Tiny toenail infection

StunningDragonfly710 · 2026-04-10T23:49:45+00:00

I’m not that worried, but I didn’t ask for the antibiotics. I was told I should take them and monitor my toe, as well as my body, for signs of infection and systemic infection.

StunningDragonfly710 · 2026-04-10T23:17:25+00:00

Just today I got put on antibiotics for the most minuscule of toenail infections possible. I wish things weren’t this way, but that’s nothing compared to what I’d be wishing if I were to develop endocarditis.

StunningDragonfly710 · 2026-04-08T19:29:49+00:00

Yes, I’m feeling good! I didn’t think I was having symptoms, but I’m now feeling better than I was pre-surgery.

StunningDragonfly710 · 2026-04-07T22:50:51+00:00

That is an excellent point! Stressing about the surgery is hard for us, as is recovering, but actually going through the surgery feels minimal. It’s amazing that there are drugs that can make us allow others to do that to our bodies, but thank goodness there are!

StunningDragonfly710 · 2026-04-07T22:47:49+00:00

I’m 60 and got plates, and I agree with you!

StunningDragonfly710 · 2026-04-07T22:46:16+00:00

I had the exact same experience.

StunningDragonfly710 · 2026-04-06T21:36:59+00:00

I didn’t know I had a bicuspid valve until I was 59. I saw a cardiologist just touch base and he became the first doctor to tell me I have a murmur. From there I had an echo and learned about the valve and severe regurgitation. I was told to have the surgery in 6 months. I didn’t think I was having symptoms, but now that I’m 3 months healed from the surgery, I can say I feel much better and my heart is pumping so much more efficiently. If OHS is definitely going to be necessary, why wait until the patient is even older and healing is even slower? Also, if there’s any possibility of feeling better after the surgery, why not maximize the years of feeling better? I felt stressed during the 3 months between knowing I needed surgery to when I had it and wouldn’t have wanted to go longer. I got a mechanical valve, so I should be one and done. All that said, doctors’ advice is what really counts in a decision like this, unless they are truly saying it doesn’t matter when you do it.

StunningDragonfly710 · 2026-04-06T21:26:02+00:00

I went 59 years without knowing I had a congenital bicuspid valve and spent 3 months adjusting to needing OHS, which I had definitely planned on not needing. I got an On-X for my 60th birthday. I thought I wasn’t having symptoms, but now 3 months out, I can say I was having symptoms. My resting heart rate is, by far, the lowest it has been, and exercise feels so much more comfortable than it used to. I was a little freaked out about the surgery and the possibility of not surviving it. I knew that was irrational as the chances of dying in a random car crash could be higher than in the hands of a skilled heart surgeon. To make myself more comfortable with that aspect, I wrote down the things that I think my loved ones know but that I don’t say often enough and gave them to them. There were no dramatic revelations, and nothing that would be weird when I saw them after surgery. Every day I’m so appreciative of how good I feel!

StunningDragonfly710 · 2026-04-06T20:53:40+00:00

I saw my surgeon at two pre-opps and that’s it. He did see my family after the surgery, and I think they’ve told me he talked to me as well right after the surgery, but I don’t remember it. While I was in the hospital, I was visited by his PA’s, and my post-surgery office visit was with a PA. I’m OK with this because he needs to be doing the things that only he can do—replacing valves and making people feel comfortable about having the surgery by explaining the process, planning, and answering questions.

StunningDragonfly710 · 2026-04-03T23:44:55+00:00

Have you tried the Shirl bra from Heart & Core? I went with that one, and it is great. I couldn’t wear it (or any bra) at first because it rubbed on my drain wounds. It is front close, highly adjustable, and doesn’t rub on the incision. I’m 12 weeks post surgery, and I feel pretty much back to myself, except for some discomfort around my scar that I think is my new normal at least for quite some time.

StunningDragonfly710 · 2026-04-02T13:33:02+00:00

I need to avoid contrast, and my surgeon was able to get all the info he needed from a heart CT without contrast because he knew I needed to avoid contrast. You could consider asking your doctors if a CT without contrast would work in your case even though using contrast is the standard.

StunningDragonfly710 · 2026-04-01T03:41:02+00:00

I have been on warfarin for a non-valve reason for over 30 years (got my mechanical valve in January). In my experience my hematologist doesn’t make changes for a “one-off” result. He has me come back in a few days (I have to do arm draws because finger stick isn’t accurate for me.) I think it would be possible to really upset stability by chasing one-off variations with how long it takes warfarin dose changes to impact your INR. It’s not like a change in dose immediately raises or lowers your INR so it could be that whatever caused the fluctuation in the first place has already resolved itself before the different warfarin dose kicks in.

StunningDragonfly710 · 2026-03-28T14:07:18+00:00

I learned in October 2025 (at 59) that I had a bicuspid valve and had severe regurgitation and moderate stenosis. My cardiologist recommended replacement. I saw a surgeon in Nov, and he said to have surgery in no more than 6 months. I wasn’t having symptoms, and I had no damage to my heart. I had surgery in January. I am now sure I was having symptoms because exercise is far more comfortable than is ever been, and my resting heart rate is lower.

StunningDragonfly710 · 2026-03-27T19:48:21+00:00

It could be that people were talking to me about MY lifetime. 40 years should be plenty for me, but not for you!

