Wes's Profile

To start, this website along with Adam's book were key to making my journey smoother and less stressful! I am 58 and I have been aware for almost 15 years that I had Mitral Valve Prolapse, yet it had caused no problems and I was able to run, workout and complete annual 50 mile backpacking trips. In early 2011 I applied for new life insurance and was completely denied. I was astonished as I had always gotten the best rates possible. So following the paper trail, I found out that the last echocardiogram raised a red flag. So, in December 2011 my primary doctor sent me to a cardiologist and after doing another echo, I was diagnosed with Severe Mitral Regurgitation. I was not experiencing any symptoms, so it was difficult to accept. After getting over being mad I returned to the cardiologist 2 weeks later and agreed to see a surgeon. At the same time I sought out a second opinion and started my own research. The second cardiologist provided the same opinion regarding the valve, yet he felt that surgery may not be necessary just yet. So, I sought out a 3rd option and this cardiologist felt that I needed to weigh the benefits of being proactive and having the surgery vs waiting and having the chance of something major occurring at an unexpected time. Fortunately, I had discovered this website and had read Adam's book. With the insight from the 3 cardiologists, my own research and the information form Adam's website and book, I decided to move forward with the surgery, which was Mitral Valve Repair. I chose to have the surgery done at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, CA. The surgeon was Aidan Raney, MD. As I mentioned, I was not happy with my situation, yet I did become comfortable with the importance of moving forward with the surgery. Finally, because of my choice to not accept blood transfusions, I chose to avoid the robotic approach and instead have the repair done via a sternotomy. My journal starts 10 days after surgery.