[ken36]

Scary.

 

[daycart1]

Best Wishes, Lou! Take along some music for after the operation.

 

[Jahn]

Lou, best wishes on the operation. We know you'll be knocked out for a bit after it, but have someone post for you to let us know how it goes!

 

[nsjong]

Remember to live out your days to the best if it doesn't work out.
Sorry to hear about that.

 

[Tuberoller]

Lou,

hang in there buddy. I believe in prayer and I'll certainly be praying for you.

As you'll likely remember, I am also a CHF patient and this illness forced my early retirement recently. I just had my second ICD(the first one failed) implanted and I'm recovering now. I know how you feel right now.


The very best advice I can offer is to get a second opinion( talk to your insurance provider first). You'd be suprised at how much doctor's opinions differ. Treatment options also vary widely with CHF patients. The meds do work and there are many, many of us living with this.

I'd also tell you to stay a loooong way away from any VA hospital (I know you're a MARINE), they were bad years ago, now they are just downright scary.

Good luck and please keep us posted. You should also stop over to the leatherneck and MARINE family forums, you'll find like minds and caring souls there as well.

 

[F107plus5]

Let me add that there are a lot of us CHF patients out here and we WILL stick together and help you get through this.

...ok; I was in the Navy, but "Marines" has something to do with the Navy; huh?

 

[purk]

Lou,

Best of luck with your incoming surgery. I'm sure you will be fine. Be strong, and you have my support.

 

[Superchunk]

Sorry to hear, Keep positive and good things will happen.
I wish you the best

 

[warubozu]

Lou, I'm sorry to hear about your prognosis. My prayer and thoughts are with you and your family. I hope all will turn out for the best and rest assured that you have family and many friends who will stand by your side.

 

[ChickenGod]

Aw, sorry to hear that. Keep strong and don't stress too much like others have said. I know its hard not to stress but it'll be better for your health. I hope that everything turns out for the best and my thoughts are with you. Keep positive.

 

[gpalmer]

Lou, I can't tell you how sorry I am to hear this news. Best wishes for the future!

 

[dvw]

Lou;

Don't worry about it. It sound worse than it really is. Looks like I'm the only guy here who has an open heart surgery. First of all, they just want to make sure your body can handled the surgery. They've done all kind of test on me including drawing blood once every hour and once from the artery. They just want to know what to anticipate.

The stress is actually worse than the operation. My blood pressure shoot sky high before the surgery. That's more dangerous. Make sure you get some Valium from your doctor. I'm out of the hospital three days after surgery. So you see how far modern medicine has progress.

My ex-boss had the same thing you had and he was in his 70s. He had the surgery two months after me. One week after surgery he was giving a lecture in UC Berkeley.

Just relaxed everything will be fine. Make sure you are taking your Valium.

 

[BlindTiger]

Take it one step at a time Mr. T. You've already quit smoking, don't quit on this.
I'm guessing they want you to take a pulmonary function test to see if you can go to surgery. You'll probably be under general anesthesia.
You got a lot support here.

 

[WiseOx]

Lou, ditto on what dvw said. Both my father at 40 and my grandfather at 70 had heart valve replacements. Very common place these days, and they have a high success rate. My dad was a new man after he recovered from his. He hadn't had that much energy since he was a teenager. Grandpa did great too, though cancer got him a few years later, he did fully recover from the heart surgery.

Best of luck.

 

[Hi-Finthen]

Best wishes Lou, do try to keep a positive frame of mind!

Kind regards-