- 15,854
- QLD, Australia
- Small_Fryz
Hi guys,
Some of the old members might know about my heart background and I even have a few of you lads on facebook so you will have no doubt seen that too, but I wanted to take the time to write up a thread for the rest of the community to read too.
So I was born with Tricsupid Atresia which basically means my heart only has a very small right ventricle with no tricuspid valve, instead I had a VSD (hole in the wall) which allowed the blood flow to move through but of course with no valve the blood could also go back the "wrong way" and thus I had very poor circulation and my oxygen levels were bad. I had a shunt operation when I was a few months old and another when I was about 1, which fixed me enough to live until at the age of 4 I had my first "down the middle" operation which put in a pig valve and a tube to act as my right ventricle, thus fixing my plumbing and basically giving me a normal blood flow. I had a dramatic improvement in life and was able to then live almost a normal childhood, sans getting tired under extreme exertion (No running big cross countries for me
). I had this procedure redone at 9 and again at 14 (both times cut down the middle) as my body grew and the valve and tubes needed replacing. On top of that at 12 I had a pacemaker put in due to my heart rate struggling under exercise and that turned out to be another down the middle open heart. So by 15 I had 4 open heart down the middle + the 2 heart operations as a baby.
Fast forward 15years and in August my heart started playing up again with AF (Atrial Flutter) which was caused by that tube and valve being too skinny which caused my atrium to expand which then made the heart race away beating irregular and inefficient. My heart rate rising to as high as 190. Think of a car engine suddenly going to redline and at the same time the gearbox jumping in and out of all the gears at different times and you have a car revving and going nowhere. This happened twice, once in August and again in September and both times I needed to be "shocked" back into normal rhythm. So the writing was on the wall, the valve and tube had to be replaced again, 15years was a good run, but they don't last forever.
So on the 26th of October I went in for my 5th time down the middle and 7th open heart, this time not only did they replace the tricuspid valve and that tube but they also put in a mechanical valve to replace my mitral valve which had slowly been leaking worse and worse over time. Double valve replacement!!. Obviously I'm here writing this post so I did make it. The procedure went very very well and all the doctors were very happy with the results, I was lucky as the surgeon who had done all my previous operations was still alive (bugger is 80) while retired from surgery he was still active as a mentor / teacher and he was present in theater with my new surgeon (whom he taught) and was able to help with all the background knowledge. I still have the same cardiologist from birth (she is mid 70's) so I couldn't have been in better hands.
So now two weeks after surgery things are going really well, my day to day life is almost back to normal in that my mobility to do normal tasks is great, I even sat down at the racing rig yesterday and turned a few laps on GTS with my G29!! Hurts a little with the force feedback and I don't have the quick reflexes yet, so I'm stuck driving the slower cars until that improves but at least I'm back!
My main point of this thread is that no matter what cards you get dealt with in life you can make the most of it and still grab life by the balls and have fun.
Those of you that know me and some even met me will attest to the quality of life I lead and never using the above to make excuses or demand sympathy or carry on like a pork chop.
I have a full time sales rep job, selling marantz, denon electronics and Jamo, Klipsch, Niles speakers to the big retail and independent stores in my state (my company is the importer/distributor). Plus I've traveled through Europe and Asia and certainly had my fair share of parties.
Here are some pics to end the post on. Happy to answer any questions you have about my past or the operation / recovery. All going well I'm good again for another 15 - 20 years!
The day after surgery, out of ICU and into the main ward. Already standing and able to walk. Lots of crap hanging off me though.
Day 4, feeling much much better and pretty much out of the woods by here. Finally showered properly and into my own clothes.
Day 6 and I'm already home!! less than a week in hopstial after surgery. Kicking ass
Last night, 2 weeks after, colour is normal and feeling great.
All thats left is to slowly wean off the pain killers and for my chest muscles and ribs to heal, I'll be back at work for emails and phone calls from Decemeber and back driving mid December with normal life resuming in Jan.
Also good news, the pacemaker is no longer required, the wires were damaged in surgery (they are old anyway) and all the signs point to my heart being very fit and healthy, so it was turned off (still inside me though haha). So apart from being on warafin for the rest of my life (blood tests every 2 - 4 weeks) I'll pretty much go back to normal and continue riding motorbikes, wakeboarding, 4x4ing and getting upto the usual shennanigans I always have. The only thing I will curb which also has to do with my age is cutting back on the drinking. Still going to have fun and sink a few, though instead of 18 I'll have 6.
Those who know me will also be proud to know I've been 3 months sober as well, totally stopped once I had the AF and I haven't yet had my first after the operation (waiting to get off the hardcore pain meds).
