Joan's Journal

Sophia Ridley  Hi Joan, I’m Sophia, now 45. I am originally from over the Severn bridge so one of a few Brits lurking on the site, you get used to translating TOE to TEE etc 😆 and will be thanking God for the NHS when you hear about insurance companies.
I had my mitral valve repaired at The Royal Brompton in Nov 2015 (admittedly privately but through NHS facilities), due to severe prolapse which all came on as a bit of a shock. Few bumps on the road to recovery but much better and so glad to have had the operation.
Two major factors in my recovery were (1) the fantastic support and camaraderie found on this website (ask anything and you will find you’re not alone in this journey!) - honestly, has been a life saver - and (2) attending cardiac rehab.

Welcome!! 💕

Mary Woods  Hi Joan, another Brit here. I have an almost severe leaky mitral valve. I was told in December that I will need surgery, so another echo on Tuesday. Being in the waiting room is horrible! I'll be going to Basildon - my husband had a triple bypass there in October and did great. We are so fortunate to have the NHS and fantastic cardiac care here. Very best wishes xx

John Formby   Hi Joan, I’m sure everything will go well on the 14th- I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you. As soon as I became aware that I needed OHS I spoke to my two adult daughters asking them to have a check up and see their own gp. My youngest daughter has since been told that she has a slight heart murmur which going forward will now be checked periodically. She did ask me why she was the one who inherited all the best bits from me !!😁. In all seriousness though, I am pleased that she took this forward and is now aware of the potential condition in her later years. John

Joan Saddington  Thank you all so much for your welcome and kind words. It really is so good to know there are so many people with so much experience and knowledge to turn to. It saddens me that we are all here because our tickers don’t tock properly and I am so glad to hear that you are all doing so well. I have set myself a weekly task and this week coming, I am going to set about telling my sons that they need to get checked. Have a great weekend all. Joan

Jennifer McInerney  Hi Joan my surgery is Wednesday. Severe aortic stenosis with bicuspid valve. If you have questions, let me know

Jean Jackson  Hi Joan, I'm originally from Manchester but have lived in the US almost 40 years now. Had AVR for a severely stenotic bicuspid valve almost two years ago at the University of Kentucky Medical Center. Doing well despite a few bumps in the road! Looking back, the procedure and recovery weren't as bad as I feared - I was 63 at the time of surgery. Adam's website has been a wonderful resource along the way. I wish you all the best for a successful procedure and recovery.

Molly Ivers  Hi Joan, I am 17 days out from having a new valve for my AS. Everything went fine and there were NO complications. I may be on the other side of the pond, but I don't think I could have done this without this wonderful site and support from my UK friends who were there for me and esp for my husb when I was in surgery.