What It's Like Living with the Noise of a Mechanical Ticker
Before having my Aortic Valve replaced, I was curious about living with the noise of a mechanical heart valve ticking away in my chest 24 hours a day for the rest of my life. Would the ticking noise drive me crazy? In fact, this questions guided my decision making when choosing a valve. I knew that of the mechanical valve options, the St. Jude was slightly louder than the On-X valve. Although this was a very small consideration overall, it was definitely on the list of positives for making my valve selection. A stock photo of the On-X Valve Now that I have had a mechanical valve ticking away in my chest for the last 4 years, I can say with some authority that it has only made life better! For the most part, the noise from the valve is something that I do not pay attention to. It easily blends into the background noise of the day. So when do I hear it? As I sit in a quiet room to write this post, especially after consuming a bowl of ice cream, I can hear the valve opening an