Comments for AorticDissection.com http://aorticdissection.com Living my life with an Aortic Dissection Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:30:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on Todd Seger-46 by Dianne Ottomaniello http://aorticdissection.com/2012/01/29/todd-seger-46/comment-page-1/#comment-2895 Dianne Ottomaniello Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:30:04 +0000 http://aorticdissection.com/?p=5611#comment-2895 Todd, Way to Go celebrating your 1st year anniversary! I am just about to celebrate my 3 year anniversary. I like to say Happy Birthday because that is how I feel about it. :) God Bless your wife!! Most important thing is family & friends. Sometimes it's easier said then done! I am happy to hear you are doing so well! It's good to know that there are other people who have gone through the same & lived to tell about it! Todd,
Way to Go celebrating your 1st year anniversary! I am just about to celebrate my 3 year anniversary. I like to say Happy Birthday because that is how I feel about it. :) God Bless your wife!! Most important thing is family & friends. Sometimes it’s easier said then done! I am happy to hear you are doing so well! It’s good to know that there are other people who have gone through the same & lived to tell about it!

]]> Comment on Zach Swafford-23 by Stu http://aorticdissection.com/2012/02/02/zach-swafford-23/comment-page-1/#comment-2893 Stu Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:50:28 +0000 http://aorticdissection.com/?p=5619#comment-2893 Amazing story. It's incredible what the doctors can do and particularly what Dr Alessi has done for you. Best wishes for a full recovery. Thanks for sharing. Amazing story. It’s incredible what the doctors can do and particularly what Dr Alessi has done for you. Best wishes for a full recovery. Thanks for sharing.

]]> Comment on Zach Swafford-23 by Bob http://aorticdissection.com/2012/02/02/zach-swafford-23/comment-page-1/#comment-2892 Bob Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:46:30 +0000 http://aorticdissection.com/?p=5619#comment-2892 Wow, you're incredibly lucky, not for the accident obviously but for running into Dr. Alessi. Hopefully this procedure becomes much more commonplace and many more lives will be saved. Good luck. Wow, you’re incredibly lucky, not for the accident obviously but for running into Dr. Alessi. Hopefully this procedure becomes much more commonplace and many more lives will be saved. Good luck.

]]> Comment on Cheryl Devine-41 by John Quick http://aorticdissection.com/2012/02/01/cheryl-devine-41/comment-page-1/#comment-2889 John Quick Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:14:56 +0000 http://aorticdissection.com/?p=5614#comment-2889 I empathise with the going up stairs. Same happens to me. Are you on beta blockers and/or blood pressure tablets to keep bp low and take stress off valve and aorta? The beta blocker is a major contributor to your stairs problem. In a car it's like having one foot on the brake (beta blocker slowing heart) and one on the gas - you get wheel spin! - (your body asking your heart to beat faster and bp naturally rising as a result, but not being allowed to as fast as normal people to avoid bp spikes which stress the aorta). So hence your body doesn't give you the puff and power you need. Because of the slowing effect of beta blockers and blood pressure meds, weight gain is normal. I have gained 35 lbs. As to your other symptoms. You body has experienced massive trauma. It's not a machine, but actually like a machine things go wrong. It's not a given that everything comes back together again as it was. Remember 30 years ago or less you would have died. You seem a bit confused about the valve. There isn't an ascending and descending aortic valve. It is one valve. The aortic artery then ascends away from the heart, curves over at the top of the chest and descends down through the diaphragm and lower body until it splits into each leg. Dr's label dissections as occurring in the ascending (Type A) & the descending (Type B) sections. I don't know enough about the leak to advise you. The most important thing is monitoring for any further deterioration in the valve and in the aorta. Hope this helps. John I empathise with the going up stairs. Same happens to me. Are you on beta blockers and/or blood pressure tablets to keep bp low and take stress off valve and aorta?
The beta blocker is a major contributor to your stairs problem. In a car it’s like having one foot on the brake (beta blocker slowing heart) and one on the gas – you get wheel spin! – (your body asking your heart to beat faster and bp naturally rising as a result, but not being allowed to as fast as normal people to avoid bp spikes which stress the aorta). So hence your body doesn’t give you the puff and power you need.
Because of the slowing effect of beta blockers and blood pressure meds, weight gain is normal. I have gained 35 lbs.

