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Dave
I had a very similar situation. Last March I had a fever for about 3 days and recovered (so I thought). I then started to get migraines every other day, so my son who is an ER doc said to go the ER where I was advised to see a neurologist. I made an appt but couldn’t get in for 3 weeks. The weekend before the appt the fever came back . I went to the appt where the neurologist ordered an MRI and at the appt my temp was 99.1 but told me if the fever came back to go straight to ER. By the time I got home it was 101. Went to the ER where they did all the same tests as you including the blood culture and found the same infection you had. As a result had severe mitral valve regurgitation with flail. I got a pick line for 6 weeks and was told I needed a new valve.
In July i received a new mechanical mitral valve. Before this I had no health issues at all, never had surgery and was not on any medications. I know it’s over whelming but this is fixable and you will recover .  They believe my infection came from a tooth cleaning 3 weeks before and believe my valve was already slightly prolapsed. I have very healthy teeth and gums . No issues. I now have to take antibiotics with every cleaning. I think the fear of reinfection will never leave me but try not to dwell on it.
i Am grateful I have recovered and hope fora speedy recovery for you also.

Dear Dave: I've relived my own experience of endocarditis, exactly the same as what happened to me. In my case, I suspected that a small hole in a tooth, even without symptoms of infection, could be the cause of the endocarditis, although no one knows exactly. I also suspected a previous valvular lesion, but I'm a mountaineer and play a lot of sports, so the unpleasant surprise was huge. My bacteria was Streptococcus Viridans Mitis. I also went through the anguish you describe. The first step was antibiotic treatment for a month, and then two months later, after an esophageal echocardiogram, I was scheduled for valve repair or replacement. In the end, they replaced the valve and implanted a biological bovine valve. That was a year and a half ago, and now I'm fine and have resumed my sports and gym activities as before. So, this surgery is being handled very frequently and mastered by the doctors. If you have confidence in your surgeon, have courage and go ahead. Don't hesitate to ask me any questions you may have; that's what we're here for in this Adam´s blog. Cheers.