About Me (In My Own Words)
I've had a heart murmur most of my life, and although I've never had symptoms, an echo test last year revealed that I had severe regurgitation. That was confirmed by a TEE test, and I started researching hospitals and surgeons. I met with Dr. Joanna Chikwe at Cedars-Sinai in LA (I live in Orange County) in December and had my robotic heart valve repair surgery in early February. The surgery went great. It honestly all happened so fast! I'm so glad to be on the other side now.
It's now exactly a month past surgery and I'm doing well. I did a ton of planning and researching up to surgery, but didn't put much thought into recovery. It's gone fine with a couple small hiccups, but I do feel impatient and hope to be back on our hiking trails soon.
If you are in California or near enough, I highly recommend Cedars-Sinai. My care has been absolutely excellent, from Dr. Chikwe to nurse practitioner Vivian Burkhart to the inpatient hospital staff, I feel like I've received the very best treatment and care. I'm so grateful to the Cedars staff!!
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Santa Ana
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My surgery date is:
February 4, 2026
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I was diagnosed with:
Mitral Regurgitation
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My surgery was:
Mitral Valve Repair
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My hospital is:
Cedars-Sinai
