About Me (In My Own Words)
So, I found out a few months ago that I’m being referred for Open Heart Surgery. It’s a blessing in disguise, because my heart problem (a bicuspid aortic valve) is a problem I was born with but never knew I had until a year and a half ago. It was found by coincidence when I was having some tests done at the hospital for an unrelated issue. I always knew I had a heart murmur but didn’t realize it could mean I had some type of heart disease. At the time the issue was found, it was considered minor, the doctors told me it’s a relatively common issue (1 in 50 people have it) and that it affects people in different ways, some will need surgical intervention, some may go their whole life unaware and live a long and happy life, and some may never have symptoms and one day suffer a severe cardiac episode. Mine was considered minor, heart was functioning properly with minor issues, I had no symptoms, life was normal, but they did say it will most likely need surgical intervention sometime in the next 15 – 20 years, so to prepare for that. In the meantime, they will keep an eye on it through yearly testing. So, life carried on, nothing changed, I was still as active as ever, riding my bike and going to the gym, traveling with my family, doing my job as if nothing had changed. Fast Forward 12 months, I go to the hospital for my new, yearly heart ultrasound. Things went smoothly during the test, and I received a called from the specialist a few weeks later, where he informed me that over the last 12 months my valve had progressed from a minor issue to a severe issue and that it now affected my Aorta as well. I was then told I would be getting referred for Open Heart Surgery. Fast forward 6 months from then, after a myriad of tests and appointments, here I am heading to have open heart surgery Tuesday morning, to replace my aortic valve with a mechanical valve and have a section of my aorta replaced with a synthetic one. A lot to take in at 40, but I truly consider myself lucky, in the sense that, I never had any symptoms (still don’t), the issue was found by coincidence and because it was being monitored, I’m getting timely intervention before something more serious could have happened.
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Fort St John, Canada
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My surgery date is:
June 4, 2024
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I was diagnosed with:
Bicuspid Aortic Valve
Aortic Aneurysm
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My surgery was:
Aortic Valve Replacement
Aortic Aneurysm Replacement
