About Me (In My Own Words)
After being treated for rheumatic fever at the age of 10 and being told that I had mitral valve prolapse as a result, I learned as a result of having a TEE test that my condition is as a result of a birth defect. Happy news for me since I have read valve repair for rheumatic patients has more complications. The regurgitation is now severe but I am still asymptomatic. I visited 3 valve clinics in the midwest and decided upon Dr. Bolling at the University of Michigan. Dr. Bolling helped me to understand the importance of surgery to repair the valve when the mitral regurgitation is severe yet while the patient is asymptomatic. He pointed me to the following articles to help me with the decision. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0735109712055192
http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0735109709030551/1-s2.0-S0735109709030551-main.pdf?_tid=63195d84-9e15-11e2-a6d6-00000aab0f6b&acdnat=1365182726_3057cc86b8e01cfe0b2ba17ff4266a7d
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/circj/77/1/77_CJ-12-0972/_pdf
I had my surgery on August 20, 2013. Dr. Bolling peformed a minimally invasive repair via the right thoracotomy. I have been walking 3 miles a day for the past two weeks and stopped my pain meds yesterday. Sleeping is still somewhat painful as I have one broken rib and wearing a bra is still out of the question.
I addition to an amazing surgeon and an amazing team at University of Michigan, I found Adam PIck's website and book to be so helpful. It prepared me for what was in store for me and also helped me to prepare my family for what they would see when I came out of surgery. Adam is correct in stressing the importance of the incentive spirometer. I had a really difficult time with the lung machine and began to panic because I thought I was suffocating. I thought back to the feeling of breathing deep on the incentive spirometer and that helped me to breathe deep on the lung machine rather than panic. Thank you so much Adam for all the work you have done on this topic. You really helped me through this very scary situation.
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Kewadin, Michigan
