About Me (In My Own Words)
Seven years ago, I drove myself to the ER after severe kidney pain woke me up around 1 am. I thought I had a kidney stone, but the tests said something different -- actually the tests were inconclusive, so they sent me home with Lortab, and an order to return later that afternoon for another test.
(How I got to the hospital that afternoon is another story, but my chauffer later married me, so it does have a happy ending.)
Following the tests that afternoon, I received a very dire diagnosis - kidney cancer. I was to call a urologist right away. Well, I called the urologist and got in within 24 hours. He ran his tests and found that I'd had a kidney infarction (a heart attack on my kidney as it was described to me), but probably not cancer.
Just to be safe, he had me checked in the ER again. (by the way, the guy who diagnosed me with kidney cancer got a scathing critique from a second urologist who told me that if i did indeed have kidney cancer, he would be rich from the write-ups he would do about me. women hardly ever get kidney cancer, especially not women in their thirties.)
I spent the weekend being poked, prodded, tested and x-rayed to no avail. They could find nothing, but all my numbers were very bad. I went home after a fruitless and expensive weekend stay at the hospital.
One specialist I did see was a cardiologist, Dr. Lappe. He had me come back in two days later for a TEE. This is code for a very nasty little test, where they numb your mouth, administer a local anesthetic that is supposed to render you silent, and shove a tube down your throat to look at your heart.
The local anesthetic, Versed, does not work well on me, I needed 3 doses before I was rendered cooperative! He spent a bit of time looking at me and I do remember him saying "Aha, there it is."
Once the tube was yanked out of my mouth, he talked with me. He had all along suspected I had endocarditis and that a small piece had broken off and traveled through my bloodstream, landed on the kidney and caused the infarction. He had to look long and hard, and eventually found the endocarditis in my aorta. He described endocarditis as an infection that is a "tree-like vegetation growing straight up in your heart valve."
He also said that he found several other interesting things related to my heart, but that we would discuss those after he got me started on the treatment to cure the endocarditis.
I thought - great! I'll take some drugs, get some sleep and I'll be cured in no time. Ha. He checked me in the hospital for a few more days and administered wickedly strong doses of antibiotics.
When I left, I had my new friend the pic-line in my left arm and got to administer six weeks of 3-a-day antibiotic treatments to myself. I got to visit with a most delightful home health nurse each week when she came to clean my pic-line and draw blood. I can't remember her name now, but she was so kind and brought me cookies once.
With the endocarditis under control, I got to go visit with another cardiologist, Dr. Horton, a colleague of Dr. Lappe. I learned that I had several issues going on in my heart - aortic stenosis, aortic coarctation, and a bi-cuspid valve. All were birth defects and the only treatment would be surgical at some point in my life, probably not till I was in my mid-fifties.
I have gone annually to visit with Dr. Horton and get an echo cardiogram. While I was pregnant with Ellie, I saw him twice and saw him again after my bout with pancreatitis. Everything was going alright and he still thought that surgery was 10-12 years out.
This last visit, in early January, was supposed to be routine. I went in for my echo - the technician performing the echo was as silent as he always is (and somewhat annoyed with my questions). Then suddenly the echo tech asked if I'd had any pain lately. He showed me my mitral valve on the screen and I could see a clear picture of the valve pumping away. Then he showed me the aortic valve and he had to point out where the valve actually was - it was really blocked.
I figured at that point that this wasn't a routine visit. Still hopeful, I waited for Dr. Horton. When he came in, he chatted for a minute and then began his routine checking of my heart with his stethoscope. He usually spends about 10 minutes doing this, however that day he only listened in three spots and then told me to listen. The beats are labored and sometimes erratic. It sounds like a river of water trying to push through a tear duct. It sounded just like it feels in my chest.
He looked at me and said "it is time for you to call a surgeon." I asked for more time, maybe some good drugs, etc. and he smiled firmly. "Nope, you need to call a surgeon. This is not something that can wait more than a few months."
Seriously? I just got done paying for my pancreatitis, Jared just got a new job, my job is crazy busy, and I have an active little girl that needs me. Who has time for open heart surgery and that long recovery? He asked if I'd prefer the alternative and I said I guessed not, so I'll call a surgeon.
I found a great surgeon, covered by insurance, and he got me in for an appointment within 3 days of my phone call to his office. He was quick to inform me that my heart was 90% blocked, and asked how I was able to function. Who knows how, but function I have for about 12 months at about 10% of normal functionality.
If I know nothing else, I know that our bodies and minds can adapt to the strangest things and mine has adapted to dealing with little blood flow for quite some time. Now I know that I've had legitimate reason for being physically exhausted most of the time and why my legs hurt and swell up. I am embracing my tired, achy self and resting up before surgery.
Thankfully I have an understanding and supportive husband. I have a pretty great sibling support system. My parents rock as they will come up and take care of my family and house while I am incapacitated. My mother-in-law is awesome and a good support to me and my family. And I have some pretty great friends that make me laugh. Plus, my brother-in-law is a doctor, and I have an in-house medical advisor! :-)
So, Happy New Year to me! I'm getting an aortic valve replacement on March 3. On Valentines Day, I go in for a cardiac catheterization to see if there is anything else they need to do while they have my chest cut open and my heart exposed. They will check on the aortic coarctation - which will need to be fixed as well, but not this time.
I am most hopeful that this major event can break my every three-year-trip-to-the-hospital-with-something-majorly-wrong-with-me streak. Unless my next major medical event is a pregnancy and then I would be just fine with another visit to the hospital.
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Murray, Utah
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My surgery date is:
March 3, 2014
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I was diagnosed with:
Aortic Stenosis
Bicuspid Aortic Valve
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My surgery was:
Aortic Valve Replacement
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My surgeon is:
Dr. Craig Selzman
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My hospital is:
University of Utah