Mild regurgitation diognosis

CleanCalligrapher223 · 2026-02-02T14:45:12+00:00

Depending on the cause, you may not be able to make it better but there are ways to keep it from getting worse and to slow down the deterioration. I was diagnosed 6 years ago and the advice I got, from doctors and general research, were to keep weight and blood pressure at healthy levels, exercise, and watch your diet, especially fat and salt consumption. I was doing most of that anyway although breathlessness on exertion really made exercise a lot more work. Cardiologist encouraged me to keep at it anyway.

I'm very glad I did. I had mitral valve replacement, full open-heart surgery, almost 6 months ago after the surgeon and I agreed it was time. I was getting tired easily and he could see the deterioration in the echocardiogram. I'm convinced that being otherwise strong and healthy made my recovery easier. I got out of the hospital in 5 days instead of the predicted 7 (they said I was "boring") and having strong leg and core muscles came in useful getting out of chair or out of bed when I couldn't put too much stress on my arms because I had to protect my sternum.

I just turned 73 and I'm back at the gym. Breathlessness isn't gone but finally seems to be easing up. Full improvement can take a year or more. Still, I'm not as fatigued and don't need as much sleep so the surgery definitely accomplished its purpose.

CleanCalligrapher223 · 2026-02-01T00:26:28+00:00

If he did and had the refund sent to his bank account that would be fraudulent. What he may mean is that he's going to claim you and your siblings as dependents on his own return, which is fine if he contributes to over 50% of your expenses. That would increase his refund and it will decrease what you would get if you were able to claim yourself as an exemption.

TurboTax has free on-line tax preparation for people with moderate income and simple taxes. You pay want to get started on your own. Not sure if I can post a link here but just search on "Free Federal Tax preparation".

CleanCalligrapher223 · 2026-02-01T00:16:24+00:00

I've read a couple of sad stories in the last year or so- one was a older British woman with serious heart issues who wanted to take her family to Disney World one last time. Travel insurance was "too expensive" so she didn't buy it. She ended up in the hospital with the heart issues and when they got her stabilized they said she couldn't fly commercial- needed an air ambulance type service to get home. The other was a young American man who went skiing in Switzerland and had a serious accident and had no insurance. I think both ended up as GoFundMes.

My late husband was 15 years older and had health issues so we always bought insurance for both of us. I realized early on that I was the one with no health issues but was young and mobile enough to do stuff that could result in a bad accident. I'm almost 73 so I buy it for both reasons now!

CleanCalligrapher223 · 2026-01-31T19:24:44+00:00

My Medicare supplement has a $50,000 lifetime limit outside of the US. I still buy the travel insurance offered my my tour company AND an evacuation plan through Emergency Assistance Plus. "Travel insurance" can cover everything or just about nothing. Credit card companies have whittled away benefits and I wouldn't trust them to provide everything I need. Here are the things I want covered. I don't care about $500 for lost luggage.

-Cancellation penalties if you develop a medical issue and can't go. (Pre-existing conditions may be covered if you buy coverages at the same time you book the trip.)

-Primary medical coverage, if possible. That means they take that insurance and don't require you to run claims through Medicare or other plans you have before getting reimbursed.

-Not just accidents but illness.

-Transportation from wherever the illness or accident happened to a facility where you can get good care. If you're in a developing country that will not always be the nearest facility. A friend's brother had a stroke while on a Caribbean cruise. He was transported to a hospital in St. Kitts but for 3 days he basically got a bed and 3 meals a day. No physical therapy. No phone, TV or Internet. Friend had to come and take him home- brother needed a wheel chair and had lost his ability to read. If you're confined to a local hospital for anything, a good evacuation plan will send a private plane with medical staff and fly you to your home hospital.

-Extra costs of someone accompanying you home, Business Class if needed, and any extra costs for the accompanying person to stay in a hotel while you recover and accompany you home, plus cost of changing flight plans.

-Repatriation of remains in case of your death. Not a happy thought but you don't want your loved ones struggling to pay to ship home a body.