As to your other symptoms. You body has experienced massive trauma. It’s not a machine, but actually like a machine things go wrong. It’s not a given that everything comes back together again as it was. Remember 30 years ago or less you would have died.

You seem a bit confused about the valve. There isn’t an ascending and descending aortic valve. It is one valve. The aortic artery then ascends away from the heart, curves over at the top of the chest and descends down through the diaphragm and lower body until it splits into each leg. Dr’s label dissections as occurring in the ascending (Type A) & the descending (Type B) sections.

I don’t know enough about the leak to advise you. The most important thing is monitoring for any further deterioration in the valve and in the aorta.
Hope this helps.

John

]]> Comment on Todd Seger-46 by Ted schumacher http://aorticdissection.com/2012/01/29/todd-seger-46/comment-page-1/#comment-2863 Ted schumacher Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:36:55 +0000 http://aorticdissection.com/?p=5611#comment-2863 Todd, Congratulations on making it a year. My 4 yr anniversary will be March 27th. I have stamina issues and my leg will never be normal again but I am HERE, LIVING LIFE. It took me nearly 3 years to post my story. Your story brought back lots of memories for me, not that I had forgotten. Congratulations again on your survival. Best regards, Ted Schumacher Todd,
Congratulations on making it a year. My 4 yr anniversary will be March 27th.
I have stamina issues and my leg will never be normal again but I am HERE, LIVING LIFE.
It took me nearly 3 years to post my story.
Your story brought back lots of memories for me, not that I had forgotten.
Congratulations again on your survival.
Best regards,

Ted Schumacher

]]> Comment on Sewall Shurtz-73 by Bernadette http://aorticdissection.com/2010/08/12/sewall-shurtz-73/comment-page-1/#comment-2829 Bernadette Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:47:30 +0000 http://aorticdissection.com/?p=4325#comment-2829 I was wondering about survival rates and quality of life for a73 year old man. My father suffered an RAA lost his kidneys, had a second aneurysm in his groins repaired at the same time. 15 months later he is now in ICU with an aortic dissection under his sternum. Surgeons this morning said he would need an entire replacement of his descending aorta. Due to the strong likelihood of paralysis they now say no stents or surgery. His only option is medication and the continuing of the awful dialysis. What can we, as a family, expect for him? Thank you for any information you can provide. I was wondering about survival rates and quality of life for a73 year old man. My father suffered an RAA lost his kidneys, had a second aneurysm in his groins repaired at the same time. 15 months later he is now in ICU with an aortic dissection under his sternum. Surgeons this morning said he would need an entire replacement of his descending aorta. Due to the strong likelihood of paralysis they now say no stents or surgery. His only option is medication and the continuing of the awful dialysis. What can we, as a family, expect for him? Thank you for any information you can provide.

]]> Comment on Jonathan Kern-47 by STEVE ATKATZ http://aorticdissection.com/2012/01/23/jonathan-kern-47/comment-page-1/#comment-2809 STEVE ATKATZ Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:51:42 +0000 http://aorticdissection.com/?p=5609#comment-2809 My experience is just the opposite. I had no problems with anxiety prior to my AD. My wife is a practicing psychotherapist and confirms this. [As a former professional submariner, anxiety is not tolerated there and any sign of anxiety insures an immediate, involuntary return to the surface fleet]. After my AD, which ranged from the root to my groin, I have an ascending, arch and descending graft to below the left subclavian with the abdominal portion controlled with meds, That was 4+ years ago and I now have recurrent anxiety attacks since I am principally concerned with being around long enough to see my 6 grandchildren grow up. I am on a steady diet of Klonopin [an anti-anxiety drug]. I think the appropriate response is "chacun a son gout". My experience is just the opposite. I had no problems with anxiety prior to my AD. My wife is a practicing psychotherapist and confirms this. [As a former professional submariner, anxiety is not tolerated there and any sign of anxiety insures an immediate, involuntary return to the surface fleet].

