Dennis's Profile

I am 58 years old and have had heart problems since I was 21. I had my first atrial fib attack in 1973 and was scared to death when it happened. Since that first time, I have had 2 more atrial fib events. The last one was in 1997 and I had to have the shock treatment to get it under control. Since that time, it has been controlled with meds. I am no longer scared by my heart problems as I have had a very good life even with my heart problems and my problem is about to be fixed. I have had mitral valve prolapse all my life, but the severe regurgitation really started about 13 years ago. I worked with my cardiologists over the years and have deferred surgery by monitoring the slow deterioration with echoes and nuclear stress tests every six months during this time. Now the time has come to get this mitral valve fixed or replaced. I am scheduled for surgery on January 13, 2011 and I can't wait for that day!