About Me (In My Own Words)
I've actually had 3 open heart surgeries. I was always told I had a heart murmur as a child. At 21, I woke up so tired and heart racing. I was rushed to hospital and then to open heart surgery at Emory in Atlanta. Joseph Kraver performed my first two surgeries. I had Ross procedure, probably because of my age, and was told I was born with a very severe deformed bicuspid aortic valve. They used my pulmonic in aortic position and donor's valve in pulmonic position. Two years later, in 2000, the donor's pulmonic did not last and my body rejected it, so Dr. Kraver replaced again. 3 years after that, it happened again and had a better synergraft donor's valve put in. The 3rd Ross redo was done by Dr. John Oswalt in 2003 at Seton Med Ctr. in Austin TX.. Now my aortic valve is leaking from aneurysm from the pressures of failing valve. I will go for my 4th open heart, at 42, to hopefully replace my damaged aortic valve with a mechanical one as well as replace root where anerysm formed. He also wants to give me a new synergraft donor's pulmonary valve to give me a fresh start there so it will last as he said the one I have in me now has been in there awhile. So, I will have pulmonic valve replacement for the 4th time. I'm still waiting on surgery date as I keep getting cancelled because of emergencies from critical patients, understandly. Praying I will be stable when they can get my surgery started. Anyway, glad to be here for support and I finally don't feel so alone!!
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Waynesville, Georgia
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My surgery date is:
March 12, 2019
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I was diagnosed with:
Aortic Regurgitation
Aortic Stenosis
Bicuspid Aortic Valve
Pulmonary Regurgitation
Pulmonary Stenosis
Aortic Aneurysm
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My surgery was:
Aortic Valve Replacement
Pulmonary Valve Replacement
Ross Procedure
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My surgeon is:
Dr. Edward Chen
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My hospital is:
Emory/Saint Joseph's Medical Sandy Springs, N. Atl