u/SepNevermore

So, three weeks ago, I received a bovine aortic valve. Turned out I had a pretty serious allergy to nickel, so a mechanical valve was too dangerous to try.

They ended up having to crack
my sternum and go in that way. When I awoke the next day, the pain was minimal. It’s been minimal throughout this entire time. I’d been in heart failure for a couple years previously, and simply the ability to breathe again, and not get dizzy far outweighed anything else.

I was in the icu for a week, and immediately (within a couple days anyway), was walking relatively easy, and by day three, was able to walk multiple laps around the icu with zero assistance.

I was in a room for three days. My kidneys had to be functioning correctly for them to let me go, and I had to be approved for a life vest.

Once home, getting to know my limitations has been challenging. I live alone, and own 44 acres, have pets, etc. I’ve had a couple setbacks, but overall, I’m doing great.

I go back for my 1 month checkup next week, and I’m hoping I can ditch the life vest, as it’s annoying as heck. I’m also hoping some of the restrictions they’ve put me on can be lessened. I want to pouch myself, but not to the point where I set myself back.

Anyway, just a little update. Hang in there guys, it can be good again.

Jason- 52 male.

I’ve posted in this group several times over the last couple years, but brief recap-

Heart attack a couple years ago
Heart failure followed, lowering my EF to low 20s. Through meds I got it back up to 30, but ended up having to have an aortic vale replacement. It was full chest, big scar, all the things. Bovine valve. This was this previous Monday, and I’m actually still in the hospital.

I’m sore. But in great spirits. I’m doing my breathing exercises, and already walking pretty easy. Even with the pain and fatigue I have at this moment, I feel loads better than I have in a long time. Here’s where my question comes in-

I had an echo this morning, and if it goes like the dr thinks it will, I’ll be released tomorrow. I just got the results back through MyChart and from what I can tell, the replacement valve is working great, but the other valve has an EF of 26%. I won’t hear back from the dr till early morning.

Part of me thinks this makes sense, that it’ll work its way normal, it’s just been struggling to keep up with the overactive faulty valve for so long.

And then part of me thinks f this, I am not doing this again.

To your knowledge, is this normal?

I’m 51. Had a heart attack a couple years back, and have been in heart failure every since. I could delve into my “story”, but there’s no point. They wanted to put a mechanical valve in me, but since I have a rather severe nickel allergy, it’s going to be bovine. I live alone. Have no gf/spouse, and my kids have enough crap going on. I’m scared to death. Anyway, send those good vibes!

I live in a relatively rural area. There’s a cardiologist maybe 25 miles away from where I live. Had a heart attack a couple years back and have been in heart failure since. EF is down to 25%, and I am now on a twice daily dose of Entresto, carvdilol, and furosemide. I’ve been going to a larger facility, a couple hours away for the last couple of months, in preparation for an aortic valve transplant. Count the gas, the bills (already 9k in and still haven’t had the surgery), the monthly meds, etc.

I suppose this is something we’ve all dealt with, but I’ve never been much on going to doctors, and I’m amazed at how whack the health care/insurance system is. I’m 51, and located in the US, for reference.

So-

51 yrs old, divorced for the last 6. Had to start over. Have a decent paying job for my area, and purchased a home adjacent to 42 acres my parents already owned in a very rural area. Knuckled down on debt as I could, and fought my way to here. I’ve got a couple k in savings, and paying the last of my debt off today. No car payment, no house payment, no credit cards or other loans.

I’ve had a bit of bad luck in the health dept the last couple of years, and am now off work for a few weeks for a rather serious surgery.

Questions are this-

1. I’m paying off about 40k in debt at once, mainly to save my kiddos the headache of dealing with it should things go south. What should I expect this to do to my credit score (currently 730)

2. I need a new roof and a couple of small of relatively small things (washer/dryer), etc. would it be better to take a brand new loan out, or throw them into a cc or get a loan to keep revolving credit active?

