That’s what we are learning about. Most of our previous repair experiences have been – and no great surprise – on sailboats. From bilge pumps to wind vanes, hoses to prop shafts, and everything in between. And if you know Harold, he can repair anything!
“If you can’t repair it, maybe it shouldn’t be on board.” —Lin and Larry Pardey
Unfortunately, the mitral valve is not a DIY project. We have done our research and have found the best team to work on the repair.
We met with Dr. Romano at Cardiac Center in Ann Arbor yesterday and have set the ball rolling to get Harold’s mitral valve repaired or replaced. We are very pleased with the team who will guide us through the surgery and recovery. He had a blood draw yesterday and scheduled a Cardiac Cath on Monday, June 30. This will check out all parts of the heart to find out if there is anything else that should be addressed whilst he is in surgery. There is some question whether or not the tricuspid valve also needs some work and they’ll be able to evaluate the aortic aneurysm and assess any other issues with arteries.
He is being scheduled in the next few days, for a CT of the chest/heart/lungs, and a Transesophogeal cardiogram for a really thorough look at the heart valves and function. The plan is to have the surgery as soon as possible, probably within the next month after all test results are in and Dr. Romano can work him into his busy schedule.
So the ball is rolling now and we are ready to get this over!
After surgery, he’ll be in hospital for 4-7 days and then home. At that time, short visits would be great. He’ll also need some walking companions as he gets his strength back. When he is able to sail again, we’ll definitely need some crew to help with lines as he’ll be limited to steering the ship! Who knows this might be the summer I learn how to dock the boat.
In the meanwhile, we hope to get a few good sails in – without the 30-35 mph gusts of last week!
