Keri's Journal

As you all know I had an emergency appointment with my Cardiologist yesterday. They found that I am starting to have Heart Failure. They told me that I need to have my surgery in June, we are shooting for the week of June 20th, and they scheduled me to meet the surgeon on May 5th. I asked if I could push it out to Fall and my Cardiologist told me that if I waited too long that one of two things would happen: 1. My heart failure would be worse and I would lose function of part of my heart even with a new valve. OR 2. My heart failure would get so bad that a new valve wouldn\'t make a difference and I would ... you know. So, my mom, Joshua and I go on the 5th to meet the surgeon. We find out a for sure date then. Oh, no more Cardiac Rehab either or stress test on May 6th.

As most of you know from my previous post, I have an appointment Jun 16th with my Cardiologist. Well the past week I have bee consistantly symptomatic and today at Cardiac Rehab I had severe chest pain and I felt like I was going to pass out. My nurse at Rehab told me that I need to bring my activity back down and call my Cardiologist and let her know about my new symptoms. I called this morning and spoke to my Cardiologists nurse and explained to her what was happening and she told me she would talk to my Cardiologist and then call me back. She just called and told me that I need to go in next Thursday (28th) and get evaluated along with another Echocardiogram and they want to talk to me about getting ready for my Valve Replacement. For now my Cardiologist still wants me to do my bike test on May 6th and they are going to try and get mein to see her a lot sooner than June 16th, but they can\'t guarantee anything. I\'ll kep everyone posted!

I have been doing Cardiac Rehab 3 times a week since the end of March and now things seem to be progressing FAST! At my appointment back in February Josh, my Cardiologist and I made a plan to do Cardiac Rehab, a Bicycle test and try to lose more weight so that my Surgery would be in June 2012. I have to follow up with her every 3 months, so my next appointment is June 16th, because she told us I need to be monitored because my valve I have now is no good. Well since I started Cardiac Rehab my symptoms seem to be getting worse and more frequent. Not only have I completely stopped losing weight but now I can\'t even take Major (my dog) for a walk without breaking out in sweat, shortness of breathe, and literally about to collapse. I used to be able to walk him everyday for 30 minutes with a little trouble, but nothing like now. I have had some similar symptoms at Cardiac Rehab too and last night my feet turned purple. I will be SHOCKED if my Cardiologist pushes my surgery out to 2012. I have an strong gut feeling, and so does my family, that we will be having my surgery either in October or November. Josh went to Cardiac Rehab with me yesterday and our class was the Anatomy & Physiology of the Heart so he got a better understanding of why I have my symptoms and why they are dangerous and also what they do during my surgery. I didn\'t know, neither did my family, that to replace my Pulmonary Valve the surgeons have to cut my heart open! Prety cool in my eyes. I also had Josh watch some Youtube videos on how they open & close the Sternum. I thought it was awesome and Josh thought it was not so awesome. Hah.