About Me (In My Own Words)
I'm 57 years old and have had a heart murmur my whole life. Until January, the only thing it meant to me was 1) climbing hills made me huff and puff and 2) every new doctor I saw got excited when they listened to my heart . . . pretty much a medical fun fact. I had an echo 5 years ago and learned it was aortic stenosis but still didn't mean much to me. No one ever told me it could get worse and that could mean trouble.
One Tuesday in January, while walking to my office, up the very slight hill I walk up every day, I felt like I was having a heart attack. I managed to get to my office, collapsed in my chair -light headed, gulping for air - and hoped my co-workers would hear me if I collapsed on the floor. Within 10 minutes I was fine. The next day the same thing happened . . . so I thought it might be time to call my doctor!
After each test I thought I'd be told . . ."oh, yes, we see the stenosis but no big deal . . .." Instead, after each test I was told "hmmmm, looks serious, need more tests." As I laid on the angiogram table, somewhat out of it, my cardio finally pronounced that a valve replacement was in order.
That was a month ago. I'm scheduled for AVR at the Cleveland Clinic on May 20th. Still doesn't seem real to me. I'm sure on May 20th it will be VERY real.
I'm happy I found this site because I have lots of questions, many of which have already been answered by reading all your journals. Thanks in advance for helping me through this!
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Greenville, South Carolina