The big aortic valve in my heart is all brittled up with calcium and the docs plan to replace it within 3 weeks or so. This just FYI. They plan to do a TAVR procedure (I don't know either :shrug: ) and slide in a new cow/bovine heart valve through an artery in my groin, rather than cut my chest open. The valve makes a slushy washing machine sound instead of a thumping beat, and has gotten louder over the past several months. The doc figures that my current old valve will last another 6-12 months, maybe more, if I don't have it replaced.
The kids figure that maybe their old man will finally get a heart after all. :wink:
Wish ya the best hands in the business, and a speedy recovery brother.
I'll be praying for you.
Pat
A washing machine slushing :huh:
I dont envy any part of that. But I do hope and pray that all goes well. The pros definitely outweigh the cons :readthis:
Good luck Mr.Okanagan. A COUNTRY BOY CAN SURVIVE 💪
TAVR replaces an aortic valve that is not working properly or is diseased with an aortic valve made from animal tissue. The TAVR procedure is minimally invasive, requiring only a small cut in the skin. It does not require open-heart surgery. The aortic valve is one of four valves that control blood flow in the heart.
(https://iili.io/JE1B8Cv.md.jpg) (https://freeimage.host/i/JE1B8Cv)
Sorry that you have to have this done, but glad that it isn't open heart. My neighbor just had a valve replaced but via open heart. She is doing great and I am sure that you will be too. From talking with others, like my dad years ago, you should notice a big difference. Prayers for a quick recovery.
Thanks for the good wishes and for the super clear diagram of the TAVR procedure, though now I can't see it and wonder if I was imagining it! :laf:
Good luck and God bless! Everyone I know that has had a heart procedure or surgery has felt better afterwards. Hopefully you do too.
Up here in the hills a good bush doctor could do that procedure with a Barlow pocket knife and some rubbing alcohol :innocentwhistle:
I didn't know the human heart had four valves, so we are basically all four cylinders. I would rather be a V-8.
My son said he wished they could put a valve from an elk, that it would be a lot tougher and stronger than one from a beef cow. All kidding aside, I'm sure that he is right.
I killed an old mule deer buck one time whose heart was totally calcified in that center divider part, like an apple core all the way though the heart. In the center it was brittle hard but faded to a softer cartilage and into regular heart muscle away from that hard center.
Quote from: nastygunz on February 18, 2024, 09:20:30 AMI didn't know the human heart had four valves, so we are basically all four cylinders. I would rather be a V-8.
How about a two cylinder heart like the old John Deere tractors!? :biggrin:
Nothing runs like a Deere!
Quote from: Okanagan on February 18, 2024, 10:44:43 AMQuote from: nastygunz on February 18, 2024, 09:20:30 AMI didn't know the human heart had four valves, so we are basically all four cylinders. I would rather be a V-8.
How about a two cylinder heart like the old John Deere tractors!? :biggrin:
It would definitely sound cool and have some serious low end torque... I think :confused:
Chevy 350 !
Quote from: Okanagan on February 15, 2024, 12:21:41 PMThe big aortic valve in my heart is all brittled up with calcium and the docs plan to replace it within 3 weeks or so. This just FYI. They plan to do a TAVR procedure (I don't know either :shrug: ) and slide in a new cow/bovine heart valve through an artery in my groin, rather than cut my chest open. The valve makes a slushy washing machine sound instead of a thumping beat, and has gotten louder over the past several months. The doc figures that my current old valve will last another 6-12 months, maybe more, if I don't have it replaced.
The kids figure that maybe their old man will finally get a heart after all. :wink:
Sorry you have to go through this. You'll get prayers from KY for sure.
Quote from: msmith on February 19, 2024, 11:42:04 AMQuote from: Okanagan on February 18, 2024, 10:44:43 AMQuote from: nastygunz on February 18, 2024, 09:20:30 AMI didn't know the human heart had four valves, so we are basically all four cylinders. I would rather be a V-8.
How about a two cylinder heart like the old John Deere tractors!? :biggrin:
It would definitely sound cool and have some serious low end torque... I think :confused:
:alscalls: :alscalls: :alscalls: I cant even :alscalls:
Luck man.
