Is your heart valve noisy ??

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Permalink Reply by Graeme on February 22, 2011 at 11:04

Holly

 

Its the biggest single thing that we MHV recipients all comment on at the start - the bloody noise! Click.Tick Thump! But - you WILL get used to it and even come to love the noise - as if its a clickin' and a tickin' - all is well - and so are we! I sleep with a small wheat pack pillow against my chest on my side to muffle the noise (I have not been able to sleep on my back since the implant!) and the other thing I do suggest is to buy a 1-1/2 - 2 inch 'miracle foam' mattress topper. It really muffles the noise - especially for my wife as before we had it she could hear my ticking through her pillow (!) as the sound was travelling through the mattress (via the springs?) and up into her pillow.. !

Hope this helps Holly... 

cheers

 

Graeme
Holly Allen said:

I have to sleep with a pillow over top of my head to drown out the noise..Only one person that is familiar with the MHV sound could hear it..I guess everyone just thinks they are hearing the ticking of a clock in the room!! I have to take something to sleep as I cannot sleep at all with the pounding of my heart..It seems like such a strong heart beat and that is taking some getting used to!!Time , I suppose!!

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Permalink Reply by Mark Dalton on February 22, 2011 at 15:20

Funny that Graeme I nearly always used to sleep on my front, but now sleep on my back as its the most comfortable/less intrusive way for me...

 

Ah individuality is a strange but wonderful thing :o)

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Permalink Reply by Holly Allen on February 22, 2011 at 15:31

yes graeme, i do have a wheat pillow and that does help drown out the noise, It is actually called a magic bag,and i heat it up in the microwave 1st to warm me up because I am always cold now!! Thanks for the suggestions Graeme!! Cheers!! Holly

Graeme said:

Holly

 

Its the biggest single thing that we MHV recipients all comment on at the start - the bloody noise! Click.Tick Thump! But - you WILL get used to it and even come to love the noise - as if its a clickin' and a tickin' - all is well - and so are we! I sleep with a small wheat pack pillow against my chest on my side to muffle the noise (I have not been able to sleep on my back since the implant!) and the other thing I do suggest is to buy a 1-1/2 - 2 inch 'miracle foam' mattress topper. It really muffles the noise - especially for my wife as before we had it she could hear my ticking through her pillow (!) as the sound was travelling through the mattress (via the springs?) and up into her pillow.. !

Hope this helps Holly... 

cheers

 

Graeme
Holly Allen said:

I have to sleep with a pillow over top of my head to drown out the noise..Only one person that is familiar with the MHV sound could hear it..I guess everyone just thinks they are hearing the ticking of a clock in the room!! I have to take something to sleep as I cannot sleep at all with the pounding of my heart..It seems like such a strong heart beat and that is taking some getting used to!!Time , I suppose!!

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Permalink Reply by joaquin cabrera on February 23, 2011 at 1:10

Yes, at first I really thought I would not get used to it (the noise and the Thump), but I HAVE! Graeme has been right since the beginning, and I really thank him and the rest of the group for being here.  I have a white noise machine that is now part of our nightly routine, and I sleep with a pillow against my chest, and I love it too.  It is a noisy valve, indeed, and my wife can totally hear it, and so can our children, but they are happy to have me around, and I am even happier to be around for them, so everything is great!  The noise is a reminder of this gift we used to take for granted called LIFE.  So, let us be thankful for the valve, the noise and all the other expressions of being alive that we face daily.

 

Best,

 

Joaquín

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Permalink Reply by John Walters on February 25, 2011 at 11:23

Like others who have posted I have found this thread really helpful in coming to terms with feeling my valve tick. I can't say that I actually hear it - it is more of a sensation in my chest and the back of my throat. Once I recognised that it was the common experience of others and had no bearing onthe efficiency of my heart I have managed toignore it most of the time. When occasionally it troubles me I calm myself with some Yoga based meditation. For me dealing with the anxiety was the key step forward.

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Permalink Reply by Jonathan F Bushey on June 15, 2011 at 23:50

I know I haven't been on in a while just been busy trying not to over do things but get back to my life. But, I did feel that I should share some comments and info as of recent times.

 

My girlfriend claims that she doesn't really hear my valve unless she tries to listen for it when she wakes up late at night and I am motionless. Some of my friends don't hear it that often either although out of the blue one of them yelled I can hear you ticking!!! during a quiet moment at their apartment.

 

Although I have had longer sessions of not hearing my valve there are still times that I do. I kind of expect this to continue for a while especially since My surgery was only on October 20th 2010. Sometimes I have noticed it more during stressful situations or times I really am trying to force myself to get to sleep and other times while against a wall or window. I definitely hear it after I take certain meds and after really high sodium intake like if I go out to eat with friends and family and splurge on the meal lol.

 

is it possible I will always notice it from now on? or maybe less later?

 

also great trick is controlling my pulse to match the ticking to the sound from certain clocks and as of recently my new Pocket watch that my girlfriend gave me for my birthday.

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Permalink Reply by joaquin cabrera on June 16, 2011 at 0:25

Dear Jonathan,

 

In my case, it has been 16 months since my surgery and I have come to basically "forget" or "ignore" the sound that my valve makes.  At first I thought I would never become used to it, but I guess I have. On the other hand, if I really focus or concentrate on hearing it, I can always hear it, even if I am on board a plane or even an ATV, which is nice.  

 

Take care and try to seize the day.  

 

Best,

 

Joaquín 

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