Penny's Heart Valve Journal

Getting an update from Steven (Calgary) reminded me that I haven’t updated my own journal…
I finally found a decent local cardiologist in Aberdeen and saw him last week for an ECG and echo. Valves are working 100% and he took me off the beta blocker and diuretic that I had been back on since February. My Steve keeps me on track for fitness and heart health – he oversees my 45 minutes on the stationary bike 3 times a week, walking the dogs 30 minutes twice a day most days, and TRX system for strength training. Yesterday I was out on the mountain bike for about 15 miles with no difficulty at all. I am so pleased with myself! Hopefully I’ll only have to see the cardiologist annually for a check up. I’m flying again 4 times over the next 2 weeks so will be able to add to my research data, fingers crossed I’ll be proved wrong with my theory of flying and AF.
For those of you about to have surgery, my best advice is to develop a network of friends on HVJ as quickly as possible – just make contact with anyone on HVJ, any where in the world, who has just had what you are about to have – they will help you and your family through more than you would believe possible. You are then in a wonderful position to pay it forward. Thanks again Adam for making this possible!
Best wishes
Penny (Scotland)

I missed the opportunity to update my journal for Valentine's Day AND 26 February (my one year anniversary mitral and tricuspid valve repairs and ablation). It’s because, apart from my scar, I forget that I was a cardiac patient! Business is frenetic, I’m walking hills, strength training and up until 5th February, I had been free of atrial fibrillation and all medication since October. Imagine my surprise then when on a trip to London one month ago I felt my heart jolt back into that mad rumba rhythm that I remembered so well. I had a cold (which is rare in itself) and we had only returned from a conference in Las Vegas the week before. We had congratulated ourselves on avoiding jetlag by fasting on the flight and only drinking water – it truly works – and we were feeling ready for a little business but mainly pleasure and catching up with friends for the weekend while staying in a 5* luxurious hotel (a plug for the Gloucester Millennium here). I had popped in to see my GP on the Thursday morning just to check that I didn’t have anything catching and he felt sure that I had nothing more than a feverish cold that was on the way out. On the one hour flight from Aberdeen to London I experienced a few dizzy spells and felt momentarily unwell but it passed and as I had felt something similar on our first day in Vegas I put it down to the virus that may have been incubating. Steve went off for his business meeting on the Friday and I opted to stay put after sending out to the pharmacy for some Beechams all in one for colds and flu. Well, I stayed in that bed until Saturday night with several calls to housekeeping to come and change the sweat soaked sheets. By midnight AF had kicked in and Steve made the emergency call for an ambulance. I know that you can imagine how panicked I was feeling but as soon as the paramedics arrived, I felt reassured - they were fantastic. Leaving the hotel on a gurney through the main lobby past the very full bar into an ambulance with flashing blue light wasn’t how I imagined I would be spending our Saturday night in London! Within minutes we were in Chelsea and Westminster A&E and I was looking at about 15 young faces in scrubs as they transferred me from the ambulance apparatus and hooked me up to their monitors while they neatly went through the admittance procedures and checks. Then it got funny, I couldn’t help laughing – they were all standing around the bed watching the monitors above me and they collectively gasped as my heart rate spiked at 260 bpm and then sighed with relief as in ‘troughed’ at 90 bpm. And they kept doing this gasping and sighing as they followed the AF pattern!!! I told them that they had warm hands but they had to work on their facial expressions! Georgie was due to fly to London on the Monday for business and was able to get on an earlier flight for the mad dash to the hospital early on Sunday. It’s horrible that Steve and Georgie have to go through this. The doctors and cardiologists never figured out what the cause of my fever was although they got really excited about our recent visit to USA, and tested for cultures but within 24 hours nothing had developed and my heart rate was back in sinus rhythm. They kept me in for another 48 hours before letting me go with my packet of meds, including beta blockers, although thankfully they substituted warfarin with aspirin. So, not as dramatic as Duane, but like him I’m back on the rounds of cardiologist, ECGs and blood testing. And like him, trying to figure out a single cause and effect. Steve is convinced it the Ephedrine in the cold meds but I have my own theory. When I look back over the 10 years that I have experienced intermittent AF the episodes have always begun within a day or two of flying flying. I’m not sure whether to believe that it is the physiological effect of cabin pressure, dehydration or stress – I always make us late because I am always working frantically up to the last minute before we have to leave - but I would be interested to hear from any of you that can make a similar link. I won’t ‘take it easy’, it’s not in my nature – but I can and do keep up my strength training and I will increase the duration of my aerobic workouts (but not the intensity until I am off the beta blockers). My left ventricle shows up on scans as enlarged but my valve repairs are both 100% perfect. My eternal gratitude to Steve and Georgie for their love and care, Frank Wells, my surgeon and our dear friend Peter Faber who works alongside Frank and is a constant source of support. And to my girlfriends Lorinda, Jac, Alex and Sue who are all amazing. And I'm so grateful to you, my friends from this HVJ community who are a continual source of inspiration. I’ll keep you posted! Lots of love and hugs xxxx

...I may keep turning up! Just a quick update as I went down to Papworth last week for an echocardiogram, chest x-ray and an intelligent conversation with my wonderful surgeon Frank Wells - it's worth the 900 mile round trip for that alone. He was so pleased to see me looking radiant (his words), off all medication, in normal heart rhythm and leading a full and active life 7 months after surgery. I try not to take my present physical and mental health for granted, but it's easy to do and it gets harder to remember just how ill I was 12 months ago - just my scar as a reminder really and Steve's well meant nudges if he thinks I'm working too hard and not exercising enough.

It was Cheryl's sign off that prompted me to visit my dear old friends on the HVJ recently and I was so sad to read of Lori's death. Our heartfelt sympathies and love to the family.

So, I have learnt a lesson and won't say goodbye again but til next time.

Love and hugs from Penny (Scotland)

Scots Gaelic for goodbye (isn't Google the best!). I have just passed my 3 month marker, feeling good, everything going to plan and I feel it is time for me to say 'fae ye well'. All of you have been fabulous companions on my journey over the last 5 months, I know that I, and my family, would not have bourne it so well without you all and of course none of us would have this support if it weren't for Adam. Thank you again.
I haven't got much more to add to my own story - I have an appointment with a local cardiologist next month to monitor my meds - I'm down to 20 tabs a day... but I should be off all of them in another 3 months. I see an endochrinologist in July to check on my underactive thyroid and my liver function improves each week (both problems a result of amalodorone). I haven't had an episode of AF for weeks and have had one more bout of pleurisy in the last 10 days but it hasn't affected my life this time round. I can walk and climb stairs at a fairly fast pace and still hold a conversation - my high heels are the only thing to slow me down now (guys be grateful).
For those with upcoming surgery, stay calm and strong in your beliefs and for those on the recovery road remember baby steps for at least the first 6 weeks.
Love and hugs
Penny (Scotland)