Visitation Times

Hello Everyone - Nicole and I want to thank everyone again for their well wishes and help!  We would not be able to get through this without all of you.  We would like to request that if anyone wishes to come to the hospital to visit to please wait until Sunday.  We've been told that the first couple of days following a major surgery such as this are very difficult.  Nicole did have a pretty diffcult night with little sleep.  So if we could just let Nicole get through Saturday, we would appreciate it.  Thanks again for all of your support!

Tom

Update

Hello everyone - A quick update: Nicole was moved out of ICU around 10 this morning. it is great to see her alert and talking! She is still feeling the effects of the anastesia and she cannot swallow because of the tubes that were in her throat. She is in a lot of pain but they are doing the best that they can to manage it with medicine. Hopefully by tomorrow the inflammation in her esophagus will have gone down and she can start to eat and drink. The next couple of days are going to be tough in terms of recovery but if anyone can handle it it is Nicole! She is one tough Jersey Girl!!!! I'll post another update tomorrow evening. Thanks again to everyone for your thoughts and prayers!

Tom

Watch out - she's awake!!

Hello everyone!  Just wanted to let you know that I spoke with Nicole on the phone early this morning!  She has a lot of discomfort but sounds great!  So much so that she is already telling me what to do!!!!!  Ha!!!!  Check back later! 

Tom

Surgery Update

Hello everyone - we just wanted to let you know that Nicole's surgery went well and she is resting in the ICU at Presby.  The surgery started around 8:45 this morning and finished around 2:30 this afternoon.  We did get to go back and see her.  While she is still under the anastetic, she has started to breathe a little on her own and the hope is to have her out of sedation and completely breathing on her own sometime tonight.  They anticipate her being awake and alert by the time we get to see her at 10AM tomorrow!  We want to thank you for all of your thoughts and well wishes!  You have no idea how much they mean to us!  We love you all!  Check back tomorrow for another update!

Tom 

A Little Change

Hi everyone, so we met with Dr.Chan today who will do my surgery...really like him. Things all went well with my cath and no blockages. Later in the day he and some other doctors reviewed my chest MRI and found that my actual aorta is enlarged. A 5 is usually when it is replaced and I am a 3.9. What they were trying to decide was how that was relative to my size...is a 3.9 in me equal to a 5 in another person. Issue is anything above normal is considered an aneurism and has potential for danger. So question was replace now or wait. We have decided to replace now with the bicuspid valve. It adds a level to the surgery and time, so now looking at 4-5 hours. So not at all what thought I would be facing, but you have no idea how I appreciate the texts, calls and emails. They mean so much. Hard day, but nothing more to do but go for it. Love you all....

Surgery Scheduled for 8:30 tomorrow morning

Hello everyone - just wanted to let you know that Nicole's surgery has been scheduled for tomorrow morning at 8:30.  She is having her Cath procedure done today and will stay overnight at Presbyterian.  Check back tomorrow for more updates.  Thanks for all of your support!

Tom

Take Them A Meal...

Hello everyone -

Knowing that Nicole & Tom could use a little relief from cooking the first few days she's home from the hospital, I set up the following website for anyone interested in dropping off dinner for a few nights. Following is the link and how to find their schedule.

 Here is a link to your new meal schedule: http://www.TakeThemAMeal.com/meals.php?t=ZRAM5510

Or visit: http://www.TakeThemAMeal.com
Recipient Last Name: Studer
Password: 5216

Let me know if you have any questions or trouble by emailing me at laura.m.ehret@gmail.com or calling 704-906-4097.

Thanks in advance for helping out!

Laura E.

The Heart of the Matter....

I think that's a Don Henley song. So my very good friend Laura set up this blog to help share the craziness that is my life over the next few weeks.  As most of you know, I will be heading into surgery to have a valve replaced in my heart.  Long story short, I was diagnosed when I was three years old and have lived with aortic stenosis my entire life...mainly sympton free. Over the last year, I started to experience some different things such as a lot of dizziness and fatigue.  As most of you know...especially my co-workers...I just kept going on with life. :)  It finally really hit me over the last few months and in August I was told I would need a valve replacement and should not wait more than a month. Shock is not the word.  For the last few weeks I have been talking to several doctors and trying to make the life changing decision of what to do...tissue valve...go ahead with the cow and pig jokes ....or mechanical.  Both have their pros and cons.  In a nut shell, with tissue I am  faced with a second procedure in about 10 years and with mechanical I would be on coumadin the rest of my life.  Ah decisions.  After choosing the valve, then I had to decide where and who and what procedure.  I think I have earned my PHD at this point. So decisions were made and surgery was set for 10/14. I went to my local  doctor here in Charlotte at Presbyterian on Wednesday, 9/23 and he basically told me it would not be wise to wait until the 14th  and I am now having surgery in Charlotte and as early as Wednesday, 9/28.  I had an MRI and MRA of the chest on Thursday night and I'm scheduled for a catherization on Tuesday morning at 6am. They have asked if I am mentally ready, would I want to do the surgery on  Wednesday. Well, I don't know if I will really ever be mentally ready, but sure I don't have any plans that day.  Honestly, now that the decision has been made and things are moving foward, I actually feel better than I have felt in a few weeks. I know anxiety was getting the best of me...good thing I have  blood pressure machine at home.   It has been a whirlwind few weeks to say the least, but I have to say that I am so lucky and blessed...the support I have received from my friends and family including phone calls, emails, texts...it all means so much to me and to Tom.  I've always known how lucky I am to have made the friendships I have today and to come from such a loving family.  So thank you for all of the support.  

Hopefully this site is helpful...

So I've set this up to help keep everyone up to date on Nicole's surgery. Hopefully it will make things a little easier when sharing all the details and updates. Posts will likely come randomly and from a few different people, but feel free to share the link with other friends who want to keep up with Nicole along the way. You can also subscribe to it, then anytime there is a new post, you will get a note.

And feel free to leave comments...I'm sure everyone would like to read them.

Laura E