About Me (In My Own Words)
I was diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis in late March, 2022, 2-months short of age 61. It took until may to find a surgeon that would perform minimally invasive replacement, a right mini thoracotomy. This procedure was not offered anywhere in northern New Mexico. The surgeons I saw in Albuquerque all wanted to do full on open heart. I can never express how thankful I was to have found a qualified surgeon to do the minimally invasive procedure instead. Then, due to prior work and travel commitments (I lead photo tours in Alaska), I pushed through the summer and fall until my surgery date arrived. I had a bicuspid valve which was replaced with a tissue (bovine) valve. I was pretty active prior to surgery but the stenosis definitely took a toll on my ability to hike and climb. The surgery was a success and I am recovering and reaching the physical capacity I had prior to diagnosis but I remain concerned as my pulse is still way up at 80-95bpm and my main incision still oozes 10 weeks post surgery.
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Taos, New Mexico
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My surgery date is:
October 4, 2022
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I was diagnosed with:
Aortic Stenosis
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My surgery was:
Aortic Valve Replacement
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