Cynthia's Profile

During the summer 2018, in celebration of my 60th birthday, I hiked the Camino Santiago de Compostela--from St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago--500 miles. I thought I was in good shape--had been training for a year and have always been an avid walker--but even before I set out I was plagued by a tightness in my chest I thought was asthma/ bronchitis. I feel grateful that I arrived in Santiago alive! I noticed shortness of breath and edema but had no idea that I was in heart-failure until I decided to get checked in the Santiago Hospital emergency room to be safe. Even nurses looked at me as though I were one of those hypochondriac Americans who thought a little exhaustion meant heart-failure. I had good coloring and LOOKED healthy, BUT I was in heart failure and had severe aortic regurgitation and an aneurysm on the brink of dissection. I needed immediate surgery but they thought I was safe to travel by car (not air) to my city of Turin. I chose a pig valve over mechanical and had have the aortic root and ascending aorta replaced. I think it helped my recovery that I had a strong hiker's heart. I had no complications. A year later I feel pretty fit--I swim 3x a week and walk an hour a day, but I do notice that when I get tired, it comes on suddenly and powerfully...and I do feel it in the heart before I do anywhere else. I am afraid to take on ambitious hikes or climbing. Stairs are often difficult. But again, I am GRATEFUL to be alive and doing as well as I am.