Mindi's Profile

I'm 71 years old, and suddenly one day my life changed. I've had a heart murmur since my mid teens, and back then they said it was mitral valve prolapse. In 2005, after an echocardiogram, I was told its a regurgitation. Actually, we now know it's aortic stenosis that my cardiologist has been monitoring for years, but because I started having symptoms of severe stenosis earlier this year, he had me go through several tests. The stenosis had gone from mild-moderate to severe, and very quickly. I was in shock, and suddenly my husband and I stopped our moving-to-another-state plans and have been concentrating on me. I was having a lot of denial (do I really need this surgery?) and anxiety (it would be open heart surgery, not TAVR as I wanted, but I "failed" as a good candidate), until I found this site!! I love my surgeon and his team...they spent hours talking with me...but it wasn't until I read the patients' posts and the information here that I could accept that I need this surgery. I'm so grateful to be here and getting to know you and your journeys, and to be sharing mine. It's very scary for me, but I'm grateful i can come here for support. Thanks! ❤️