About Me (In My Own Words)
I came down with a heavy flu in April 2018, and began to lose weight. This was followed by very heavy night sweats. My doctor gave me antibiotics, and ordered a chest Xray, just prior to my travel overseas at the beginning of June. This showed an enlarged heart, and subsequent ecg showed atrial fibrillation. My haemoglobin had also dropped from 156 to 126. I also started having severe pain across my back between my shoulder blades. I was conscious I was slowing down walking, but was by no means breathless. After I had lost 10 kg, the doctor was talking possible cancer, and a full CT scan ordered. By now, it was mid-August, and we were headed to Sydney for a one week holiday. The day we landed in Sydney was the first day I felt really out of breath, having to stop every 10 metres to catch my breath. The next day, I had real difficulty breathing, even while seated, and called an ambulance that (Sunday) evening. A quick trip to St Vincent's hospital, where it was decided I would undergo cardioversion the next day. During this procedure, the echocardiogram showed severe aortic regurgitation, and I was told I would need to have this dealt with on my return to New Zealand. I was discharged on the Monday evening, feeling much better. However, the next day, things were just as bad as before. Great difficulty walking, and breathing getting difficult, even while sitting. On Thursday night, it was a return trip to St Vincent's. The next day, blood cultures were done, and by Saturday morning, I was feeling awful, including vomiting and diarrhea. The blood cultures came back positive for Strep mitis, and by Saturday afternoon, I was becoming delirious. On Saturday evening, I was moved to ICU, where I passed out. The next morning, I woke, surrounded by machines, and told that I had gone into cardiogenic shock. A line was in my femoral artery, and I was getting antibiotics for the strep mitis, and treatment for failing liver and kidneys. One of the ICU doctors told me, "without doubt, last night, you were the sickest patient in the whole hospital "!. After four days in ICU, I was moved to the cardiac ward, where we agreed I would have a surgical aortic valve replacement, with a bovine prosthetic valve, once my liver and kidneys were sufficiently recovered. The echo showed vegetation on my valve. A week later, I underwent surgery, and had a slow recovery, being discharged nearly four weeks later. The surgeon had told me, the more I was able to exercise, the stronger I would be, so I was walking up to 1 km daily before discharge. My heart ejection fraction at discharge was 18%.
On returning to New Zealand, I immediately joined heart rehab. My cardiologist advised that walking was better than any medication he could give me, so I slowly built up my one km a day, to 3 km. I still walk this every day, and my time is down to 30 minutes. Six months after my operation, my enlarged heart had returned to normal, and my annual echo showed an ejection fraction of 55%.
My medication is now pradaxa blood thinner, ace inhibitor, beta blocker, and inspra. BP is around 100 over 68, and I am enjoying playing with the dogs, and getting out on the farm. Staying active every day is really important, and I have just passed my 3 year anniversary since surgery.
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Auckland , New Zealand
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My surgery date is:
September 5, 2018
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I was diagnosed with:
Aortic Regurgitation
Atrial Fibrillation
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My surgery was:
Aortic Valve Replacement
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My hospital is:
St Vincent's hospital, Sydney, Australia
