About Me (In My Own Words)
Hi, I am writing on behalf of my husband, Scott Charlton. Scott had open heart surgery to replace his valve in 1992. He was 21 years old. His aorta was too wide and would have ruptured if he did not have the procedure. That surgery has defined his life. There were complications and Scott needed a pacemaker. His lungs collapsed a few days after surgery and we weren’t sure he was going to make it. Since then his first pacemaker was recalled with defective leads in 1996. Since then he has had five pacemaker operations, a stroke, a cardiac stent, and severe long term cognitive deficits.
Scott was tested several years after the operation and found to have significant short term memory loss and loss of executive functioning. During the initial surgery he was on the heart lung machine for a very long time (15+ hours) as it was an unusual surgery that only happened a few times a year.
Scott is now almost 52 years old. He is finding it increasingly difficult to remain working. His memory is getting worse. He has trouble with day to day tasks. I am joining this group to get advice on people that may have similar situations. He is not sure he will be able to work much longer. He doesn’t believe he will be alive in 10-12 years. It’s very difficult facing these challenges and we feel very much alone.
If anyone has advice, it would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Ann Charlton
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Maine
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My surgery date is:
June 11, 1992
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My surgeon is:
Dr. Scott Stewart
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My hospital is:
Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester NY