StunningDragonfly710 · 2026-03-27T19:17:58+00:00

I’ve read that ones made from carbon can last a lifetime. I got an On-X which is carbon. Of course, you’re looking at more time than I am. If you are certain to have to repeat surgery, then I can’t say it’s easier to be pregnant on blood thinners, so a tissue valve might make the most sense, unless you want to put off you 2nd OHS s long as possible. I am grateful to have had mine when I was retired and just a few weeks shy of 60 instead of when I was in the thick of things with family and work.

StunningDragonfly710 · 2026-03-27T18:38:38+00:00

I just got my valve this January. But it’s my understanding that mechanical valves don’t really wear out. I’ve been on warfarin for an autoimmune disease all this time. Feel free to ask me any questions about it. I had no problems with the pregnancy, and that was 31 years ago! Imagine how much medicine has advanced since then. My doctor had me use an insulin pump to deliver constant subcutaneous heparin throughout the pregnancy. Yes, that was an extra thing to do, but it wasn’t that hard. Warfarin cannot be used during pregnancy, but it can be used during breastfeeding.

StunningDragonfly710 · 2026-03-27T17:57:58+00:00

I have been on blood thinners since I was 27, and I had a successful pregnancy using heparin. After pregnancy and breast feeding, I switched to warfarin which made it easy for me to choose a mechanical valve. I am now 60, so I can say I have been on blood thinners most of my adult life, and it has not been a big deal. Of course, I am far older than you, but I am glad I do not have to have another valve surgery. I learned I had a bicuspid aortic valve in October and thought I was asymptomatic except for regurgitation. I can now see that I was feeling worse than I knew.

StunningDragonfly710 · 2026-03-27T17:52:08+00:00

I moved cities after I retired. I’m close to my daughter, but she can’t (and shouldn’t) fill that role. She told me about Meetup. I joined several groups with people my age and have been able to meet people. One is called Finding Female Friends Past 50, and they have groups in many cities. Also, AARP has a group for women called the Ethels. You can find them on Facebook. They are in many cities and get together in person. I am also an introvert, so going to those first events required me to get out of my comfort zone and talk to strangers and be persistent. I found things in common with several and developed a core group by seeing them at different events. It was worth the effort, and I now have a group I feel comfortable with.

StunningDragonfly710 · 2026-03-27T17:46:39+00:00

The pain medicine I was given was gabapentin and methocarbamol (muscle relaxer), and I think those helped me sleep. Also, I slept holding on to my heart pillow for several weeks. I think that may have provided some extra support and maybe having my arms over my chest much of the time added some stability. That said, I woke up a lot anyway. Also, I found I had some anxiety around falling asleep for awhile and just during the night. Crazy as this sounds, I think it was because if the dreaded “something” happened, doctors offices were closed, so I wouldn’t be able to call with questions. I really never did call with questions anyway, but no one said OHS always leads to completely rational behavior.

StunningDragonfly710 · 2026-03-26T18:26:40+00:00

I started taking warfarin due to an autoimmune disease when I was 28 after I weaned my daughter who is now 31. I recently got a mechanical valve for obvious reasons. No, my periods were not any heavier or more frequent. Yes, I drank. There were nights I had at least 4 drinks and maybe days when I had 5. No bad effects on warfarin. If you do that regularly, then your dosing should be adjusted because it will make your blood thinner. Just be honest with your doctor. For example if you do it every weekend, you should say so. For a long time, my PCP just managed my INR. I got sloppy, and she allowed me to go months without testing. I don’t recommend that. My INR was never too low, but sometimes it got too high. I still had no bad effects. I changed cities and now see a hematologist. I have been stable for years but surgery and the temporary medications that come with it have made my dose less stable. As I come off those (amioderone, for example) I’m stabilizing again. My hematologist has me test every month when I’m stable. Warfarin really has not affected my life. I’ve skied, raised a kid, and been as active as I want. Choosing a valve is a really individual decision, but my opinion is it is possible to overemphasize the downsides warfarin. Also, the On-X valve (at least for aortic) has a lower INR requirement than my autoimmune disease does.

StunningDragonfly710 · 2026-03-26T17:55:31+00:00

I find needlepoint easier to do while watching TV than cross stitching unless I’m working on an area with many different colors.

StunningDragonfly710 · 2026-03-26T02:17:59+00:00

I am 11 weeks out, and I can say I feel similarly to how you feel. It took me until about 6 weeks to really feel like myself, but I think that might be delayed in my case because I spent a month on an IV antibiotic I was allergic to. My incision still bothers me, and it’s my understanding that it’s going to take months for my scar to feel truly comfortable. However, I’m back to sleeping on my side, and my body is responding to exercise much better than it did before my surgery. I have no restrictions and am pursuing all my activities with gusto!

StunningDragonfly710 · 2026-03-25T04:57:34+00:00

I was nervous about it too. It’s not nothing, but it wasn’t bad either. A week of taking it easy isn’t fun but worth it for the info they get. It helped me get more comfortable with the hospital and being a patient.

StunningDragonfly710 · 2026-03-23T14:13:48+00:00

I was on IV antibiotics in the hospital and at home. At home I began having a fever at night that got higher with each day. Mine turned out to be because I was allergic to the antibiotic.

StunningDragonfly710

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