About Me (In My Own Words)
My bicuspid aortic valve was made known to me in 2005 after researching why my blood pressure was consistently high. I didn’t have regular checkups, though, as Blue Cross / Blue Shield wouldn’t pay for them. I had once submitted a claim to use for my medical certificate as a pilot, which is when they stopped paying.
I was unemployed, uninsured, and on an extended vacation in Eastern Europe when I randomly went to the doctor for stomach issues. When I learned how inexpensive medical care was in Romania, I started having full checkups since I had no insurance in the U.S. On February 11, 2013, I had an echocardiogram preformed. The doctor, who couldn't speak English, relaxed back in her seat and told my then girlfriend, in Romanian, that I needed to be hospitalized immediately. I had an aneurysm that was half a centimeter larger than the point that surgery is recommended. I didn't understand what that actually meant, though. It was just a checkup. I felt fine. I was fine.
I returned to the U.S. the following week and continued life as normal because I didn’t realize what I had growing inside me. I had mentioned the Romanian cardiologist's report to some friends and my mother. When she said, "As long as it's not an aneurysm…," I looked at the report in hand and said, "But it is an aneurysm." My mother said that I needed to have that double-checked immediately. But being unemployed with no health insurance, I didn't give it much priority. I started to research the issue on the Internet, though, and learned that a cardiac aneurysm is known as the "widow maker" and could kill without any warning or symptom.
I felt overwhelmed and pressured by friends and family about the situation. My mood turned, and I became angry- at everyone. I visited a local trauma care hospital, which offered a discounted treatment plan and provided a basic general exam that only showed high blood pressure. They refused to accept a foreign physician’s report or perform the tests to confirm my aneurysm. They informed me that I could see their cardiologist three months from that date. Knowing I’d probably die by then, I complained to the hospital, which resulted in nothing. I wrote to the Mayo Clinic, but received no better response. I then turned to a philanthropic group of which I was a member.
Word spread of my concerns, and a friend-of-a-friend in my philanthropy knew a cardiologist at another local hospital. This cardiologist accepted me as a favor to his friend (at no cost), reviewed the Romanian reports, and confirmed the findings via MRI. He placed me on affordable medication, informed me to immediately stop any physical exertion, and told me that I required imminent surgery. His charity care was not extended to the hospital, though, which ultimately approved me for discounted treatment (but still carried high out-of-pocket costs). Even with a discount, I could not afford to save my own life. My fear and awareness of the situation was ever-increasing, and at one point, I accepted that this was it... I was going to die at any moment. I saw no way to avoid it.
My girlfriend (still in Romania) and mother started researching costs of care in foreign countries. It wasn’t long before I realized that about $15,000 would cover the surgery costs in Romania. I accepted that and started the process to sell my car and motorcycle to pay for it. That was when another friend-of-a-friend was found who worked on a cardiothoracic surgical staff at a local hospital. This person told his surgeon about me, who said I was going to die at any moment and to get me in his care regardless of my ability to pay.
I received 100% charity care for six months, thanks to this surgeon. I had a psychological roller coaster, as the surgeon’s availability constantly changed and often at last-minute. Eventually, it was time. My roommate dropped me off at the emergency room on Monday, May 20, 2013. I nervously told the receptionist about my problem and reported chest pains. Urgent vitals and EKG confirmed an issue, and I was ushered through the process. I felt completely alone and powerless. I wasn’t living life anymore- life was living me.
My Medtronic aortic valved graft was implanted on May 24, 2013, and the surgery lasted 6.5 hours. I had significant lung problems, resulting from smoking, which kept me in the ICU for double the time. As soon as I was able to urinate and defecate on my own, they sent me home with a stapled guide on how to live with Warfarin. No cardiac rehab. No counseling.
I returned to the ER twice for Atrial Fibrillation, which corrected itself, and internal bleeding / black stools, of which they never found the cause. I purchased at-home INR testing machines as well as a blood pressure cuff, pulse oximeter, and eventually a home EKG machine and performed these tests on myself weekly.
And life, and awareness of mortality, truly began…
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Cambridge, MA
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My surgery date is:
May 24, 2013
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I was diagnosed with:
Aortic Aneurysm
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My surgery was:
Aortic Valve Replacement
Aortic Aneurysm Replacement
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