Jean's Profile

I was diagnosed with a heart murmur 25 years ago. My GP said not to worry that many people have a heart murmur. Then in June of 2020, I thought I was anemic because I got tired and out of breath so easily. I thought possibly it was just a sign of aging. But this wasn't the norm for me. I was active and health conscious. That June I had a appointment with a new GP . The Dr. administered a EKG and was concerned about the results. She referred me to a Cardiologist. After seeing the cardiologist, and having had several tests, he diagnosed me with Mitral Valve Prolapse Regurgitation which was causing my left atrium to become enlarged. This was a congenital heart valve disorder that was causing the blood in my mitral valve to flow backward. Honestly, I was a bit surprised because I have always been in good health. And at 60 I was still very active, walking , biking , skiing. But , I do admit that these activities were getting more challenging but I thought , it was just age. The Dr. put me on blood pressure medication, despite having had a history of low blood pressure. After being on BP meds for a year and struggling with dizziness I sought a second opinion (August of 2021) . Well, my second opinion, not only said I needed to continue medication , she recommended surgery. Little did I know, that the gold standard of treatment for Medium to Severe Regurgitation for Mitral Valve Prolapse is surgery to repair the valve. I educated myself regarding the different approaches to surgery and had saw 4 different surgeons for opinions. I thought about waiting until the summer when I was off. However, my cardiologist didn't want me to wait. The risk for damage to the heart increases the longer you wait. So here I am scheduled for surgery the end of January. I am so thankful for the friends and family that came beside me and supported me through this process. I could not have done it without them. I Know I will lean on them throughout my recovery. To be honest, I wasn't worried about surgery. I just wasn't too excited about enduring the pain often experienced in recovery. Who likes Pain. No one right! However, I have always been one to challenge myself physically and am a former Outward Bound Graduate! I have overcome many challenges in my life including childhood trauma , anxiety , the challenges of being adopted , and many losses of loved ones. This is just one more challenge.... My recovery will be a challenge I know I will overcome.! With the help of Dr's, friends , family and last but not least my faith. My goal is to ride a 25 mile bike ride , during the summer of 2022