Chelsea's Profile

I have had a loud heart murmur since childhood. I didn't find out what was causing this murmur until 2007, at age 29, when my ob/gyn sent me for a echocardiogram during my first pregnancy. I was surprised when I was diagnosed with a bicuspid aortic valve. The cardiologist told me that I wouldn't need to worry about my heart until I was in my 60s and sent me on my way. During my 30s, my weight and blood pressure crept upwards. I became concerned when my diastolic blood pressure was creeping over 100 and my systolic blood pressure was over 140 on a regular basis. In January 2016, I decided it was foolish for me to continue being overweight with elevated blood pressure and I began losing weight. In the summer of 2016, I was happy to have lost over 60 lbs and my blood pressure was back to normal. I decided that it would be wise to see a cardiologist since it had been 9 years since my last check up. I saw my cardiologist over the summer and he recommended that I have an echocardiogram done. Due to my work schedule, I didn't get in for my echocardiogram until December 2016. Little did I know that I was in for quite a shock. I was told that my BAV was looking okay at the moment, but, that I had a 4.0 cm ascending aortic aneurysm. My cardiologist told me to not do any heavy lifting (above 40 lbs) and to return in one year for a repeat echocardiogram. After doing some research, my cardiologist and I met again and we agreed that I should have an MRI done 6 months after my last echo so that we can calculate how fast my aneurysm is dilating. I have read that some cardiothoracic surgeons recommend repairing/replacing the BAV before the aneurysm reaches the 5-5.5cm range where aneurysm repair is recommended. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this controversy. I am here to learn more about how to manage my cardiac condition. Thank you for reading my story.