About Me (In My Own Words)
August 15 of this year marked the first anniversary of my initial AVR surgery. I was diagnosed about 4 years ago with mild stenosis after my family doctor picked up a murmur in a normal check up. I was closely monitored by my cardiologist for three years as the stenosis became more severe and my symptoms progressed to the point where surgery was necessary and scheduled at the Cleveland Clinic for August 15, 2013.
I have close family members that are part of the medical community so with their input and my own research , I was well prepared for this serious, but relatively "routine" open heart surgery.
I was 62 years old at the time of my surgery , in good shape, with a heart cath that showed no coronary heart disease. My interventional cardiologist and my surgeon offered me the cautious optimism that they express to all of their AVR patients prior to my surgery. Nervous yes...worried no. I really just wanted to start to feel better and not be short of breath after any slight physical exertion.
I opted for a bovine replacement valve. Surgery went very well and immediate post op was uneventful. My wife and I anticipated a discharge from the hospital of five days. About 3 days post op, I developed a very severe pain in my right knee with swelling. I have suffered from repeated episodes of gout for several years so the initial diagnosis was gout flair up, which does happen after major surgery. To be certain, however, I had several specialists including an infectious disease doctor examine me for a few days to rule out any possibility of an infection. Finally after 10 days post op I was released to go home with the pain considerably lessened and swelling gone.
My wife and I followed my discharge instructions pretty much to a "T", with the proper diet, follow-up exams ; exercise( walking); and rest. By the middle of October I was walking 4 miles per day and started to do some light weights. I enrolled in a hospital certified cardiac rehab program and was back on the golf course.
About the third week in October, I was walking when suddenly I developed that severe pain in my right knee. The next day, the pain was in both knees and legs. I went to my rheumatologist and was diagnosed again with gout. I continued with my gout treatments but had to limit my walking and cardiac rehab.
While it seemed my gout was slowly improving, my appetite which was back to normal after my surgery started to lessen and I noticed a slight weight loss. At the same time, I started to feel tired with a significant lack of energy. At first I passed it off as the gout and the continuing recovery from my surgery.
About three weeks later, I started to have soaking night sweats and during the day I would get the chills. On a Saturday morning, I remember waking up and have double vision in my right eye which lasted for about 20 minutes.I continued a steady weight loss with a poor appetite until finally, I pulled out the script that my family doctor wrote for me back in September for routine post op blood tests. I was supposed to go in December.
On Monday Nov. 18th, I went to my local outpatient blood lab and had my blood drawn. On Tuesday, my family doctor called me with the results that showed an elevated white blood count. A blood culture was ordered along with a chest Xray to see if I had pneumonia. The Xray was negative, but the blood culture came back positive.
On Thursday I was admitted to the Cleveland Clinic emergency room and diagnosed with infective endocarditis . A subsequent TEE revealed a very large bacterial vegetation growth on my prosthetic aortic valve and an abcessed aorta. I was immediately placed on IV antibiotics with further testing to see if/where the bacteria may have embolized. My CAT Scan and Brain Angiogram revealed bacterial emboli in my spleen; liver and brain.
The Angiogram further showed an unruptured mycotic aneurysm . My neurologist and my cardiac surgeon consulted to recommend endovascular repair of the mycotic aneurysm and then a second AVR surgery. So on Tuesday 11/26 I had an endovascular procedure to repair the aneurysm and then on Wednesday before Thanksgiving, my diseased bovine valve and abcessed aorta was replaced with a homograft aortic valve.
I was discharged on December the 5th and spent 6 weeks at home on IV antibiotics administered by my wife.
It has been a very slow but steady recovery, complicated unfortunately by arterial; muscle; and neurological issues in my legs as a result of bacterial emboli settling in my circulatory system in my legs. There has been a slight improvement since my surgery, by my neurologist is not sure how much more improvement there will be. I have constant pain; numbness and cramping.
I am walking; exercising and golfing again and enjoying life.
Unfortunately, I was one of the "less than1% " that ever have to go through this but, thanks to the good Lord, my doctors, the great staff of nurses at the Clinic, and especially my wife, I have survived.
I only write this to give all my other heart valve replacement friends a "heads up". If you start to feel as though your body is trying to tell you that something is not right in your recovery....speak up, act quickly, see your doctor, and Trust in the Lord!
God Bless.
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Boardman, Ohio
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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 hospital is:
Cleveland Clinic
