About Me (In My Own Words)
My story is just beginning. I went in to see my regular doctor for an issue not related to my heart. After seeing the same physician for several years on that particular visit it was discovered that I had a heart murmur. It was recommended for me to have an echo. Now normally up to this point I have been pretty healthy. Trying to eat better, exercise, and stay somewhat physically active. Sure I was overweight though. The echo showed moderate to severe aortic stenosis most likely due to congenital bicuspid (or otherwise misshapened) valve. Up until that point I blamed my shortness of breath on just being overweight and decreased exercise.(I had slowed my exercising down due to Covid and weather) Not sure if I stopped exercising because I was out of breath or if I was overweight and it just made things harder to do. Either way I didn’t like how I felt. The situation I was in though was a wait and see kind of situation. I was having some signs and symptoms that were noticeable but because the testing was borderline moderate to severe it was decided to just follow up in 6 months and repeat the echo. Now about 2-3 months later I have really been noticing my symptoms. In one breath I say it has gotten worse or that I underplayed my symptoms to begin with. On the other hand I just wonder if I am just more aware and it is causing me to be more sensitive to what is going on. Either way I think I am going to schedule a sooner appointment with my cardiologist and talk with him and see what we can do. I know that I most likely will need a valve replacement at some point and probably soon. . Either mechanical or some sort of tissue valve. And I have researched the possible procedures of how this can be done. I am not looking forward to surgery at all, but I am tired of being out of breath all the time. Also now have been having slight chest discomfort that comes and goes as well as an intermittent slight cough. Should I be concerned or am I just anxious? Guess I don’t know how I am supposed to be feeling right now or how I am going to know when it is time for surgery. I just know I want to feel somewhat normal again. Thanks for reading my story. I will update it as things progress in my journey.
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Lone Tree, Iowa
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I was diagnosed with:
Aortic Stenosis
Bicuspid Aortic Valve
Mitral Regurgitation
Tricuspid Regurgitation
