing my feelings, even if they weren't always positive. We lost touch for a few years back when I stopped logging in here much, but she was always in my heart, like all of my other "class of 2015/2016" friends. I thought I'd meet Rita in Paris someday, whenever I would make it there! I signed back in to this site last summer when I found out I needed yet another OHS. I was devastated by this news but I was so happy when Rita commented on my first post. I felt grateful and relieved to know that she was still doing ok and that we could reconnect. To share an excerpt from her comment. The first part made me chuckle a little and the rest of it felt like it sums up what I loved about Rita. We had talked back in 2016 about making a soundproof shirt or bra :) "I also remember how you and I wrote about designing a t-shirt with padding to muffle the sound of mech valves. I hope that writing was helpful. You are such a beautiful writer. We are not always looking for answers, just saying where we are and describing honestly the present place. There do not have to be any "you've got this" or "waiting for surgery is the worst part" just an acknowledgement about how hard and unfair life is. And how we move forward, because what else can one do?.. .... Much love." When I had my latest surgery on July 21st, she said she going into the hospital that day too for issues with her pacemaker leads. She still commented on my posts periodically and checked in on me. But the last time I heard from her, things didn't sound very good and she said she was going off this site for a while. I respected her need for privacy, though it was hard not having any way of sending her support or knowing how she was doing. I know that she impacted many of us here with her wisdom, warmth, and genuine care. She had a beautiful way with words. None of us are guaranteed any amount of time here on earth, this we know. Rita's passing was another difficult reminder to me to always be grateful for this beating heart and every breath. But it's also ok to feel angry or sad at my situation sometimes, as long as I don't dwell in that dark place. You really never know how your words, written or spoken, will affect people and I can only hope that Rita passed knowing that she was important to me and to so many of you who were lucky enough to interact with her too. Thank you to for Adam for creating this site, because I can't imagine making it through these surgeries without the support and friendships I found here. This is a such a kind group of people, so thank you all for being here. And cheers to our friend Rita. May she be at peace.

I am now about 12 weeks post op. Things are kind of slow going here in my recovery process, with multiple setbacks and a few ER visits. A few days ago, I pulled something in my rib which is very painful and I think was just from getting out of my bed. I had slept in my recliner for months, including before my surgery, so when I started sleeping in bed, it brought on new pains. I guess I wasn’t quite ready for it yet, so I’m back to the recliner temporarily :-( I had a cough for 4 weeks due to pleural effusions which is much better but now it comes and goes. It seems like I need to stay on diuretics for a while longer so we’re playing around with dosing. I also still have some “atelectasis” or lung collapse in my right lower lobe which has been present since surgery. Have any of you had issues with your lungs recovering so slowly? And then my electrophysiologist is ordering a home cardiac monitor to look for any arrhythmias that could be contributing to my dizzy spells and periodic shortness of breath. It seems I may have been wrongly diagnosed with Afib a few months ago in the ER, so we shall see. I get very frustrated with the setbacks but I have to keep reminding myself that I am very early on in the grand scheme and this is my 3rd open heart so I somewhat expected more pain and slower healing. I know I’m just very lucky to be here, and it makes me teary sometimes. I can’t walk my dog yet because he’s a puller, but here is a picture of him for you dog lovers. This is Kai! He’s not an official therapy dog but he sure helps me get through the harder days.

At post surgery week 5 from OHS #3, I am noticing I am excessively tired, bored, and have many different pains in my upper body and ribs. I don’t like how I’m progressing due to other factors I’m dealing with but I knew this would be a long road for me. I’m sick of being on all of these drugs that make me feel crappy. And I realized the dreaded post cardiac surgery depression was coming on. So I made sure to plan some small outings with my hubby this weekend to some places that make me feel more like me. One of these is a local garden where you can do self guided tours. It was a perfectly beautiful day and there were lots of benches for rests. I guess we just have to find time and activities where we can feel “normal” and like ourselves, even though we may not be at our normal pace quite yet. This pic is my hubby and me at the garden. I don’t know how I would have gotten through any of these surgeries without this guy. 💕