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Re: *** MICRO *** / kathy 

By: Decomposed in POPE 5 | Recommend this post (2)
Sun, 15 Dec 19 6:17 PM | 50 view(s)
Boardmark this board | Pope 5 		Msg. 46890 of 62138
(This msg. is a reply to 46887 by micro)
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micro:

Re: "Please focus on getting healthy again. I worry about your health and I am concerned De's situation as well."Thank you. There's no need to worry about me. I'll be fine.

As for dumping my surgeon, I'm not going to do that. I've done some research into valves and like the On-X valve by Cryolife, but I'm *NOT* a doctor! If an experienced surgeon prefers the tried-and-true "St. Jude" valve, then I'm not going to overrule him.

Also, I don't want to delay the surgery. I forgot to take my meds on Thursday and woke Friday feeling like I was seriously messed up - my heart was beating very hard, and I thought I could HEAR the stupid thing making a whining sound. By the time I shook the fogginess out of my head, it wasn't doing it anymore so I'm not sure if I imagined it. I didn't imagine the pounding. The bottom line is that I think my condition has worsened and that I'd be dumb to further delay this.

You're right that valve replacement isn't usually that difficult. You might remember OCU's valve replacement three years ago. That was done via transcatheterization (TAVR). It was minimally invasive and he was originally going to be sent home the following day.

My surgery is a bit more complex. My chest will be opened and my heart will be stopped.

There are several reasons I'm not having TAVR. First, because of his age and health, open heart surgery was more dangerous for OCU than it is for me. Other things being equal, open heart is more successful than TAVR. Second, I have a congenital defect called "bicuspid valve" in which the aortic valve has two flaps, not three, preventing the valve from forming a good seal against blood wash back. The wash back creates turbulence and plaque accrual - which is why virtually everyone with a bicuspid valve needs valve replacement before they're 70. I just had the bad luck of needing it LONG before I was 70. The two flaps also cause the valve to distend, gradually becoming oval instead of round. Therefore, open heart surgery is needed. With OCU, a new round valve could just be pushed up the artery and wedged inside the old valve. With me, a round valve shoved into an oval valve would leak. That's what'll kill you. They have to remove the old valve and suture the new one in. My heart will be stopped while that's being done. It's supposed to take four hours. I definitely want an experienced surgeon, and if he's uncomfortable putting in a different synthetic valve, then so am I.

Angie stated that I'd need to have lab work done every week in order to manage my INR (blood thinness) level. There's another option: I can self-manage it by pricking a finger as diabetics do. I'll contact my insurance company to see if they'll reimburse me for the costs. The meter runs about $1,000 - but that's trivial compared to the cost savings of not having weekly lab tests. Self-management has comparable health benefits and vastly higher patient satisfaction over weekly lab testing. I expect my insurer will agree.




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Gold is $1,581/oz today. When it hits $2,000, it will be up 26.5%. Let's see how long that takes. - De 3/11/2013 - ANSWER: 7 Years, 5 Months


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The above is a reply to the following message:
Re: *** MICRO *** / kathy
By: micro in POPE 5
Sun, 15 Dec 19 4:57 PM 		Msg. 46887 of 62138

Thank you kindly.

Yes, you are a couple months late. October 19, otherwise known as Sweetest Day.

Be assured, mrs. micro is even more beautiful in my sight today than she was as a 21 year old. It has been my delight and love to protect her, care for her, and attempt to provide every need she has had or will have.
If GOD calls me home I want her to never have to worry about finances and money.

She is a very special person in this world with a heart of gold and I would be totally lost without her.

I think this is the way most marriages should be and many actually are. It is devastating for one's spouse to be rpomoted to Heaven's Glory ahead of them and they are left with an open wound in their heart and a feeling of being lost. I cannot imagine that and have tremendous empathy and compassion for anyone who goes through this phase of life, which we all will go through some time.

My attention these days is preparing for the death of my father and then dealing with my siblings who have been virtually no help at all but all will have their hands out wanting whatever is left of dad's money I preserved and made stretch.

I hope he makes it through this Christmas although he is so pitiful and sad to look at and can not talk, ordo anything on his own or for himself..

So I have a heavy heart this Christmas season as well as Praying for De's upcoming surgery. I would dump that surgeon in a heartbeat. He ain't the only one who can change a heart valve. It's fairly common procedure.

I have not forgotten you either.

I spend a whole lot less time on this board because my focus is elsewhere and I simply do not have time...

Maybe when I am into my seventies I will have time. Don't know..

Please focus on getting healthy again. I worry about your health and I am concerned De's situation as well.

The best I can do for bothof you is to keep your name before God's Throne of GRACE and ask HIM to watch over you and provide the needs you both have....

Blessings to you,

micro....

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