About Me (In My Own Words)
Hi
I was diagnosed with a congenital bicuspid aortic valve (moderately severe) when I was a child. Growing up I was encouraged to lead a healthy lifestyle and take physical activity at my own pace, nothing competitive.
When I was about 30 years old and considering trying to have a baby I was advised that my valve was thickening from the additional wear associated with this sort of stenosis.
I opted for a human tissue aortic valve and root replacement as it did not require any medication post surgery. One teenage child and 22 years later, the replaced valve is now showing signs of thickening but not critical. My focus will be to stay healthy and active for the next year after which I will probably be close to requiring the second OHS.
My story . . . to be continued. :)
Yes, reoperation booked for 29-Nov-2023. My old allograft aortic valve & aortic root, which is now pretty well falling apart, will be replaced with an INSPIRIS RESILIA bovine aortic valve & synthetic woven Dacron tube graft. My head has been absolutely spinning but I'm now showing symptoms of early heart failure & my lifestyle is very much restricted. I'm a very small framed female & the surgeon has advised of most of the possible complications, I think.
There's always a choice, but at this stage I need to try hard to be around for my 20 year old son.
*****
I'm still alive!! It was a gruelling experience. Almost everything that could have been a complication actually happened. The only exception pretty much was no infection. Very long surgery; 1 week in ICU; 4 weeks in hospital; my kidneys stopped working for a few weeks so was on dialysis, that required 2 separate catheterisations; I had 2 separate lung taps, both lungs, 1 week apart, extracting 1litre of fluid from each lung both times; two separate Cardioversions to restore regular heart rhythm; I lost almost all of my muscle mass and found lifting a leg challenging when I got home.
It's been mentally traumatic too.
But I think I'm nearly at my new normal. What a journey.
Remembering why we go through all this is important ..... for our family & dear close friends, to continue contributing in society. Although it is a challenging journey, it is also a privilege to be able to continue living a rewarding active life. I see my young adult son all the time & we are entering a local annual fun run fundraiser in September - I can't wait. I'm filled with joy to be looking forward to engaging with my son in this way. I've started Pickleball and discovered this thing called 'Geocaching'!! ;)
To be able to interact with the 'Heart Valve Surgery' community was such a comfort in the lead up to my latest surgery & since. The webinars that Adam hosts are an amazing source of up-to-date research, knowledge & practice. The community & information available are an invaluable resource for anyone with heart valve disease of any sort.
Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou everyone who posts their stories, contributes information, provides comfort & advice to others. And thankyou to Adam for being the tireless driving force behind HeartValveSurgery.com.
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Brisbane , Australia
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My surgery date is:
November 29, 2023
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I was diagnosed with:
Aortic Stenosis
Bicuspid Aortic Valve
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My surgery was:
Aortic Valve Replacement
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My surgeon is:
Dr. Chris Cole
