About Me (In My Own Words)
I was diagnosed with a leaky mitral valve in the past few months. It seemed to start overnight when I awoke feeling anxious and noticed heart palpitations which I was diagnosed as having PVC(Premature ventricular contractions) or specifically called bigeminy. Felt like every other beat was skipping and monitors like pulse-ox's would show only half or the good heartbeats. Kardia mobile would pick up on the arrhythmia but it would show unclassified or potential A-Fib. Since that first day and up until the operation I was constantly feeling the palpitations and went through a few tests (stress, TEE, angiogram) to determine the severity of the regurgitation and the type of procedure. Unfortunately, it was severe and Drs. said I would need an operation within a few months. I ended up getting a mitral valve repair and it was open heart surgery.
Naively, on the onset of my symptoms, I thought I could exercise my may back to health. Trust me, this is impossible. Walking on a treadmill or biking I would hit a wall very quickly and be out of breath and the palpitations would worsen.
My surgery was on 12/9/2022 and I am now home after 2 days in ICU and 2 days on the general floor. I was amazed at how quickly I was able to walk on my own after surgery. I think the spirometer is a key tool for making this happen as it increases lung capacity
My next literal steps are to follow the guidelines on increasing my walking and trying to increase my stamina. It hasn't been one week since I was released and I think I have made great progress and look forward to be able to enjoy my life again.
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Lewiston
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My surgery date is:
December 9, 2022
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I was diagnosed with:
Mitral Regurgitation
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My surgery was:
Mitral Valve Repair
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My surgeon is:
Dr. Gary Grosner
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My hospital is:
Gates Vascular Institute, Buffalo General
