Why New York City??!

Statue of Liberty, New York

Yes, I'm going to New York City to have this surgery. A little extreme, you might think? Well, I thought so, too. I mean, we have the Mayo Clinic right here in our own backyard! Why get on an airplane and fly all the way to New York City? 

We've been working on asking questions in reading this week, and that is a VERY good question!

Well, after I found out I had to have this surgery, I started doing some research (yes, kids, research will be a useful tool your whole life long!). I discovered that most surgeons in the United States repair about 50% of the mitral valves they work on, and they replace about 50% of the valves they work on - even at the Mayo Clinic! And there is a big difference between repairing and replacing! If they replace my valve, I have one of two options:

Replacement Option #1: I would have a pig's valve (yes, that's right, a pig's valve) replace my own valve. I am very glad that this technology exists, and that there are pigs willing (well, sort of) to donate their own valves for this purpose, but the downside is HUGE. Because the pig's valve will eventually get dry and brittle, I would DEFINITELY have to have surgery again in 10-15 years! So, you do the math:

Ms. Lucas is 50 years old now. How old will she be in 10 to 15 years? 

Yes, that's right, she (I) will be 60 to 65 years old! And she doesn't want to have major surgery again when she is 60 or 65 years old!!

Replacement Option # 2: A mechanical mitral valve like the one in the picture to the left would replace my own valve. Again, I am very glad this technology is available to those who need it. However, besides the fact that it looks like a toy I used to play with called a gyroscope (picture on right - click here to watch an interesting video on the gyroscope), I would also have to take a medicine called warfarin (aka Coumadin) for the rest of my life. This is not an attractive option to me for several reasons, which I will not bore you with here.

REPAIR is the BEST option!!! No operation when I'm 60 or 65, no medicine (at least not for this) for the rest of my life. If they repair my valve, it will kind of be like having my very own heart back to normal.

And the team I found at the Mitral Valve Repair Center at the Mount Sinai Hospital (notice the word "Repair" in the name of the clinic?), has a GREAT track record. The doctors there do about 400 mitral valve operations every year, and they have about a 98% success rate repairing them. That's pretty much all they do.

It must get boring, you might think, the same old thing every day? (another good wondering!)

But think about it: There are 365 days in one year, so they do more than one of these every single day!! They must be REALLY good at it. If you practiced writing in cursive every day for a year, well, after a whole year, you could practically do it with your eyes closed!! And it would probably even look great!!

But the folks who will be working on me will have their eyes WIDE OPEN. And for that, I am very grateful.

So, I hope that answers your question about why I am going to New York City for this surgery.

Talk to you later!

Ms. Lucas (Sandy:-)

Lots of Comments Already!

Wow, I've already gotten lots of nice comments on my little blog and several cards! I feel so loved and encouraged!

The kids are doing GREAT on their MCAs. They just finished the first day of reading. They were really concentrating, taking their time, using the strategies we worked on. Very impressive.

Surgery is two weeks from today. You know, I've known about this surgery since last September or October. Not all the details, but that I would have to have it this spring sometime. Now I'm just kind of ready to be done with it. It's a mix of things, actually - a little nervous and trying to enjoy each day, and kind of ready to 'just do it,' as the ad says.

Thanks for all the nice messages!

More soon -

Ms. Lucas (Sandy :-)

Getting Started!

Hi All,

Well, it's 2 short weeks before we leave for New York. Surgery is on Tuesday, April 26, at the Mitral Valve Repair Center at the Mt. Sinai Hospital. My doctors there, Dr. David Adams, who is originally from North Carolina, and Dr. Anelechi Anyanwu (they call him Ani), originally from Nigeria, are both very nice guys, and more importantly, surgeons with EXCELLENT track records in mitral valve repair! 

I shared the news with my 4th grade classes this week. The kids were amazing and wonderful - they asked the best questions, including:

• What kind of heart surgery will you have? (Mitral valve prolapse repair)
• How long will it take to get better? (About 3 to 4 months)
• Are you nervous? (Yes! But it helps to talk about it!)
• Will you be back at Frost Lake next year? (Yes, I'm planning on it!)

Yesterday, Friday, April 8, I had to go in for a heart catheterization. It's a procedure where they shoot dye into your blood stream, which lights up your veins and arteries in your heart, so they can see how everything is working in there. My heart is in great shape, except for my mitral valve. This is GOOD news, because if everything else is working well, the surgery will be easier, and my recuperation (that means the time it takes for me to get better) will be speedy.

Please feel free to leave comments and ask questions. Thanks for stopping by!

Always - Ms. Lucas (Sandy :-)