About Me (In My Own Words)
I have congenital bicuspid aortic valve. In 2005 I began experiencing some issues such as chest pain and overall seemingly more effort required to do tasks requiring physical exertion. I also seemed to be more cardio-reactive to stress.
In the fall of 2005 I partook in a 4 year scientific study run by Dr Tam of St Boniface hospital called the Astronomer project, a double blind study to determine whether the rate of calcification of the aortic valve could be slowed using a "top secret" experimental drug.
I was informed upon completion of the study that I had been taking the placebo, and that no measureable change of the rate of calcification was observable. Incidentally, that's when things really started to change.
From October of 2008 to April of 2010 my valve went from mild to acute. Right around April I began experiencing greater difficulty accomplishing physically demanding tasks. For example, we had been leveling the concrete blocks on our side yard. After completing three quarters of the job I was unable to continue, the cardio distress was too severe.
The confusing aspect of this part of the journey was that adrenaline would mask the immediate impact of over tasking my heart. So I would suffer post exertional relapse starting the next day. This would last maybe two days or more before I felt better enough to do anything.
This was all very confusing, because as I was working I felt OK, so it took a lot of "crash and burn" incidents to finally realize that my heart wasn't happy with what I was asking it to do.
While I was still able to work, I began realizing that I would have to look for other indicators to notify me when my heart was over tasked. I noticed that a slightly light headed feeling was noticeable when exerting myself for any period of time. I soon figured out that if I stopped to rest until it went away I could continue but at a slower pace.
This again took a lot of "crash and burn" cycles to dial in on what was really happening and how to respond.
A lot of the confusion on the journey was cleared up when I had the angio gram. It came back with amazing results. All of my coronary arteries came back perfectly clear except for a small section of very minor narrowing which I was told I could have been born with. Overall they told me I had a very rare heart, one of a "much younger man".
So that explained a lot. My heart was "pumped" to go when called upon, but overcoming the aortic restriction was what was causing it to complain seriously.
I have as of now been seen on two occasions by my cardiologist and am currently scheduled to see my surgeon on February 4th.
I have been informed that at that time a date will be scheduled for surgical intervention. Funny, I sense no anxiety at this point anyway, but living with the ups and downs of all the unknowns along the way was challenging to say the least.
My great-great grandfather lived to 92, my great grand father lived to be very close to 80, my grandfather passed in his 80th year and my Dad is still going strong at 87. I think I have the DNA to go a lot longer, just having turned 59 a few months ago.
I am looking forward to post op living, and am getting up each morning saying to myself "This is the first day of the rest of my life". I have a grandson to teach how to fish, a lot of fishing and hunting and bike riding to do yet. There's my daughter and son in law both completing their PH D's in Political Science at Notre Dame (Go Irish!!), as well as the world's best son on the west coast.
The greatest challenge to date has been living with a condition that is so largely dehabilitating and yet so completely inconsistent with my overall health. I have been in overall very good physical condition since I started working seriously towards this end back in 1988.
What has kept me going until now has been my faith in God, my family, especially my sister overseas, Daniel's Band, close friends, especially my buddy from work whose wife recently passed 12 years after cardiac transplant, and the angel that I married on Sept. 18th, 1971 who has been there for me through thick and thin and has been the light of my life. She has suffered with me, to the degree where I advised her to let me do the bulk of it and she just do her part.
She's the real flower in the garden on our cover photo.
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Winnipeg, Canada