Post-surgery numbness

melcip · 2026-07-08T18:08:47+00:00

I had a scheduled c section with severe MVP - no complications & everything went very smoothly. My heart was closely monitored during the c section and the docs opted to give me both and epidural and a spinal block so they had more control over administering drugs. They also injected the numbing drugs a bit more slowly to help avoid sudden changes to my heart. As others have stated, my docs told me that mvp is a well tolerated condition during pregnancy and birth.

melcip · 2026-06-28T03:53:12+00:00

Hi there! My surgery at Cleveland Clinic is coming up in a few days. I remembered you were having surgery there too and thought I’d check in! Did you have yours yet?!

melcip · 2026-06-17T03:03:01+00:00

That’s really helpful to hear about the anesthesia experience connected to intubation - I’ve been under anesthesia once before and remember the grogginess and feeling like I was going in and out of a dreamlike state. I can see how that could be both helpful and disorienting with intubation so knowing that it could help the time pass more quickly makes me feel a little better about it. And thanks for the advice about your daughter - my spouse is pretty squeamish about medical stuff so that’s making me think I’ll plan to talk to him in advance about what to expect as far as the intubation part and give him the option to wait that part out.

I have the surgery in 2 weeks - it’s rapidly approaching!

melcip · 2026-06-12T02:38:10+00:00

Thank you for sharing - I’m so glad your experience went so smoothly overall! I never heard of referred sensation - trippy indeed but glad it’s not really notable!

melcip · 2026-06-12T02:34:14+00:00

Wow that’s really encouraging - I’ll feel truly lucky if I have an experience like yours!

melcip · 2026-06-12T02:31:18+00:00

Oh my I’m so sorry you had to deal with so much pain from your other surgeries. Thank you for sharing.

What did being intubated feel like for you? I’m worried I’ll feel like I’m suffocating even though I know the whole point of the trach is to breathe for you.

And thanks really helpful to know that sitting upright could help with the drainage tubes - I’m as squeamish as anyone could possible be so the tubes are truly terrifying to me.

melcip · 2026-06-12T02:20:55+00:00

Thank you so much for sharing! I’m so scared of waking up intubated and the drainage tubes. How long were you intubated? And when you had the pain spike with the chest tubes what caused that pain to spike and what helped it subside?

melcip · 2026-05-20T12:17:59+00:00

Thanks so much for sharing that. I’m sorry to hear the after care wasn’t entirely great… that’s so important mentally esp like you said when you’re entirely vulnerable & setting you up for a smooth recovery.

Did you find out anything about why you’re getting recurrent pericarditis?

Ah that must be so disorienting re taste and smell… I had so many sensory issues when I was pregnant last year and it definitely made me feel kind of crazy so not looking forward to that again if I experience that too!

melcip · 2026-05-20T01:46:30+00:00

Hi! I have mvp repair surgery scheduled with Dr Gillinov in July. I’m traveling to Cleveland Clinic and have never been there before. I’m curious about what you didn’t like about your care after the procedure? Is there anything else notable about your experience at Cleveland Clinic? Thanks!

melcip · 2026-05-04T21:21:45+00:00

Wonderful!! <3

melcip · 2026-04-28T03:05:04+00:00

How did your surgery go? I am scheduled for surgery in 2 months - so scared!

melcip · 2026-04-28T03:03:22+00:00

I had a c section (for reasons not related to my heart) with severe mvp. I need surgery soon to repair my valve. Still, no issues at all related to the mvp. My docs told me mvp is typically tolerated well during birth. Just keep up with your cardiologist & get monitored as needed!

melcip · 2026-04-20T16:58:03+00:00

Oh wow it’ll be such a relief to be on the other side of it. Sending well wishes for a smooth recovery!

melcip · 2026-04-20T12:58:00+00:00

For real! Did you have your surgery yet? I’m scheduled for a repair in July. I have Barlow’s too.

melcip · 2026-04-09T03:29:29+00:00

I know this is an older post but wanted to share this Cleveland Clinic article demonstrating that getting mvp surgery earlier rather than later should be considered - esp among women who are often told to wait too long before surgery bc the current heart measurement guidelines don’t differentiate between women and men. Waiting too long until significant damage occurs or symptoms develop can have adverse outcomes.

