Mended Hearts Open Forum

Dear Community!

The dear friend, whom I reported about a few months back is doing amazing physically, so far.

Mood is still difficult, dealing with the trauma and spiritual impact of close to death experience. But he is working curiously on his well being.

I have two questions to the community, hoping for feedback, shared experiences or suggestions.

1. His Doctor suggested COVID and a Flu vaccination. Is this advisable? And does anyone see great concern or has experiences in chest colds or covid with this heart condition?

2. His dizziness/dizzyspells still persists. Related to Candesartan, maybe? He now is going down in Candesartan from 2x 16mg to 2x 8. His Doc also suggested limiting Amlodipin from 2x1 Tablett to 1 in the morning. Any experiences weening down this crazy medicine cocktail after 6months operation? (15 Tablets all together a day) My dear friend hopes to decrease the amount of needed medication to a minimum! 

Looking forward hearing from you! Thank you so much for beer here! 

Kindly,

Bianca

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Bianca Humbert
counsellor
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Bianca,

I know nothing about your friend's condition and your post provides no details, but why would you imagine it might be impacted by flu or Covid vaccinations, especially after his doctor recommends them? I was as close to death as anyone after complications from quintuple bypass surgery, yet have had eight Covid and flu vaccines which had no effect other than possibly saving my life when I contracted Covid. And I've had a variety of other vaccines in the nearly eight years since my open heart surgery including for Shingrix, RSV and tetanus. I've also followed my doctor's advice in adjusting medication doses when I complained of lightheadedness or needed my blood pressure lowered or raised. Incidentally, dizziness is a nonspecific nonmedical term that explains nothing because it can mean anything from lightheadedness to vertigo, which can be caused by any number of things from benign positional vertigo (typically) to cancer.

What I'm saying here is to trust your friend's doctor or get another doctor or second medical opinion instead of believing the vaccine ignorance and other ignorance you read on the internet or hear from third class intellects posing as experts but who know nothing and cannot coherently explain their positions.

Finally, a bit of philosophical advice for which I'm known around these parts. We all walk with death, every day, every moment. Carlos Castenada described death as being over our left shoulder. It's all right. It means nothing and it means everything. It provides life with meaning even if that meaning is an illusion until you stop thinking about it and simply be here now.

Ira

Dear Ira.

Thank you so much for your response! I posted 2months ago, where you kindly replied to as well.

I believe the medical field can feel overwhelming to comprehend and hard to know which decisions are right! The experience he went through isolating! He is American in a foreign country, maybe another factor.

His Doctor warned him for having a cold or getting COVID! Instilling fear, more fear….so I thought reaching out to all of you. A second option however is for sure advisable.

On a different note, dizziness, as in Vertigo.

Thank you so much, and I truly appreciate the philosophical touch! 

Kindly,

Bianca

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Bianca Humbert
counsellor
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-24-2025 05:21
From: Ira Reid
Subject: Reducing Meds and also cold experiences ? 6 months Post aorta replacement and aorta valve replacement!

Bianca,

I know nothing about your friend's condition and your post provides no details, but why would you imagine it might be impacted by flu or Covid vaccinations, especially after his doctor recommends them? I was as close to death as anyone after complications from quintuple bypass surgery, yet have had eight Covid and flu vaccines which had no effect other than possibly saving my life when I contracted Covid. And I've had a variety of other vaccines in the nearly eight years since my open heart surgery including for Shingrix, RSV and tetanus. I've also followed my doctor's advice in adjusting medication doses when I complained of lightheadedness or needed my blood pressure lowered or raised. Incidentally, dizziness is a nonspecific nonmedical term that explains nothing because it can mean anything from lightheadedness to vertigo, which can be caused by any number of things from benign positional vertigo (typically) to cancer.

What I'm saying here is to trust your friend's doctor or get another doctor or second medical opinion instead of believing the vaccine ignorance and other ignorance you read on the internet or hear from third class intellects posing as experts but who know nothing and cannot coherently explain their positions.

Finally, a bit of philosophical advice for which I'm known around these parts. We all walk with death, every day, every moment. Carlos Castenada described death as being over our left shoulder. It's all right. It means nothing and it means everything. It provides life with meaning even if that meaning is an illusion until you stop thinking about it and simply be here now.

Ira