About Me (In My Own Words)
I had no idea there was an issue with my heart, but my breathing has been labored since 2016, when I did chemo. I had been told several times that I had a heart murmur, but when I asked what that meant, I was told "usually nothing!" I even did an entire program of pulmonary health at a major NYC hospital, and no one even found it or no one bothered to look .
I have been working and living in a country without cardiac options but am originally from LA and NYC. I just moved to Dubai and was immediately recommended to Kings College London Dubai Hills. The completely awesome cardiologist there, Dr Jose Carlos Moreno Samos, diagnosed it right away. Apparently it can come from radiation, which I had in 1986 in the right axilla. The diagnosis freaked me out but undoubtedly saved my life.
The valve is completely destroyed; end stage I think, and I can barely walk across the room. There is encroaching damage now to the aorta I think, also, so he will do a bypass too. Otherwise, the heart is fine, strong, so are the arteries. It's just the valve. I am so grateful to have this intervention as I don't think I'd last too much longer without it.
Update here: the pulmonary hypertension is taking some time to recalibrate-my lungs have to remember how to work
It's 6 months later--I think my heart is ok, but I had a diagnosis of endometrial cancer and am still doing chemo--started in June and almost done. So I'm not getting the walking and other exercise in. It's unnerving. I have my last chemo Oct 28, as long as we remain on schedule, and also a month of radiation, which I'm told is not the same as the one that destroyed the mitral valve in the first place, in 1986. What a journey!
More Info About Me & My Heart
More About Me
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I am from:
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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My surgery date is:
March 30, 2023
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I was diagnosed with:
Mitral Stenosis
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My surgery was:
Mitral Valve Replacement
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My surgeon is:
Dr. Umer Darr
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My hospital is:
Cleveland Clinic