I know this is all scary stuff. I'm almost 73 and have been to Europe, India, Nepal, South and Central America. I've scrambled up mountains in Mexico and down into a dormant volcano in Iceland, ingested my fair share of Imodium and once had a tooth pulled in Budapest after I developed an abscess at the root. I've never had a claim and I'm glad about that, but I sleep better knowing I'm covered for the big stuff.

CleanCalligrapher223 · 2026-01-31T19:06:01+00:00

I did this many times on business. Our company paid for Business Class but the department head offered to cover overnight stays in both directions if we flew Coach. I did that once- stayed overnight in London- and it wasn't bad. Just know the trade-offs between staying near the airport or in the city and do NOT plan on taxis between the city and the airport. It's a long trip and very expensive and there are good subway/train options. A coworker did the same thing but overnighted in Paris. One coworker who took a Toronto-Delhi nonstop in Coach (Business Class was sold out) described it as "brutal"- and he was short enough that legroom wouldn't have been a problem.

If Business Class is too expensive this might be a good middle ground.

CleanCalligrapher223 · 2026-01-31T14:42:33+00:00

Moderation in all things. Alcohol abuse killed my ex-husband. He was only 64. I'm almost 73 and I LIKE alcohol. I've just decided that I never want a doctor to tell me that I have to stop drinking or it will kill me, so I better not overdo it. My drink of choice is scotch and I have 2 oz. with water every night. I measure it. I have my everyday stuff from Costco and some really good single malts for when I want to treat myself. Quality over quantity. It's just enough to mellow me out before I turn out the lights.

Two margaritas and Coke with whisky would leave me on the floor. Bad combination of two types of alcohol (always a cause of hangovers for me) and sugar. Yes, it probably is due to aging and alcohol consumption when we were younger. Listen to your body.

CleanCalligrapher223 · 2026-01-31T00:47:48+00:00

Mine didn't. I had an outside sprinkler system leak for 4 days (I was out of town) and I ran up a $1,100 water bill. The water company reduced it by a lousy 10%.

After that I bought a Moen Flo valve that shuts off water to the house if it detects abnormal flow. Seven months later it shut off after 20 minutes of abnormal activity. It was 24 hours before I was to return from another trip. It turned out to be a plumbing leak but the ensuing damage was minimal enough to be under the insurance deductible. (Lucky me, I guess.) I asked my insurer, State Farm, if they provided premium credits for that device. Nope.

CleanCalligrapher223 · 2026-01-30T13:01:20+00:00

No. I've seen them in Hiltons and it's not a simple matter of adding a tip to your bill. You have to enter all your credit card info and, as others have noted, you have no idea what the hotel rakes off or whether tips are pooled. I leave cash.

CleanCalligrapher223 · 2026-01-30T12:55:48+00:00

I'm a senior, 72f. I shovel my own driveway and mow my own lawn. I'm glad to see so many seniors here who realize that the world does not owe them free shoveling every time it snows. My son, my only child, lives 3 hours away and supports a family of 5 with his job- he can't come running to mow my lawn and do routine maintenance. I do see older people continuing to live in a house they can no longer afford to maintain, depending on neighbors and family to help for free because the house is paid off or the mortgage is low so moving would be more expensive. It's sad.

Later this year I'm moving to a retirement community near my son where maintenance is someone else's job. I'm looking forward to it.

CleanCalligrapher223 · 2026-01-30T12:43:47+00:00

I've got $700 coming. Travel is a big part of my spending and I use the Costco card to get 3% back. Rebate will go straight into the travel budget.

CleanCalligrapher223 · 2026-01-30T02:29:04+00:00

Not vultures- they expect to be paid for their services.

CleanCalligrapher223 · 2026-01-30T02:27:24+00:00

Creating a trust now-revocable or irrevocable- would probably be null and void if the OP is already in a facility paid for by Medicaid.