Any advice is appreciated…

As stated in a previous post, I’m about to have an aortic valve replaced. I live alone, and haven’t had any surgeries in 30+ years. I know this is a routine procedure, and all that. But, for what it’s worth, what did you have that was a lifesaver or what didn’t you have on hand that you regret not having? I’m looking at a twin hospital style bed on Amazon that’s 400 bucks, so I can put in my living room to be able to listen to my albums, watch tv, enjoy the view from the bay window, etc. I don’t know if that’s overdoing it, or something that I’d wish I had. Any input?

Went for my checkup today. Every three months. I’m on Entresto, Carvdilol, and Furesomide. I had a heart attack back in winter of 24. I’ve been in heart failure since. Today I was told I had a year, tops left, unless I have my aortic valve replaced. So, that’s a no brainer. I’m only 51, and I knew shit would go south eventually. I drink too much, and am a two pack a day smoker. I just thought I would go out with a bang, and not a whimper.

But here we are.

With meds, I’ve learned to do ok. They’re over 100 bucks a month, but ok. I’m not what I was, but I’m ok. I still get tired so much easier. I still get out of breath quickly, but the swelling has subsided, the dizziness, etc. But the constant coughing- it’s driving me crazy. I now have an umbilical hernia, hemorroids, and have to keep a “spit bucket” beside my bed to cough up phlegm at night. Is this just all I’ve got now?

So, brief backstory- had alopecia areata as a child. Outgrew it at roughly age 12. At 49, after a heart attack, I developed alopecia universalis. I never tried any treatment whatsoever. Now, two years later, I’m getting “peach fuzz” as the hair is growing back, slowly. The question is this- I keep getting ingrown eyelashes, which are causing swelling of the eyelids, and I wanted to know if anyone else has experienced this, and if so, what did you do?

So, I’ve said it before. I’m a blue dot in a red state. I own a 100yrd shooting range. It’s a very rural area. I charge people 5 dollars to shoot. It doesn’t matter if they’re here for 10 minutes or 10 hours. It’s widely known that I’m liberal. I have to run off people for being belligerent or not safety oriented at least twice a month. I allow a local gun club rights to the range one Saturday a month, for a yearly fee of 600 dollars. Today, a new recruit of their club came to shoot. I went down to the range (about 300 yrds from my home) because I was not familiar with the vehicle. I made sure they knew what they were doing, and were being safe. Then he asked me if they had any f*gs or n*ggers in their club.

I literally lost my shit. About 2 minutes into that, I realized here I am, a 51 year old man, with heart failure, yelling at a 30-something yr old man, with a 9mm in his hand, and a couple teenagers standing by him, and they could choose violence.

This is a side gig for me. I don’t make much off of it, because I do not charge much. I figure most people have enough money troubles.

I’m, for all practical purposes, a highly functioning alcoholic. I’ve come to that conclusion over the last few years. I’m 51 yrs old, and have been drinking since I was 14. There were periods when I’d slow down , but few and far between. I was fortunate enough to have a loving family growing up, but live in a very rural setting. I was married at a young age, and had two magnificent kids. Dad died, had been married 25 years, wife bailed, mom died, aunts/uncles died. Ran my friends off, some for my drinking, some because I couldn’t deal with their cheating on their wives. Got prostate cancer, had a heart attack, the place I’d worked at for well over a decade shut down. I’m literally 22k from having all my debt paid off. I own two houses, and 44 acres.

I got off work today, at 5:30 pm. It’s now 11:37 pm, and I’m 14 beers, 1/2 a bottle of beam in, and I’m going to have to just drink till I go to sleep.

How do I stop this? I know I’m killing myself. I believe in God, but not the butterflies and unicorn God everybody seems to worship.

I haven’t had a “significant other” since the divorce, 6 years ago. I just work, go the store, and come home.

I have a good relationship with my two kids.

I’m not violet when I drink. I’m generally happy, and on occasion, I get in my head.

I do t have hangovers. Regardless of how much I drink, I wake up ready to go the next morning.

Just asking for advice. I’m in stage two heart failure. I’d like to be able to enjoy something later on. Anyone who’s been I a similar situation, and overcame it- please, pass some insight along.