So I was told that I had moderate to severe aortic stenosis due to a calcified bicuspid aortic valve. At first I refused open heart surgery, but after learning that there are less invasive techniques and also being told that I would have a lot more stamina and energy if I had the operation, I agreed to go thru with it. I certainly wasn't expecting that diagnosis because I just assumed I was a getting old and fat. Anyhow, had the operation on November 3rd, (my sternum was only cut half-way down) but to date I don't notice much improvement walking or bicycling. Maybe a little bit swimming, but almost too minor to notice. I'm just worried that these cardiologists might have had other motives, as the final bill to my insurance was about half a million dollars! (I'm in Texas.) Also, I'm still heavy so at 300 pounds I suppose I can't expect to be leaping around like a gazelle. Anyhow, I just wanted to hear how many people who had this done experienced a great improvement in their physical stamina, as they told me I would.
Did you notice greatly improved stami... - British Heart Fou...
Did you notice greatly improved stamina after AVR(Aortic Valve Replacement)?
After surgery it’s not just a case of ok heart fixed carry on same life style and my energy levels will increase.We have been given a second chance at life, so have to do all we can to keep that mended heart well and help with a change of life style.
Here on the forum lots of us follow the Mediterranean diet recommended by BHF so eating healthy, if you smoke stop, take your medication and above all exercise.
As you say 300 lbs is a lot so lacking energy could be down to losing weight.
Having our hearts mended isn’t the end of our journey it’s just the beginning of a new way of living our lives. You have been given a second chance at life grab it with both hands. Good luck.
Best wishes
Pauline
I had exactly the same AV replacement 8 years ago. I am now 74. I was slowing down, tired and sometimes out of breath until it got bad. I thought it was old age catching up. After the operation I am now still capable of working all day with the dogs and garden chores. Walking a lot and pretty fit I think. I’m 6 ft tall and weigh 196 pounds and the BMI says I could lose a little more. Unless you are 9 foot tall I’d suggest a change of diet and more exercise. Good luck
Morning DodgyRog
Did you mean to send to me or was it in reply to Zindolo?
Best wishes Pauline
Hello Texas! (Gorgeous state, if I'd stayed in the US after retiring in 2010 I think Texas may well have been No1 on my retirement home list). What area, if I may ask - north, south, east, west?
Considering you do notice a very slight improvement whilst swimming, I think you need to push your medics to put you onto an aquatic-based cardiac rehab regime soon-as.
The reason I say that is swimming is a body supporting activity - the water 'takes the weight off' your skeleton so you are able to get a little more cardiovascular exercise owing to not having to hold yourself up, if that makes sense. Because you're not having to support your body weight, you have more 'oomph' to get active in the water.
As for your surgery being more money-oriented than health concern on the part of your cardiology team (and I can understand you thinking that may have been a factor), as the widow of a consultant surgeon who spent most of his career on secondment to the US and Latin America, I can almost guarantee you the surgery was much needed - malpractice insurance rarely covers the full cost of litigation compared to the income generated from BCBS payment (for example, you may have a different insurance provider), and most surgeons actually care about their patients no matter how cold and impersonal they can seem (it's a defence mechanism, trust me when surgeries fail for whatever reason, they are shredded at the outcome), so surgeons are usually very careful to do procedures only on those who truly need them.
Please keep us updated as you go on.
I'm in Austin, right near the river (which they refer to as a lake here).
Thanks for replying to my post. There are a few others and all agree with my own theory about not experiencing the results I was hoping for because of my excess weight.
Unfortunately due to the pandemic I'm somewhat limited as to the amount of time I can spend in the pool right now. I'm very good about swimming for 30 minutes every MWF tho. I suppose I could add Tuesday and Thursday if I drove across town to the outdoor pool at a different YMCA. They are limiting members to 3 sessions per week, per location, of 45 minutes each. I fear I would probably burn out pretty fast tho if I increased it to 5x a week.
