Ben's Journal

Richard Munson  I was told the same thing about my 4.1 ascending aortic aneurism at 6-5 inches tall. No idea why height plays a role. I still get it checked for any changes once a year when they echo my mitral valve repair. I also take bp medicine and metropolol beta blocker as well which i think slows down your heart rate. I am considerably older than you but the same rules apply.

Adam Pick  Hey Ben, I was 33 when I learned it was "go time" for a BAV with severe aortic stenosis/regurgitation. Take it step-by-step to learn as much as you can about your specific cardiac disease, your treatment options, and your potential heart surgeons. I am hopeful the educational resources and people in our community will help you along your journey to a healthy heart! Adam (patient and website founder)

Ben Whitener  Thanks, Adam! I have LOVED watching your videos. What you have done for this community has been special and we appreciate  you. Hope to meet you one day!

Rose Madura  Ben, I knew about my "bad heart" (what I was told) since age 7!  I went about things normally but was always aware not to push things.  I did not even know I had an aneurysm until I met the surgeon.  I may have been told but I don't remember.  As Adam said, information is knowledge and the more you know about a situation, at least you know what you are dealing with.  And it's good that it is mild regurgitation and not severe and the aneurysm isn't over 5 cm.  Mine was 5.1 at the time of my surgery.  Anyway, God bless you on this journey and please keep us updated.

Adam Pick  @Ben - Great to hear you are enjoying the educational content here. Hope to meet you as well! Best, Adam

Valerie Allen  My aneurysm was discovered at about the same size. It took 11 years to get to the point of surgery. Of course I had regular checks -yearly once they determined it was slow growing, then every 6 months as it got closer to 5.0 cm. Mine wasn’t discovered until age 60 and everyone is different. Once we found it to be slow growing, I relaxed about it. Keep us posted!

Richard Munson  Ben, glad you enjoy my postings about life. By the time you head to the operating room i will probably be pushing up daisy’s but i will be reading your postings either from above or below. Probably below. I see you are from richmond. Our grandson is at virginia tech, not far away. Best of luck. 

Marcus Krauss  The good news is that you're aware of your condition and can monitor regularly now to make sure that if you cross a threshold for surgery you can get it scheduled. That's much better than not knowing and finding yourself in an emergency because you didn't know there was a problem. These things also don't progress linearly. You may have very little change for years, and then in a matter of several months your condition could worsen to the point of needing a surgery. Or things could look like they're progressing towards surgery and then nothing changes for years. That's why regular appointments are so important. I just had my BAV replaced 6 weeks ago at age 46 and I've been surprised at how fast I've been recovering. I also had no symptoms, felt fine, and was in good shape ahead of time. It's definitely OK to feel anxiety, but know that there's nothing in the road ahead of you that you can't handle!

Ben Whitener  @Marcus, Thanks for the info. I have enjoyed reading about your successful Ross procedure. May have some questions for you when its my turn to get surgery.