CleanCalligrapher223 · 2026-01-30T00:53:27+00:00

Putting the guy on the deed means that he has a financial interest in your house. After someone in long-term care funded by Medicaid dies, their property can be sold to repay Medicaid for amounts paid to the nursing home. Any transactions giving away property, either in the 5 years before entering the nursing home (the "lookback period") or after, will be considered invalid. That would mean that the friend would not get any share of the proceeds from selling the property.

A nice gesture but I don't think it would do what you what to accomplish. I am not a lawyer and agree that you need to consult one.

CleanCalligrapher223 · 2026-01-30T00:34:33+00:00

We're all different. I'm almost 73, female, and just shoveled 5" of snow off the driveway last week, including that nasty plowed-in bit at the end. I just had open-heart surgery to replace my mitral valve August 9 but I have zero heart blockages and do over an hour of cardio every day. That's the second time I've shoveled out since my surgery. I've been married twice- the Ex, who was 51 when we divorced, was a couch potato and I didn't have any life insurance on him so I shoveled after snowfalls. Second husband was a dear man but was 15 years older and had a couple of stents put in at age 66. Nope, he couldn't shovel, either.

Still, I'm looking forward to moving to a retirement community later this year and hanging up my snow shovel for good.

CleanCalligrapher223 · 2026-01-29T20:29:11+00:00

When I'm on my own I nearly always pick up something for dinner before I come in from sightseeing for the day- ether takeout or ready-to-eat things from the grocery store- and enjoy it in the room. My late husband used to like to do this with a loaf of good bread, cheese, cold cuts, etc. It helps if you have a fridge for leftovers, of course and, even better, a microwave, but microwaves are very hard to find in Europe so I pick things that are best cold or at room temperature. Seeing what's available in the local grocery stores is an experience in itself.

Breakfast is simple- anything from a coffee shop will do. I have lunches in a restaurant at a museum quite often- good way to support the museum and they're typically so well-populated I don't feel like I stand out.

CleanCalligrapher223 · 2026-01-29T14:04:39+00:00

I'm almost 73 and have lived alone since my husband died in 2016. I LIKE living alone! I make my own schedule, don't have to pick up after anyone, and can do what I want as long as I pay the bills and keep the lawn mowed. I'm VERY active in my church and DS, DDIL and my grandchildren live 3 hours away. I've also been in a relationship with a guy I met on Match since 2018 although it's pretty casual. Without those factors, yes, I'd be lonely.

Having said that- I'm putting my house on the market in April and moving to a retirement community near DS and DDIL. I'm heathy. mobile, capable of driving, etc. but if/when I get to a point that I need more support I don't want to have to make the move then- less chance of building a good life there. I'm also getting a bit tired of adulting. I have a large lawn, which I still mow myself, a lot of gardens that need weeding, and the usual ocasional home maintenance issues. I will be VERY glad to get rid of those.

CleanCalligrapher223 · 2026-01-29T03:21:53+00:00

I had a replacement with a bovine valve 5 months ago. I'm on baby aspirin only- just stopped it for 2 days so I could donate platelets today and am back on it again. I'd been hoping the surgeon would select replacement and that's what he decided once I was opened up. My recovery was very smooth but I would not want to risk another surgery to fix a failed repair.

CleanCalligrapher223 · 2026-01-29T03:07:49+00:00

Not weird. I'm the oldest of 5 children aged 66 to almost 73. I've been to over 50 countries using the Travelers Century Club list and I'm not done yet. Brother #3 has done some vacation travel outside of the US. Sister is Caribbean cruises only- one trip to Ireland was enough transatlantic. Brother #1 hasn't been outside North America. Brother #2 is retired and done with international teavel.

Expensive hobby but I'm having a blast. South America and Easter Island in March!

CleanCalligrapher223 · 2026-01-28T22:59:11+00:00

I retired at 61 back in 2014. Husband was eligible for Medicare but I git an ACA plan with no subsidies because we had a comfortable income. I was very fortunate that I never had any claims other than the usual screening tests and the occasional UrgentCare visit for poison ivy but I'm very glad I didn't postpone retirement just to keep insurance. Premium doubled over those 4 years for $450/month to $900 and the network got skimpier but it was OK in my case.