👍
I have a few other pics of the scar and when I was on the ventilator which I can share under the spoiler tags if people are interested too 👍
Some of the old members might know about my heart background and I even have a few of you lads on facebook so you will have no doubt seen that too, but I wanted to take the time to write up a thread for the rest of the community to read too.
So I was born with Tricsupid Atresia which basically means my heart only has a very small right ventricle with no tricuspid valve, instead I had a VSD (hole in the wall) which allowed the blood flow to move through but of course with no valve the blood could also go back the "wrong way" and thus I had very poor circulation and my oxygen levels were bad. I had a shunt operation when I was a few months old and another when I was about 1, which fixed me enough to live until at the age of 4 I had my first "down the middle" operation which put in a pig valve and a tube to act as my right ventricle, thus fixing my plumbing and basically giving me a normal blood flow. I had a dramatic improvement in life and was able to then live almost a normal childhood, sans getting tired under extreme exertion (No running big cross countries for me
). I had this procedure redone at 9 and again at 14 (both times cut down the middle) as my body grew and the valve and tubes needed replacing. On top of that at 12 I had a pacemaker put in due to my heart rate struggling under exercise and that turned out to be another down the middle open heart. So by 15 I had 4 open heart down the middle + the 2 heart operations as a baby.Fast forward 15years and in August my heart started playing up again with AF (Atrial Flutter) which was caused by that tube and valve being too skinny which caused my atrium to expand which then made the heart race away beating irregular and inefficient. My heart rate rising to as high as 190. Think of a car engine suddenly going to redline and at the same time the gearbox jumping in and out of all the gears at different times and you have a car revving and going nowhere. This happened twice, once in August and again in September and both times I needed to be "shocked" back into normal rhythm. So the writing was on the wall, the valve and tube had to be replaced again, 15years was a good run, but they don't last forever.
So on the 26th of October I went in for my 5th time down the middle and 7th open heart, this time not only did they replace the tricuspid valve and that tube but they also put in a mechanical valve to replace my mitral valve which had slowly been leaking worse and worse over time. Double valve replacement!!. Obviously I'm here writing this post so I did make it
. The procedure went very very well and all the doctors were very happy with the results, I was lucky as the surgeon who had done all my previous operations was still alive (bugger is 80) while retired from surgery he was still active as a mentor / teacher and he was present in theater with my new surgeon (whom he taught) and was able to help with all the background knowledge. I still have the same cardiologist from birth (she is mid 70's) so I couldn't have been in better hands.So now two weeks after surgery things are going really well, my day to day life is almost back to normal in that my mobility to do normal tasks is great, I even sat down at the racing rig yesterday and turned a few laps on GTS with my G29!! Hurts a little with the force feedback and I don't have the quick reflexes yet, so I'm stuck driving the slower cars until that improves but at least I'm back!
My main point of this thread is that no matter what cards you get dealt with in life you can make the most of it and still grab life by the balls and have fun.
Those of you that know me and some even met me will attest to the quality of life I lead and never using the above to make excuses or demand sympathy or carry on like a pork chop.
I have a full time sales rep job, selling marantz, denon electronics and Jamo, Klipsch, Niles speakers to the big retail and independent stores in my state (my company is the importer/distributor). Plus I've traveled through Europe and Asia and certainly had my fair share of parties.
Here are some pics to end the post on. Happy to answer any questions you have about my past or the operation / recovery. All going well I'm good again for another 15 - 20 years!
The day after surgery, out of ICU and into the main ward. Already standing and able to walk. Lots of crap hanging off me though.
Day 4, feeling much much better and pretty much out of the woods by here. Finally showered properly and into my own clothes.
Day 6 and I'm already home!! less than a week in hopstial after surgery. Kicking ass
Last night, 2 weeks after, colour is normal and feeling great.
All thats left is to slowly wean off the pain killers and for my chest muscles and ribs to heal, I'll be back at work for emails and phone calls from Decemeber and back driving mid December with normal life resuming in Jan.
Also good news, the pacemaker is no longer required, the wires were damaged in surgery (they are old anyway) and all the signs point to my heart being very fit and healthy, so it was turned off (still inside me though haha). So apart from being on warafin for the rest of my life (blood tests every 2 - 4 weeks) I'll pretty much go back to normal and continue riding motorbikes, wakeboarding, 4x4ing and getting upto the usual shennanigans I always have. The only thing I will curb which also has to do with my age is cutting back on the drinking. Still going to have fun and sink a few, though instead of 18 I'll have 6
. Those who know me will also be proud to know I've been 3 months sober as well, totally stopped once I had the AF and I haven't yet had my first after the operation (waiting to get off the hardcore pain meds).
👍
I have a few other pics of the scar and when I was on the ventilator which I can share under the spoiler tags if people are interested too 👍
But after that when you can get up and start moving around a bit, it's okay.
!