I try to go walking too but I just HATE it! Especially when it's cold and windy out, as it often is this time of year even here in Austin. Same for bicycling.
I'm scheduled to see the cardiologist on Thursday but will have to postpone it if the roads are covered with ice and snow, as they are predicting right now. But that's still a ways off so I'm hoping that forecast will turn out to be wrong.
Snow and ice in Austin, wow - it's close-ish to the Gulf so winter weather there just comes as a surprise. We (late husband+two children) spent quite a lot of our US working time along the Gulf, living inland only as far as Montgomery (most of the time in Brevard Co, FL or Houston Co, AL) and I think in over 20 years in Houston Co we only saw snow twice. Like Austin area, SE AL does get quite cold in winter but real snow and ice is very rare.
Drive safe if the roads are open Thursday.
And oh do I understand the not wanting to walk (or worse, cycle) especially during winter. Er, this may sound a bit out there, but have you ever thought about dancercise? I know, I know, you're a gentleman and I'm remembering my husband's face the first time he came in the living room to 'catch' me dancercising - but once he stopped laughing at me he joined in and now he likes to dancercise with me at least 3 times a week.
We're in our mid-sixties (he's my second husband) and dancercise is a good giggle and a good work-out.
ETA: the bonus of dancercise is you're alone (well, unless the significant other joins in), and you can go at your own pace - five minutes slowly increased over weeks becomes 30 becomes 60 - and that's a great work-out if your cardiac team agrees.
Whew, okay, thanks for clarifying that he is your second husband! I got worried for a split second there between the 2nd and 3rd paragraph as you had said you were a widow, lol!
I don't think I have the room actually; my apartment is TINY! It's in a prime location tho, which is why I rented it. I signed the lease the first week of March, right before most people had any idea how bad things were about to get with the pandemic. Could NOT have been worse timing! But this neighborhood is much nicer for walking in than my old one and I do like this apartment better than that one even tho it's small.
I can't really complain tho; I have a cousin in Hawaii who tried to open a wine bar right before the pandemic hit so of course that didn't make it and I'm sure she lost a LOT of money! She ended up being forced to move back in with her ex-husband, talk about AWKWARD!!!
And then of course there's the hundreds of thousands who have lost loved ones. So far the only person I know of (aside from the handful of famous people) who has died from it is the mother of my brother's partner, but she was 91.
I'm being VERY cautious myself; between my weight and now my artificial aortic valve, I might be a goner if I were to contract Covid-19.
Hi ZindoloI had open heart surgery and valves fixed at 69 years old. I could barely walk more than 6 steps without stopping for a blow. After the operation I could feel my heart beating strongly, but still somewhat erratic, as before.
I am 6 feet tall. my weight is now within my BMI and I have just about got my Xmas weight off. I now walk every day and usually do between 8-12,000 steps a day. I will be 76 in 7 days time and I will be out walking in the Alps this summer if I can and enjoying a barbecue by the beach in the summer. The Italian lakes are tempting for early Autumn, along with a few walking trips in the UK.
In the UK our bags of sugar come in 1 kg/2lb bags. At 300lbs you are carrying around at least 100 lbs of excess weight - which is about 50 bags of sugar. Imagine this as a big bag on your back.
which you strap on your back every morning.
Have you had your blood sugar levels checked? You are probably well into pre -diabetes territory and your knees will be well into pile driver territory. Your heart is doing an amazing job. Perhaps you can give it a hand by following a low carb, heathy fat diet to strip down the amount of energy you are pouring into your body, without being able to burn it off.
I have seen a two of my overweight friends and colleagues do this to avoid diabetes, in particular. They didn't fancy losing their eyesight or their lower limbs. It is not easy and takes a lot of determination but it does work, the weight does come off and they are enjoying their new , active lives. Comfort eating is a killer if you are lucky, or the cause of a devastating stroke if you are not.
Sorry to be blunt but you are getting to an age where hard choices have to be made?
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