About Me (In My Own Words)
I went to Primary Care Physician to get surgical clearance for a knee replacement. Including EKG. The EKG showed I was in Atrial Fibrillation. My heart rate was 188 at that time. I knew that I had been extremely fatigued, short of breath and was having intense heart palpitations. But, this was a surprise to me. I am an RN. I have had numerous physicals, three children with Natural Childbirth. No drugs at all. I had an ectopic pregnancy, tubal ligation, knee arthroscopic surgery. So, I had been hospitalized a few times and it hadn’t shown up before. I was scheduled to see Cardiologist. Once I saw him, I had numerous tests run. Echocardiogram, CATScan, Holter monitor, Cardiac Catherization. Also, lung function testing. I have never smoked. All my blood vessels were patent, no lung issues. But, I had severe Mitral regurgitation. In addition to my Afib. Researching back into my medical history I remember that I had been diagnosed with a heart murmur. This was a result of rheumatic fever when I was around 8 years old. I was referred to a CardioThoracic surgeon. After a very intense assessment, he said I needed surgery. I had hoped for and suggested a mild-invasive procedure. I was told because of all the issues I had, that wasn’t an option. The date was set and preparations were made. My surgery lasted about 7 1/2 hours. During this time I was placed on the heart-lung machine. Both my Aortic and Mitral valves were replaced with Bovine valves. And the MAZE procedure was also done. I had 2 chest tubes placed and I was still intubated when I went to Recovery. I was in there about 10 hours, I think. During this time the breathing tube was removed first. I began waking up. I started on ice chips. Slowly progressed to clear liquids. The chest tubes were removed. Once I ate and it stayed down, I was taken to my room. I still had IV fluids running, and my catheter was removed. Then started the very difficult part of getting up to the bathroom. It was very difficult and painful to get up. Although I wasn’t hungry, I did eat. I knew I needed it to recover. More than a day went by without a BM. I had X-rays to see what was going on. It looked as if I had a blockage. I was freaking out. All I could think of was I was going to have another surgery. I was not ready for that. After a while, I began projectile vomiting undigested food. It was brutal. It put so much strain on my chest and abdomen. It was painful. I had an NG tube placed to empty my stomach. It took a day and a half to finish. Another KUB showed my bowels we’re back to normal. I restarted the diet process over. Ice chips, clear liquids, etc. It took a couple more days for the food to work all the way through. Then, that part was back on track. We had issues finding the right pain medication that didn’t affect my heart rhythm. After quite a bit of trial and error , with EKG to determine the affect. My regimen was Tramadol 50mg and Tylenol 500mg, every 4 hours. Also, the EKG showed I was still in Atrial Fibrillation. Dr. Dennis told me after I asked him that it would take the Cardiac tissue approximately 6 months to cure from the MAZE procedure. During this time began the difficult part of my recovery. Physical therapy. My knees are still very damaged, making it difficult and painful to walk. Coupled with the Afib. All this behind me, I was able to somewhat recover. In September 2017 I had a Cardioversion to try to reset my heart rhythm. It lasted 10 days. . My surgery was June 28, 2017. I have a Kardia and I check my heart daily. December 14th, 2018 it showed Normal. When I had my checkup March 2019, the Cardiac EP told me I was in Normal Sinus Rhythm. I told him that I thought I had been since the previous December 14th. None of my heart medication has been changed. But, I don’t have to go back for 6 months. It’s been a slow process, but, I am getting there.
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Central
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My surgery date is:
July 28, 2017
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I was diagnosed with:
Bicuspid Aortic Valve
Atrial Fibrillation
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My surgery was:
Aortic Valve Replacement
Mitral Valve Replacement
Maze Procedure
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My surgeon is:
Dr. Hugh Dennis
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My hospital is:
Bon Secours St. Francis Downtown (Greenville, SC)
