About Me (In My Own Words)
My condition is aortic stenosis as well as a bicuspid aorta valve. I have known about my condition since I was born. Over the years I have been monitored with cardiology appointments annually. At age 60 now I am beginning to have symptoms, shortness of breath and palpitations. At first I thought it was anxiety (I have general anxiety disorder) as well as other physical conditions such as ulcerative colitis.
I located a surgeon and requested my family physician refer me. One week later the surgeons office called and I booked an appointment. My intention was to find out what the next step would be. As I already have extreme anxiety disorder I thought it might help ease the anxiety if I knew what was really happening and what my options would be..
There has been a lot of research on my part, reading everything I could get my hands on and the one thing I found out was the internet is a scary place (adding to my anxiety) . One thing I did learn that was helpful was stick to research on the Mayo Clinic. :)
I read everything I could to learn about the TAVI artificial valve. It appeared to be a less evasive procedure so with that info on hand I went to my surgeon to discuss.
As it turned out, I was not a candidate for the TAVI valve due to my colitis. The TAVI valve would require blood thinners which I cannot be on. A bit of a disappointment to say the least..as I discussed the options with the surgeon we decided the best valve for me would be a bovine (cow) valve. With the surgeons information, I booked a follow-up appointment form6 months later and went home to discussed this info with family. In addition, if my symptoms changed I was to call the surgeon right away for an earlier assessment ...
Six months passed without change and at this point I was prepared to move forward in 6 month time with the surgery.
As advised by the surgeon it’s best to do the surgery while I am strong and healthy than to wait for a crisis, agreed with the plan for surgery in January 2020. All required tests and pre-admission done, healthy and prepared now, waiting is definitely not as easy as I thought it would be but I am committed to the plan.
Surgery date now confirmed for January 13, 2020. Now it feels real.
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Toronto, Canada
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My surgery date is:
January 13, 2020
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I was diagnosed with:
Aortic Stenosis
Bicuspid Aortic Valve
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My surgeon is:
Dr. Gideon Cohen
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My hospital is:
Sunnybrook Health Sciences
