About Me (In My Own Words)
I am a 43 year old wife and mother of 3. I was diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse and mild regurgitation at 20 years old following the delivery of my first child. No treatment other than antibiotics before dental exams necessary. I have seen my cardiologist regularly since then without any problems. Then in May of 2016 I began having hard, strange heart beats followed by lightheadedness. I had an ECHO that showed my regurgitation had increased to moderate and my blood pressure was very high. Cardiologist mentioned a repair/replacement may be necessary in about 5 years. He also put me on Valsartan and Metoprolol. In November I noticed extreme shortness of breath after simple things like tying my shoes and making a bed. The week of Thanksgiving our local Urgent Care diagnosed bilateral pneumonia after I went in for wheezing and crackling in my chest. My family doctor followed up and treated it as such. However all symptoms returned by Christmas. Pulmonologist diagnosed COPD most likely caused by pulmonary hypertension. He referred me to a valve surgeon who on February 7, 2017 did another ECHO that showed: severe mitral valve regurgitation with a thickened and partially flail leaflet, severe atrial enlargement, and pulmonary hypertension. So now open-heart surgery is set for April 6th to hopefully repair and not replace my mitral valve.
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Larose , Louisiana
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My surgery date is:
April 6, 2017
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I was diagnosed with:
Mitral Regurgitation
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My surgery was:
Mitral Valve Repair
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My surgeon is:
Dr. Patrick Parrino
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My hospital is:
Ochsner Hospital New Orleans