Darren's Guestbook

Martin Smith  Hi Darren!
I'm a Ross recipient from London, Canada. My experience might have some elements in common with yours. The UK and Canadian Universal Health care systems are more similar to one another than the US system is to either of our healthcare systems.
I had my Ross procedure done at our local hospital which has a world-renowned cardiac
program. After much anxious delay, several months after a diagnosis of severe stenosis of my BAV I got a surgery date in September 2020 when non-urgent surgical procedures were starting up again after cancellations and delays. Covid numbers were down slightly, but hospital protocols were strict. Visitation was extremely limited. The operation went well, and my recovery, while interrupted by occasional setbacks, also went well. I'm in my sixties, and had been offered the Ross because, while at the older end of the spectrum, I was fit, healthy, and very active. 15 months have gone by, I walk, hike, paddle, and do resistance exercises, my energy levels are good, and I've been happy so far with the outcomes. That said, it's too early for me to give a definite endorsement of the procedure I chose. Only time will help solidify that endorsement.
I considered myself more-or-less asymptomatic while my stenosis worsened. The difficulty of course is that symptoms sneak in discreetly and become the new normal before you can recognize them as the symptoms they really are. I first noticed breathing changes when I was skiing and sleeping at altitude which previously I'd never noticed. Some of what I've learned during the past two years from my experience:
1) our hearts are probably more resilient than our heads would have us believe
2) anxiety is a natural and, probably, healthy reaction to living with heart conditions and awaiting surgery. Know that however intense your anxiety might become, it will pass.
3) As with anxiety, the delays caused by Covid have a tendency to come in waves. The waves will pass and much can be accomplished between the waves.
4) In Canada while we have an equitable universal healthcare system, we don't have the option to shop around within myriad private-sector institutions for surgical procedures in the same way as our American friends, i.e. our well insured and/or wealthy American friends seem free to do. That does mean longer wait times and fewer options for most Canadian patients.
If you have questions, feel free to ask. BTW, this site, rather the people here, have been an excellent source of knowledge and support. Best wishes!