About Me (In My Own Words)
Hi,
In 1997, I was diagnosed with Mitral Valve regurgitation after taking a diet medication. Up until that time, I enjoyed fairly good health. I was observed for 2 years by my doctor at CSMC. By the summer of 1999 I could barely move around. I was so tired all the time and I would get shortness of breath just doing the laundry. My Mitral valve had progressed from mild to severe in 2 years time and my left Ventricle was enlarging. It was time to get it repaired. I was 43 at the time.
After surgery I recovered as well as can be expected...took a good 3 months before I felt myself.
In 2002 I experienced an episode of Pericarditis which proceeded to become constricted Pericarditis. And by 2003 I had to have a second open heart surgery to remove my pericardium. That surgery was a little harder to recover from initially as I had had already had open heart. But within a few weeks I was feeling so much better.
Fast forward to 2014...I have remained fairly stable all these years, but never quite like before. As a result of the mitral valve repair my mitral valve became stenotic, so I continued to need medication to keep my heart happy. Beta blockers and diuretics. I had also been left with a stiff left ventricle known as left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. As a consequence I also have Pulmonary Hypertension from the left heart disease which causes me to have shortness of breath, which prevents me from doing the things I love.
From June to January of 2015 , my valve disease started getting worse.... My aortic valve went from mild to moderate regurgitation and my mitral valve went from mild stenosis and regurgitation to moderate. My pulmonary pressures went up too which makes my pulmonary hypertension a little worse as well. So now that we are up to speed, it looks like a double valve surgery is in my future. Having Echos every three months to monitor my heart function. I currently feel so tired all the time, my ankles swell and at almost 60 next month I feel so much older. My biggest desires to travel sometimes feel so daunting, and day to day living can sometimes be a challenge. But I have an awesome, loving, supportive husband and family that help to encourage me to keep going. I meditate and practice mindful living which helps me to navigate the fear that creeps in from time to time.
Blessings,
Cheri
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Moorpark
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My surgery date is:
September 30, 1999
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I was diagnosed with:
Aortic Regurgitation
Mitral Regurgitation
Mitral Stenosis
Pulmonary Regurgitation
Tricuspid Regurgitation
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My surgery was:
Mitral Valve Repair
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My hospital is:
Cedars Saini Hospital
