Ros aka Sivakami's Profile

Hi Everyone, In early February 2010 I was diagnosed with severe mitral valve regurgitation, something I was most likely born with and which has deteriorated over the years. I had noticed severe breathlessness on exertion off and on over the past 6 months which became undeniably worse around Christmas 2009. So I had all the tests done like chest x-ray, echo-cardiogram, blood tests etc and I am currently still waiting to have a cardiac catheter (angiogram) done (my appointment in February was cancelled because the equipment in Salisbury hospital had broken down!) as well as a transesophageal echo-cardiogram which I am hoping to get done asap so I can take all the results to another Cardiothoracic Surgeon for a Second Opinion! Finding Adam Pick's Patient Guide e-book has been invaluable so far, giving me essential info and connections. Today, on 10 April, I have been off work for about 2 weeks, really feeling 'rock bottom' physically... and I haven't even had the operation yet! Having to slow down like this it's definitely: 'one step at a time'...but at the same time it's a great (Third) Eye-Opener! :) I am getting ever so slightly better now thanks to the ongoing support of my Medical Herbalist and also due to (reluctantly) having started to take diuretics. Now I am focusing on researching my options on the internet. I have to decide whether to have the op on the NHS or Privately. I am drawn to minimally invasive approaches rather than having 'open heart surgery' with a sternum incision, but so far I have not been able to find a surgeon who does minimal access surgery on the NHS!?? Any feedback/info/advice regarding these issues would be most welcome!