Well, my arteries are so plugged up with onery grizzly grease and possum fat that there is a problem sliding in a new heart valve through my leg arteries. There have been some delays and extra internal examining. We are going to split the sternum and do open heart surgery after all, this coming Tuesday March 19.
New adventure. They will shut down heart and lungs, have a machine replace their function while they stop my heart, cut it open, cut out the old valve and sew in a new one made from cow heart tissue. That's gonna hurt for awhile. 5-7 days in the hospital, two months recovery at home if I follow their instructions for healing.
More pain and longer recovery but some long term advantages for my situation over having the TAVR valve slid in without surgery. Yeehaw!
God bless and good luck 🙏
I'll be thinking of ya. sounds painful. hopefully its a speedy recovery.
We will keep you in our prayers Clyde. Wishing you a speedy recovery and return to the mountains and outdoors you so love. Hang in there buddy.
That is major, but if needed, then that is what you do. Was told one time that pain is good, in that it proves you are alive. We will all be pulling for you to make a speedy recover.
Tomorrow is the big day. Check in at 5:00 AM with surgery to start at 7:15.
Sure is a lot more rigamarole than I expected. Stopped taking all meds. No cutting of hair nor anything nor shaving today, the day before surgery. Take a special shower with super soap this evening, put on clean jammies and sleep in clean sheets just washed. Then do the same special shower in the morning, put on clean shirt etc. and drive 1 1/2 hour to the hospital. I'm leaving out some.
When I get home from the hospital, shower every day with unscented soap but no scrubbing, use clean freshly washed wash cloth each time, pat dry with a clean fresh towel each time, no rubbing. Then a fresh clean shirt. Gonna be extra laundry! Cannot drive for at least a month. Walk four times per day (with no cane, no walking stick, nor grip any side rail etc.) weigh, take temp, check blood pressure, etc. etc.
Got to thinking that I am taking their word for it that I need a new aortic valve. :shrug: I feel pretty good, as long as I take a nap each afternoon. 'Course, I can hear it sloshing away when I put my head on my pillow... :innocentwhistle:
They have elabortate instructions on how to sit down and get up, get into and out of bed, etc. I just ordered a lift chair because though the sit down and stand up part is easy for me, for the life of me I can't get out of bed without considerable stress on my upper body. That is gonna hurt and pull on the incision. I'm not supposed to use my arms nor elbows, and any force exerted has to be even on both sides, not a push nor grip from one side or the other, no twist, etc. A lift/recliner chair I can sleep in solves most of that.
I'm apprehensive about the coming pain and ordeal, obviously from this nattering post. :laf: I'm less concerned about dying than I would expect though my confidence in Christ's ressurection is probably the underlying foundation for that calmness. I should delete this whole monologue but will post it. :doh2:
I didn't even thank you all for the good wishes and for praying for me this week.THANK YOU!
And our prayers will be with you tomorrow as well. Just go along with the newer protocols since (hopefully) they are based on past problems and want those problems to no longer be there. My neighbor who had a valve replaced a month or so ago is doing great and says that while it was not 'fun' it was really good for her. You are strong and will come out after the rehab even stronger.
Prayers from KY sent for you today. You'll be as good as new after your tune up. Hang in there!
You'll be out chasing Young Farm girls and sipping corn whiskey before you know it :innocentwhistle:
Good Grief that sounds like no fun. :huh:
We'll be praying things go right for ya Clyde.
Any updates?
Quote from: nastygunz on March 20, 2024, 03:47:30 PMAny updates?
I don't know if any of his kids have an account here, but hopefully we will hear some good news soon.
👍👍🇺🇸🇺🇸
Survived the surgery. It's a miserable ordeal, but they say I'm recovering better than expected. Thank you for the prayers. Hope to go home in another day or two. Very tired.
Thanks SO much for the update. If you are getting out in a couple of days you are doing really good. Keep it up! Remember it takes time.
That was some major surgery. Glad to hear you are doing well. Do as the doctors say. Don't go chasing after those pretty nurses.
