About Me (In My Own Words)
I was a perfectly healthy 14 year old who had been managing what seemed like an ordinary sinus infection for about four days, but suddenly my world turned upside down. On day five I woke up from a nap fully paralyzed on my right side; face, arm, and leg. I was transferred to a local hospital with a stroke team. After several hours my status deteriorated, due to DIC, and I was air lifted to a children's hospital. After a few days I was finally diagnosed with Infective Endocarditis, 13.6mm vegetation on my mitral valve and 12+ strokes due to the pieces of the vegetation that had already broken off. Unfortunately I was too high risk to under go heart surgery so early post stroke, risk of brain hemorrhage, so I was started in high dose antibiotics and monitoring. After two weeks of antibiotics the remaining vegetation on the mitral valve destroyed the valve; perforated it, as well as made it mushy at site of attachment. I had no choice but to have surgery, not only for the valve, but the risk of the remaining vegetation breaking off and causing a deadly stroke. I was scheduled for valve replacement surgery two days later. Even though I was already scheduled for surgery, my parents continued to seek out more information and any available additional options. They even considering transfering me to another children's hospital more than 1000 miles away, but they said I was unsafe to fly. Somehow my parents ended up speaking with Dr. Gillinov at Cleveland Clinic who got us in touch with Dr Kevin Accola here in Florida. Although Dr. Accola is an adult valve surgeon, after review, he accepted my case. The next day I was air lifted to Florida Hospital in Orlando (now AdventHealth) and was in surgery at 8am the following morning. Not only did I survive, but I have my own valve. Dr. Accola was able to repair my valve instead of replacing it. At almost a year later, my heart is wonderful and my echo's are still showing zero regurg. It's been a very long year, I haven't returned to school and I'm still trying to adjust to the new me, but I am grateful everyday that I am alive and that there are still such wonderful and caring doctors like Dr Accola. Wishing you all much health!
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Lakewood Ranch, Florida
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My surgery date is:
February 3, 2018
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I was diagnosed with:
Mitral Regurgitation
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My surgery was:
Mitral Valve Repair
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