Paul's Posts

Hello all, sorry for the lack of updates. Today is day 2 at home. I spent 8 days at Northwestern, which seems longer than expected, but I overall had a great experience there. I had some obstacles to overcome, such as I could not hold food down & eventually developed a small pocket of air in the cavity around my right lung, but all is well now. It just took a little extra time & effort to overcome. My surgical team did fantastic work. I can see that my scarring will be very minimal. Since I am only 23 I have had very little problems with mobility, & everything seems to be up from here! If I could give advice to anyone going in to open heart surgery? Keep a positive attitude, that is half of the battle itself. There are hardships you will face; but there is nothing you can not handle. Lastly, make the hospital staff laugh! Keep them on their toes when you have the strength to crack a joke. It will make their day. Just a reminder that the human body is a wonderful thing that can overcome even the greatest of traumas. Thank you all for the Love & support, & I will post maybe once more as I wrap up recovery.

Hey guys! This is my first post, still learning the layout of the site. I guess I should start by saying I was born with aortic stenosis & have a bicuspid valve. Dealing with this young means I couldn’t play Competitive sports or be as active as I’d like. Before my angiogram at 16, I really didn’t even know what it was like to feel “normal”. As a child & young teen, I used to get up from the couch & run up the stairs when mom would call for dinner, & pass out at the top of the steps. It didn’t phase me; I thought it was normal to get short of breath, or be dizzy & disoriented (to an extent) while exercising. I am now 23 & have a Ross procedure on July 13th. This will be my first open heart surgery, & I feel a range of emotions. First off, I want to say I am blessed to be able to receive this treatment. As a kid I looked at this as a huge scary thing that there was no way to get around, but now I see it as more of an opportunity for a better quality of life. With the surgical option presented to me, I will still be able to skateboard, Coumadin free. Although I am still very nervous for recovery, it is comforting to be able to share my unfolding story with you all & read about others who can relate.