Patient Story of sue burns

My Story

About Me (In My Own Words)

I am a 68- year- old otherwise very active and healthy woman. In December 2023 I felt a strange feeling of movement under my right rib. No other accompanying symptoms. A few days later I had a severe bout of indigestion which is something I never experience. This led me to think possible heart attack and I went to the emergency room. After a chest x-ray, EKG and lots of blood work I was told there was no indication of a heart attack, and I was discharged. I was put on a medication for indigestion, and within a day or two I no longer had either of those symptoms. The next day my GP asked to see me, and he heard a heart murmur. He ordered several tests, and the echocardiogram showed severe mitral regurgitation. From there I had the transesophageal echocardiogram which showed things were a little more advanced than they originally thought, and I was told I should have surgery within a few months. I also had a heart monitor for a week which showed Non-sustained Ventricular Tachycardia. At this point I am not sure how that is going to be handled, but we are speaking with Dr. Adams' office about that. As far as symptoms of the MV regurgitation go, I do not have any. In retrospect, however, I feel I get short of breath sooner than my friends when walking uphill and talking. Not having symptoms makes it very surreal to think about my upcoming open-heart surgery.

After a lot of research, I decided to seek consultations with two doctors in NY. Their procedures varied which was difficult, but in the end i felt Dr. David Adams at Mt. Sinai was the doctor for me. I feel very confident I am in good hands and giving it my very best shot with Dr. Adams and his team. My surgery is scheduled for May 2, 2024.