CRESTA's Profile

At 37 I found out that I had a bicuspid valve. I had always been told I had a heart murmur, a surgeon wanted to know exactly why and sent me to a heart doctor and with a ultrasound found my bicuspid valve. He said my valve would be fine until it wasn't anymore. at about 45 I started feeling old. I walk for exercise and got slower and slower chalking it up to age, I was almost 50. I decided I wanted to find a DO as a family doctor and she sent me to have some test and said it had been a while since I had had a ultrasound, she ordered it and then my heart doctor called with the news, it was time to replace. He thought that I would be able to do TAVR and it could be done twice before open heart. Way less invasive for me as I have fainted all my life during medical procedures, giving blood and sometimes just because. While waiting to see the surgeon I had a couple severe nosebleeds which had never happened before and both times I passed out. Got to the surgeon and he wanted me to do a heart cath first to make sure nothing else was wrong with my heart before they went in. I made it thru the heart cath with no complications until I was about to go home and then when they were going over my discharge I fainted with what seemed to be a seizure. The nurses pulled my husband to the side to tell him that is what they thought that was. I felt awful for a couple of days. I went to see the surgeon and he decided that he wanted to do a mechanical valve as it would last long (way longer) in his opinion and I had an aneurism to repair above the valve, no other issues with my heart. He was confident he could repair me and I was confident that he was the right surgeon. We scheduled surgery for August 9th. That morning I was about to get a chest block and the anesthesiologist had one side in and was attempting the other side when I fainted with again what appeared to be seizure while my heart stopped. He aborted the chest block I finally came to and went to surgery. Dr. Storey was successful at putting in the new valve and fixing the aneurism. I was out of surgery sooner than anticipated and woke up and was taken off the vent fairly soon after. They said my progress was wonderful in just a few hours. I was out of ICU the very next day and on my way to recovery. I was floored at how exhausting it was, I wasn't sure why everyone kept saying I was doing so good. But I kept trying kept getting up whatever it took to be back with my family. I spent 7 days in the hospital with wonderful staff and doctors. I could not have asked for a better experience. it took me a good month to get back to myself. I am now almost 3 months post op and pretty much back to my normal routine with some exceptions, but now feel I did wonderful. I am amazed at how God made people like Dr. John Storey, he was truly a gift. I am also amazed at my body's ability to recover so quickly. I am still sore and emotional some days but all in all it is really amazing.