About Me (In My Own Words)
Diagnosed with a bi-cuspid valve and had mechanical aortic valve replacement. Probably the worst choice I could have made as I was not aware of how the Coumadin had to be monitored and what a pain it would be. Shortly after the surgery, I lost my health insurance and had to pay out of pocket for visits to the coumadin clinic. As I also switched careers, work was not always there and I missed appointments. I ended up passing out 4 years later while in mid-sentence in my kitchen. Next thing I knew I was in an ambulance. I stayed in the hospital for 19 days as they ran test after test, but they found nothing. They discharged me and I went to the nurses station to sign discharge papers, after walking 10 feet away from the station, I collapsed of a massive heart attack due to a clot in the valve. They got me in emergency surgery and put in 2 stents then transported me to NYC to Montefiore hospital where they diagnosed me with serious a-fib. I had a second heart attack on the way down and somewhere along the line a mild stroke. After being in Montefiore for 6 weeks, they decided to input a defribillator/ pacemaker. My ejection fraction ratio was 25%, now 4 years later after cat scans/ echo/ EKG/ stress tests (lots and lots), it is at 18% and I am on a category IIB heart transplant list. I have always been athletic, never over weight, never smoked. Now, I am 50 years old and have to take a break after 2 flights of stairs to catch my breath. Should have gone with the pig valve.
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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My surgery date is:
July 1, 2008
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I was diagnosed with:
Bicuspid Aortic Valve
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My surgery was:
Aortic Valve Replacement
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My hospital is:
Vassar Brothers Medical Hospital