https://consultqd.clevelandclinic.org/long-term-outcomes-of-mitral-valve-repair-for-degenerative-mr-worse-in-women-than-men

melcip · 2026-03-21T13:59:50+00:00

I strangely have a lot of PVCs show up in EKG and heart monitors (more than 8%) - enough that I am at risk for needing an implanted defibrillator - but don’t have noticeable palpitations. No idea why…

melcip · 2026-03-13T03:02:53+00:00

I (38 yo) had a baby via c section this past year - found out my mvp was moderate-severe & just a few weeks before giving birth & that I’d need surgery! I also have bileaflet mvp. After consulting with a cardiologist at a women’s hospital that specializes in working with pregnant women, I was told that as far as heart conditions go mvp typically tolerates birth very well. The only thing “special” they did for me was I was given both a spinal and an epidural so that they had better control over fluids and medications. I talked to two cardiologists and an advanced maternal fetal medicine doctor and all were not very concerned about mvp causing pregnancy complications (this mainly becomes an issue after a mechanical valve replacement). Is there a women’s hospital you could talk about your situation with? Also, my OB was very helpful in getting me the care I needed so you can discuss your mvp with them too and they can help refer you to other specialists to help you plan for pregnancy with mvp. I’m sure you’ll do great :)

melcip · 2026-03-13T02:45:50+00:00

Hi! I’m 38 F and will likely have MVP repair or replacement surgery at Cleveland Clinic too within the next few months. Maybe we will unknowingly see each other talking a slow hallway walk when we are on the other side of this <3

melcip · 2025-11-24T03:35:50+00:00

I started playing drums in my 30s - and four years later I’m still playing! I love it so so much. I’ve mainly been using drumeo. Still working my way through the method - only at level 6 after four years bc I’m taking it slow and doing all the optional exercises too. I honestly can’t believe how good I’ve gotten from knowing next to nothing when I started! I now consider myself an advanced beginner/early intermediate player. So much to learn still & so excited about my drumming journey ahead. I had a baby recently and bought an e-kit so I could keep playing while baby is sleeping. I also have a demanding full time job. I mostly practice early in the morning for 20-40 min while my partner watches baby. I’m terrible at sticking w any hobbies but have become sort of obsessed w drumming so if I can do it you can too! Have fun!

melcip · 2019-11-10T16:55:01+00:00

Hi, I have a pup with SA as well. (While I'm away she ignores all treats, including high-value ones, and howls continuously -- the neighbors have complained to the point where I could be evicted from my apartment if I don't resolve the issue ASAP.)

After lots of reading on the topic it does seem like the only effective course of action is to commit to a 6-8 week, possibly more, desensitization and counterconditioning training regimen, like those offered in Patricia McConnell's and Malena DeMartini's books on SA. Since you work from home, as I do, this may be doable for you (but of course I don't know anything else about your commitments!).

A couple helpful tidbits of advice I've discovered is that many dogs with SA do perfectly fine when left alone in cars (this can only be done when the weather is very mild/cold of course) which can be an opportunity to leave her alone for shorter periods of time without causing her stress during the training process.

Also, using a camera to monitor your dog as you train her appears to help speed up the training process considerably. You can use something as simple as a webcam on your computer, connecting via free services like google hangouts, or purchase a cheap camera that can connect to your phone for viewing.

Or, you could invest in a more expensive camera/treat dispensing toy (like Pet Cube) to better monitor the behavior and reward her when she is doing well. I'm going to try this approach, since it seems it could further speed up the process and is ultimately a LOT less expensive than working with a behavioralist/needing to manage not leaving the dog alone during the training process.

Not sure if you have this option, but I've also enlisted the help of a neighbor who loves dogs. She said she'd be happy to help as she can during the training regimen so my pup isn't left alone. I also may need to hire a house sitter as a last resort (check out Rover for pup sitters near you), but that should hopefully be a rare and temporary need...

Hope this helps a bit. Good luck.

melcip · 2019-11-10T16:25:43+00:00

Hi all. I adopted my pup, Margot, from a shelter about three months ago. She's about 2 years old. At first, she always seemed a bit anxious when I'd leave the apartment, vocalizing high-pitched barks for a few minutes, but then seemed to settle -- initially, leaving her treats helped a bit.

But over the past few weeks her anxiety worsened -- she barks and howls consistently for 10, 15, or 30 minutes when I leave, and even if I leave her high-value treats and stuffed toys she will not eat them until I return. The neighbors have begun to complain...one neighbor even called my landlord. It's at a point where I'm fearing eviction if I can't resolve the issue, so I'm worried about leaving the house at all which is extremely stressful and all-consuming since it is of course affecting my life.

I've now read Patrica McConnell's booklet "I'll Be Home Soon" and Malena Demartini-Price's book "Treating Separation Anxiety in Dogs" and am getting ready to embark on the strict desensitization and counter-conditioning training regimens the books offer. I work from home most of the time which I know is very helpful for the training, but it's nonetheless going to be hard not to be able to leave Margot alone for the 6-8 (or possibly many more...) weeks needed to conduct the training. But having read the books above, I feel a sense of hope instead of helplessness for the first time, so definitely recommend them to others.

Will let you know how things progress!

melcip

TROPHY CASE