About Me (In My Own Words)
I am currebtly 44 years old and apparently I was born with a bicuspid aortic valve. I was unaware of this fact until June of this year. I have been to several different primary care Dr's over the years and a couple of them mentioned I had a heart murmur but stated it was "no big deal" In December of 2021 I contracted Valley fever which took till February of 2022 to diagnose. They put me on Fluconazole which helped with the symptoms however not completely due to being on immune reducing meds for my Rheumatoid Arthritis. Throughout 2022 I began having trouble breathing and a tighting in my chest when I would ride my horse or work out or do any kind of cardio. I assumed it was the Valley fever so I would attempt to push through which would cause pain in my neck, shoulder, and left arm. Again I dismissed these signs as Valley fever symptoms and made another follow up with my primary care. She sent me for a Chest CT in December 2022 and told me the results showed no worrisome features and to continue with the Fluconazole. In January of 2023 when we received our new health insurance I made an appointment with a new primary care Dr. Luccock. I talked with him about the Valley fever and he mentioned my murmur. I said I have been told it is no big deal. He said he thought I should see a Cardiologist about it and sent me to Dr Desi. It was a few weeks before Dr Desi could see me and in that time I began having bad stomach pain so Dr Luccock sent me to a GI Dr. We did an Endoscopy and Colonoscopy and found nothing. I didn't believe that the Cardiologist would find anything but I was very wrong! Dr Desi came in and listened right behind my ear. He stated to his assistant he could hear the murmur all the way up there and I was not allowed to do the treadmill test. He ordered an echo which was scheduled for the next day and a follow-up with him the day after. During the follow-up appointment he told me I have severe stenosis in my bicuspid aortic valve. They scheduled a scan of my carotid arteries and then an angiogram. I was then sent to meet with the surgeon. The first surgeon I met with said I was to choose between a tissue replacement valve that would only last 10 to 15 years and then would require more surgery or a mechanical valve that would require blood thinners for the rest of my life. I had no idea how to make that decision and he said I could just tell him the day of the surgery which one I wanted. I scheduled surgery with him and thought I would talk to Dr Desi at my follow-up a week later and see what he said. Dr. Desi said because of my age I should be getting a mechanical valve and sent me to another surgeon for a second opinion. The second surgeon I saw was Dr Raj Bose. He explained everything in much better detail. He stated that I should have the mechanical valve and that the blood thinners should not get in the way of my horseback riding just try not to fall off too much. He said he looked through all the tests I had done and asked if I had a chest CT done. I told him it was back in December. So he left the room to review the scan. When he came back he said that I also had an aneurysm in my aorta that would have to be fixed as well. The same CT scan that my previous primary care Dr said had no worrisome features. Dr Bose also told me that I was supposed to stop my Rheumatoid Arthritis meds 30 days prior to surgery. Since my original surgery was only 2 weeks away and would have to be rescheduled anyway. I rescheduled with Dr Bose instead. So now I wait 4 more weeks till Aug 29th. I have been rescheduled to September 1st. so now I wait some more. My anxiety is off the charts!
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Tucson, Arizona
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My surgery date is:
September 1, 2023
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I was diagnosed with:
Aortic Stenosis
Bicuspid Aortic Valve
Aortic Aneurysm
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My surgery was:
Aortic Valve Replacement
Aortic Aneurysm Replacement
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My surgeon is:
Dr. Raj Bose