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Great news! Hope you heal up quickly Clyde.
Quote from: Okanagan on March 22, 2024, 09:29:08 AMSurvived the surgery. It's a miserable ordeal,
I cant even imagine.Thanks for the update. Glad to hear things are looking good.
I hope I never ever have to go through this.
Great news and prayers sent for a speedy recovery. :congrats:
Am awake and trying out my computer for about the first time, so will update this saga for those who have prayed for me and cared enough to follow.
They let me out of the hospital one day early, either healing well or tired of putting up with me. They have a good team of confident, competent people in the cardiac surgery, with good morale and it always shows. I go back for my first follow-up exam tomorrow. Have been looking forward to hitting a good BBQ joint near the hospital, but am just not up to it yet.
LOTS of procedures and protocols, four walks per day, myriad home tests of blood pressure, glucose, etc. to measure and write into a log, etc. etc. Full time tiring job to get it all done.
For anyone considering similar, herewith a few changes I have made to their after-surgery instructions, which I consider improvements. First, my power lift/recliner chair eliminates the most painful, incision stressing problem, which is getting into and out of bed. I painlessly get up and lie down. I sleep in it, with no twisting nor turning, rolling,
Second, putting on clothes. This young physical therapy fellow spent a lot of time showing me how to put on a T-shirt etc.without damaging the wound. I looked at him without a word and did the excecise, but I thought "If I have to spend 5 minutes of painful conortions doing a Klingon Tea Ceremony to put on a T-shirt, I just won't wear a T-shirt." I don't. I have to put on a freshly washed shirt after each daily special shower. I bought a half dozen men's short sleeved shirts from Goodwill in size 3x or larger, powered laundered them and put them on backward, with buttons down the back. That puts a fresh clean shirt covering the wound. It's an easy and painless way to acheive the same goal. I usually don't button or will have my wife button one on the back. I'm home in my house and have asked for no visitors for awhile. Who cares what I look like? :biggrin:
We dredged up a stadium blanket, simply arm sleeves in a big flat fleece blanket, and I flop that over me for warmth and stylish modesty when sitting or reclining in my power chair.
Y'all come visit and bring some whitetail tenderloin... but not for awhile yet :laf:
Survive adapt overcome! It seems like you have things under control sir!
Great news that you got out a day early and I am sure that it was because of the progress you made. Thanks for the tip on the chair. I don't need it yet, but probably will in time. I also like the shirt idea.
That's great news Clyde! Won't be long before you'll be able to handle some outdoor adventures (at your own pace). Heal up, and listen to the doctors. We'll keep you in our prayers.
Glad to hear you're back in action!!!
I always suspected he was tougher than boiled shoe leather :wink: 🇺🇸
You had me at Stylish Modesty :congrats:
Saw the surgeon yesterday, for the first time since the operation. This awful fatigue is normal and I'm doing pretty good. Took all day today to recover from a trip to the doctor yesterday.
They split the breastbone (sternum) from top end to bottom, gullet to gizzard. My wife says my chest looks like someone filleted a fish and did a poor job of it.
They pulled the sides of the split bone together and wired them together with stainless steel twist ties. Did I mention that it hurts a little sometimes? :laf: Actually my pain is less than I expected and considerly less than the docs projected for me. I'm still taking some Tylenol but haven't needed the Oxycontin (SP) since I got home from the hospital, though I keep it handy.
Glad to her you are doing better. Keep up the healing and enjoy the sunshine, while we still have it.
Glad to hear you came out the other side in one piece. I've always heard getting old ain't for sissies. :nono:
So happy youre doing better!! Always loved your stories.
Quote from: HaMeR on April 07, 2024, 09:39:53 AMAlways loved your stories.
Not sure I like the past tense of your compliment! :innocentwhistle:
An having my best morning since surgery, FWIW. Don't feel good but don't feel as bad as usual. I suspect it is the deflated lungs that are making me so tired for so long, getting them back to full function. Talking on the phone tires me more than a half hour walk, and I'm guessing because it makes the lungs work more to talk.
Just remember that you are taking Baby Steps on the road to getting back to 100%.