Kenneth's Profile

I have known for about the last 23 years that I had mitral valve prolapse. It never gave me a problem until about a little over a year ago. It started with some fast heartbeats from time to time and a trip to the emergency room where they told me it was just anxiety. However, back in January, I started feeling a little off, but I could not understand why. Everyone told me it was just anxiety as I had been through a lot over the last couple of years, a new job , my son getting ready to leave home for college, and social isolation of COVID. I have always been heart conscious since my dad had a heart attack at 46 (I'm 58). He managed to live to 80, but there were always heart issues and he ultimately passed away from heart failure. However, in early March, I noticed some strange feeling heartbeats which led to another trip to the emergency room. Once again, they said anxiety but also suggested that I get a halter monitor. The monitor showed about 5,000 PVCs a day and some non-sustained SVT. I also took this opportunity to find a new cardiologist as I never thought the old one was too engaged. The new cardiologist was on it from the first visit and that was the first time that I heard the term "mitral valve regurgitation" and he wanted to look into it further. He scheduled me for a stress echo for a few weeks later. I thought everything was going to go okay and that passing the stress test would alleviate the anxiety. Well, I did not do well, I literally fell on the floor after 4 minutes. He then scheduled a TEE and left and right catheterization a week later. The good news was that my arteries were clear, but the bad news was severe mitral valve regurgitation. I immediately started searching the internet and came across this site almost immediately. I could instantly tell that this was an incredible source of information. I was also fortunate enough that my ex-brother-in-law who is also a cardio thoracic surgeon reached out to guide me. He told me that it was paramount that I find someone who does this and does it well, as not all surgeons were well trained in valve repair, including himself. I used this site to find Dr. Castro. He came off to me as kind and confident and my ex-brother-in-law spoke with him as well and gave me his seal of approval. I live in the San Diego area, and it became apparent that the best places in the state where this is done is the Bay Area and Los Angeles. While I live much closer to Los Angeles than the Bay Area, I have family in the Bay Area which is why I chose to get it done there. Thank you, Adam, for this incredible repository of knowledge, support and community that you have built.