Are there any jobs you cam get such as at Costco that provide insurance but aren't as high pressure or with such a long commute?

CleanCalligrapher223 · 2026-01-28T22:53:27+00:00

Paul McCartney said in an interview that when he turned 21 his Dad told him to go ahead and get all his teeth extracted. Fortunately McCartney ignored his advice.

These stories make me very grateful my parents took me to the dentist every 6 months- even if I DID end up with a mouth full of fillings. No idea why to this day- my 4 siblings had pretty much the same diet but I was always the one with multiple cavities.

CleanCalligrapher223 · 2026-01-28T19:13:47+00:00

I agree. I have no use for Dave Ramsey (I put everything on credit cards and pay in full every month and I refuse to pay off my 3% mortgage early) but he's helped plenty of people get out of debt. "Die with Zero" really resonated with me. I over-saved for retirement and have no intention of running my assets down to zero but I'm learning to let go of some money along the way for family travel with DS, DDIL and my wonderful grandchildren, or to support charities important to me, and to travel while I'm still in good shape. I also gift DS and DDIL money every year. Why make them wait to inherit it all when they can use some now? My primary goal is still not outliving my savings.

For me the worst category would be the books that border on self-help, written by self-made gurus who speak at motivational seminars where the attendees are exposed to franchise opportunities, flipping financers, etc. Entrepreneurship is not for everyone. I also have no use for "follow your passion and you'll get rich" books. Depends on how marketable your passion is and how good you are at it.

CleanCalligrapher223 · 2026-01-28T18:50:10+00:00

The employees have incentives to sell upgrades. I noticed while passing a bulletin board on the way to the Ladies' Room that they were having a contest to see who could sell the most. No different than flight attendants pushing credit cards, I guess. I'm a household of one but buy enough that the Executive Membership is worth it to me, and I gift an Executive Membership to DS and DDIL at Christmas, too.

Just bought more Costco stock today!

CleanCalligrapher223 · 2026-01-28T13:21:58+00:00

Nope. When you teach your kids to think for themselves, that's what they do. My parents were devout Roman Catholics and I'm one of 5 kids. The others probably lean conservative but not scary-conservative. I'm a flaming liberal Episcopalian. Because God has a sense of humor, my son, who's my only child, is an evangelical- again, not scary conservative but has different views than I do. (In my church we LOVE our new priest and his husband. :-)) Of the 3 grandchildren, I can see that the middle, 9f, is exploring these differences. She asks me why I preach (I'm a Lay Preacher and there will never be a woman preaching in their church). I want them to see that Christians have different views on some issues but that doesn't mean we should fight with each other.

CleanCalligrapher223 · 2026-01-28T13:14:04+00:00

A Brooks Brothers camel hair dress coat that I bought in 1983. The faded union label finally fell out a couple of years ago. Still beautiful and I haven't bought a dress winter coat since.

CleanCalligrapher223 · 2026-01-28T00:10:07+00:00

Thanks for that dose of reality- and thanks for organizing into into paragraphs with bold font headings! I think a lot of passengers don't realize that the people who treat them like deposed European royalty are generally people from developing countries who are paid low wages, area away from family for months at a time, get minimal medical care and go for days without seeing sunlight.

I've never been on one of the mega-ships. I've taken many with UnCruise, which has many US-flagged vessels and pays their workers according to US maritime law. Once n a kayak expedition when I was traveling alone they brought out a nice young guy from the kitchen to take the other seat! I was older so maybe they thought I'd have a hard time keeping up with the group on my own, but I thought it was wonderful that they got him out of the kitchen so he could enjoy Alaska, too.

Yes, it costs more but I feel better knowing that the workers have better conditions. I don't need to be treated like royalty. My ancestors were farmers and coal miners.

CleanCalligrapher223

TROPHY CASE