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Valve job
http://thorp18.com/thorpforum/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=8761		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  pmandel [ Fri Feb 10, 2023 10:29 am ]
Post subject:  Valve job
Hi gang, just a quick report to brighten your day. There is life after open heart surgery! I have a new lease on life, let's call it 30 years (gets me almost to 100...), thanks to open-chest, open-heart surgery last week. I tried to get my A&P/IA to do it -- would have saved Medicare around $half-million$ -- but his lame excuse was, he's not insured for it.

Mitral valve repair just over a week ago: 02/02/2023. Freaking MIRACLE of modern medicine. My MV regurgitation had progressed to "severe" over the years, meaning it was time. Wait much longer, and I would have earned a few other issues like hypertrophy, congestive heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, more and more a-fib...stuff like that.

Brilliant surgeon Dr. Song at OHSU (Oregon Health and Science University) did amazing work on me. Total of five days in hospital, now slowly but happily recuperating the rest of the way at home with a few excursions out of the house.

Any questions or desire for discussion, I'm all for it. If you're not squeamish, you can admire the scar as well as the ridiculous number of tubes and wires they had in me on day three in hospital:

https://youtu.be/a87HJuM-ljE

Here's to brilliant physicians and the tremendous advances of modern medicine! I'm guessing some of you have had open heart surgery as well -- feel free to share.
Author:  Ryan Allen [ Sun Feb 12, 2023 7:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Valve job
Glad you are all patched up! Hope your recovery goes smoothly Phil.
Author:  Hagle347 [ Wed Feb 15, 2023 12:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Valve job
Good to hear you are recovering well and will be back in the air by spring-ish...
Author:  pmandel [ Sun Mar 19, 2023 10:21 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Valve job
My first time up in my Thorp since my mitral valve repair surgery February 2. You have no idea how good it felt to be up in her again! Thank goodness for Basic Med. My surgeon cleared me for takeoff during my post-op visit March 13th. Thanks go Basic Med, that's all I needed to get back in the cockpit (and instruct as well, in the flight school's Cessnas). FAA medical? That will take a few months. Do I care? NOPE. Basic Med. Love it.
Oh, and I had the mags rebuilt while I was down (plus the Wx was awful for weeks, as y'all probably know). So, no time lost, just an investment in sparks. She LOVES her overhauled mags, in addition to the previously replaced spark plugs.
Image
Author:  peterjaypriest [ Sun Mar 19, 2023 5:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Valve job
That's great to hear, Phil!

I Share your enthusiasm! There's something special about these Thorp airplanes...!!

Peter
Author:  James Grahn [ Sun Mar 19, 2023 9:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Valve job
BasicMed rocks!
For those who don’t know, you can be on BasicMed at the same time as a regular medical. I highly recommend it. If you have any disqualifying medical issues, you can not start BasicMed. So why not start it now, while healthy? Then if something happens, you can still Thorp away!
Cubes
Author:  Knife [ Wed Mar 22, 2023 1:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Valve job
Great to hear!
Author:  Knife [ Wed Mar 22, 2023 1:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Valve job
P.S.

I am a Senior AME and Special Consultant to the Federal Air Surgeon on cardiac issues. Happy to assist or answer questions.

Matt
Author:  James Grahn [ Wed Mar 22, 2023 3:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Valve job
Ha! Matt the Knife….love it. Welcome Matt the heart surgeon..
Cubes
Author:  pmandel [ Sat Mar 25, 2023 8:44 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Valve job
Matt the Knife (thanks to James!), I'd love to connect. Sending you a PM.
Author:  Knife [ Tue Mar 28, 2023 12:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Valve job
Thanks Cubes....glad to be here! (oops, is that Navy/Blues?)

Phil - look forward to chatting.

M
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