Patient Story of Scott Nicewarner

My Story

About Me (In My Own Words)

My wife, Tressa, was treated for Hodgkins Disease in 1990 at age 24 with radiation treatment to the chest and abdomen. She has been diligent with regular medical checkups, and has had issues with benign growths on her thyroid as well as several basal cell skin cancers removed from her radiation site. In November 2021, she went to her PHP with pain in her thumb, and the doctor heard for the first time a significant murmur. She was sent for an echo and it showed a "healthy" stenosis on her aortic valve. She has no real symptoms, though now we are identifying her "flutter" some mornings as perhaps being a sign. We were referred to Medstar Washington Hospital Center with hopes that, even though only 54, she would be eligible for TAVR given her radiation damage. After a battery of CT and MRI scans, as well as a heart catherization, it was determined that she has calcification in her left ventricle that the doctor feels should be taken out when the valve is replaced instead of needing to come back in relatively soon into the future to get rid of. We were crestfallen when hearing that SAVR was needed, but she is a warrior and will be fine. Her surgery is April 19. She is having a tissue valve inserted, as she does not want to deal with the clicks and blood thinner. The valve is one that would be able to be repaired using TAVR in 15 or so years if needed. She is obviously experiencing the same trepidation most of you have described in your pre-surgery situations. Dr. Cohen spent about 45 minutes with us on the phone last week and help to allay many of her fears. Nonetheless, she is scared to death but she is strong and will get through this with flying colors. Thank you for having this site available.

UPDATE: 43 weeks since surgery and her first echo after OHS was perfect! She also has a hardly noticeable scar. She still has some pain, and does find it hard to get her breath at times when walking in cold or hot air. However, she recovers quickly and is able to continue. We thank God everyday for the doctors, nurses and staff from Medstar Washington and Hagerstown Heart that got her through this. We march on!