About Me (In My Own Words)
I was diagnosed with pulmonary valve stenosis at birth and led a very active life throughout my childhood and adolescent years. I played soccer and tennis in high school and never really noticed any problems until the end of my junior year. I didn't have as much energy and just felt exhausted. Because my valve problem never seemed to hinder me at all I did not even consider the exhaustion to be secondary to my heart. My senior year of high school I found out that my right ventricle had been 2.5 times the normal size from back flow of blood. This explained my exhaustion as my heart was working harder to get the blood out to the rest of my body. My cardiologist recommended getting the valve replaced within the next year to ensure that I would have a strong heart as I started college and approached child bearing years.
That December of 2008 I underwent open heart surgery to replace the valve. It has been such a journey, but looking back I would not trade it for anything! Having surgery really forced me to gain a new perspective on life and discover what I value most!
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Rochester, Minnesota
