How to Prepare for Open Heart Surgery – a Satire piece by Dave D’Auria
A satirical essay on how to prepare for open heart surgery... by Dave D'Auria That first appointment with the cardiac surgeon was critical. I just knew I could talk him into fixing my mitral valve arthroscopically. As soon as I made my case he said "here's what I'm...
What is Lovenox?
What is LOVENOX? Sometimes when your INR is not in a therapeutic range, your doctor will require you to take Lovenox shots. Lovenox or Enoxaparin is a medicine that is used to prevent and treat harmful blood clots. While your INR may not be in the therapeutic range,...
What is an INR test?
What is an INR test? If you're a member of the Zipper Club chances are you have had to get your INR checked. If you're new to the Zipper Club or will be becoming a member soon, get ready for these important tests. When the doctor orders an INR test it means they want...
Tim’s Zipper Story
This post comes from the VERY well written Tim Nichols. SYMPTOMS "Last autumn I was leaving on a weekend trip to Pennsylvania to celebrate my mom’s 85th birthday. Along the way I couldn’t shake a nagging concern that I was having really really mild chest pains. I was...
Caitlyn’s Ticker
Hi everyone! My name is Caitlyn MacKay. I was born in 1990 with Truncus Arteriosus and am now 27 years old. Surgery I underwent my first major open-heart surgery at the age of 3 months old; I live in Columbus Ohio but at the time they were not doing the procedure I...
The Importance of Listening to Your Body
Today's Zipper story comes from Rosanne, a very well written sixty five year old who we are sure will inspire many readers! Diagnosis The mitral valve prolapse I learned about at age 26 never gave me any problems. A doctor found it during a routine annual exam and...