After my AD, which ranged from the root to my groin, I have an ascending, arch and descending graft to below the left subclavian with the abdominal portion controlled with meds, That was 4+ years ago and I now have recurrent anxiety attacks since I am principally concerned with being around long enough to see my 6 grandchildren grow up. I am on a steady diet of Klonopin [an anti-anxiety drug].

I think the appropriate response is “chacun a son gout”.

]]> Comment on Sheri Rolles-49 by David Davies http://aorticdissection.com/2012/01/22/sherri-rolfs-49/comment-page-1/#comment-2807 David Davies Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:32:59 +0000 http://aorticdissection.com/?p=5607#comment-2807 OK speaking from experience going to a hospital and "demanding" something is not going to help you. These Drs will be more receptive to someone who is reasonable and asks for help. I also dont think you should panic and get aggitated and angry as this will increase chances of aortic incident. You will also ostricise yourself from the medsical staff and you are looking for help and not to prove a point. You can cimply refuse ot leave until someone performs an echocadiogram and provides you with a report on the stability of your aorta and provides you with some measurements. Reminding doctors and medical staff as to who contributres to their salary via taxes is not going ot get you the help or medical attention you need. It would be good to know how you get on. David Davies MD FRCS Dr & Survivor OK speaking from experience going to a hospital and “demanding” something is not going to help you. These Drs will be more receptive to someone who is reasonable and asks for help. I also dont think you should panic and get aggitated and angry as this will increase chances of aortic incident. You will also ostricise yourself from the medsical staff and you are looking for help and not to prove a point. You can cimply refuse ot leave until someone performs an echocadiogram and provides you with a report on the stability of your aorta and provides you with some measurements.

Reminding doctors and medical staff as to who contributres to their salary via taxes is not going ot get you the help or medical attention you need.

It would be good to know how you get on.

David Davies MD FRCS
Dr & Survivor

]]> Comment on Sheri Rolles-49 by Rhonda Dye http://aorticdissection.com/2012/01/22/sherri-rolfs-49/comment-page-1/#comment-2806 Rhonda Dye Tue, 24 Jan 2012 06:14:51 +0000 http://aorticdissection.com/?p=5607#comment-2806 Hi Sherri, My advise to you is get off the computer and get to a hospital NOW! I am a survior of a descending aortic dessection and I didn't need surgery yet. They control mine with High blood pressure and mine is also a very tiny tear. .02 But I know if you start to tear you have 15 minutes to get to the hospital....What you have is very serious, I am not trying to frighten you, just want you to get help fast! Good luck and let me know! RhondaGab@aol.com Hi Sherri,
My advise to you is get off the computer and get to a hospital NOW! I am a survior of a descending aortic dessection and I didn’t need surgery yet. They control mine with High blood pressure and mine is also a very tiny tear. .02 But I know if you start to tear you have 15 minutes to get to the hospital….What you have is very serious, I am not trying to frighten you, just want you to get help fast! Good luck and let me know!
RhondaGab@aol.com

]]> Comment on Sheri Rolles-49 by John Quick http://aorticdissection.com/2012/01/22/sherri-rolfs-49/comment-page-1/#comment-2805 John Quick Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:42:51 +0000 http://aorticdissection.com/?p=5607#comment-2805 hi Why wait? Wait for who? To not annoy the Dr.'s whilst you suffer and your condition progresses? Funny how easily we forget that as citizens, one way or another whether in taxes or insurance, we pay the salaries of Dr's. Get in there and demand of them. Put you first. Good luck John (survivor) hi
Why wait? Wait for who? To not annoy the Dr.’s whilst you suffer and your condition progresses?
Funny how easily we forget that as citizens, one way or another whether in taxes or insurance, we pay the salaries of Dr’s.
Get in there and demand of them. Put you first. Good luck

John (survivor)

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