About Me (In My Own Words)
I am 43 and was diagnosed with severe mitral valve regurgitation almost 6 years ago after feeling some off and on pain around my heart.
Currently, I am being monitored by a cardiologist in Torrance, CA every 6 months with a stress echo. My cardiologist, Dr. Lurie, looks for any change at all during these visits. There has been a slight increase in pulminary pressure over the last year but no other symptoms for him to go forward with a repair at this time. I do continue to have occasional 'twinges' around my heart area (unexplained by the Dr.) but otherwise am completey asymptomatic...no heart chamber enlargement, no shortness of breath, no swelling...etc. I excercise (jog) 3-4 miles most days to stay in shape for when I do have to get the heart repair surgery.
I really believe that I was probably born with the mitral valve prolapse. My Mom and Dad both have varying degrees of MVP and an arythmia (requiring medication). I think having two kids back to back in my early thirties following training for and running my one and only marathon when I turned 30 led to the severe regurgitation. I remember feeling the same 'twinges' around my heart during training and during the pregnancies. The cardiologist doesn't associate my 'angina' with the mvp and or regurgitation but it's in the right area, occured around the same time I was diagnosed and is otherwise unexplained.
My cardiologist has confirmed that our goal is to have my mitral valve repaired prior to needing a replacement. So, it is just a matter symptoms appearing and/or changing and continuing my regular 6 month check-ups.
Skip ahead to July 2013 (now almost 45), thought I'd update that I did have my Mitral Valve repaired in September 2011 by Dr. Starnes at USC Med Center in LA doing a minimally invasive/non robotic procedure. Was in the hospital for 8 days would have been a much shorter stay but had some lung issues that took a few days to resolve. All went as planned and currently only seeing cardiologist once per year and am on no medications. Was a life changer in all ways for me and my family.
More Info About Me & My Heart
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