Visiting Program – Internet

Chapter 200’s accredited hospital visitors participate in Mended Heart’s nationwide Internet Visiting Program. The program is designed to allow heart patients and their family members the opportunity to send e-mail inquiries to a central e-mail address staffed by an MH volunteer. This volunteer then broadcasts the inquiry to all of the accredited visitors who are part of the Internet Visiting Program. If the Internet visitor feels she/he can offer some practical advice (non-medical advice) that visitor will reply directly to the person making the inquiry.

The Internet Visiting Program is a great way for people seeking practical advice to benefit from the array of heart-related experiences of MH’s members. It’s free and in most instances, the person making an inquiry has multiple responses within days.

To take advantage of the Internet Visiting Program, please draft your inquiry following the examples below and e-mail it to support@mendedhearts.org.

Be sure to include your return e-mail address and keep your inquiries brief and to the point.

Example 1: 

My name is Mary Doe and my husband had open-heart surgery involving four bypasses on (enter a date). He is experiencing a lot of discomfort in the surgical area, especially when he moves. Is this due to the cutting of the breastbone as part of the surgery and, if so, how long before the pain goes away? How about the swelling in his leg where they removed veins for grafts? Does this ever go away?

Mary Doe
(e-mail address)

Example 2: 

My doctor has advised me that I may need an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) to control dangerous arrhythmias. He wants me to undergo an electrophysiology (EP) study. Has anyone had any experience with this EP test and/or ICD’s?

John Doe
(e-mail address)

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