Bill's Journal

Now in 10th week after aortic valve replacement as I rebuild slowly and assess the experience. The Good Decision: Stopped smoking and started jogging at age 34. (Now an 83 year old male and very likely would not have lived to this age without that decision. About 12 years ago I was informed that I had a slight aortic valve insufficiency, though continued to exercise regularly. My physician at the time alerted me that I should take a prescribed antibiotic dose an hour prior to any dental cleaning or significant repair. The Bad Decision: I stayed with the antibiotic routine until last year when I was informed that the latest "advisory" from some professional committee had deemed this antibiotic unnecessary. I did not take the antibiotic for my last dental cleaning session in October - a major mistake! This last December I began to experience loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue, severe chills and high fever that I thought was related to a urinary tract infection I had been fighting with for a couple months. I think that infection led several of us to mistake the real source of the problem. My wife hauled me to the local hospital (UNCH) emergency room over my protest with a prolonged set of chills and fever. Initial tests showed a bacterial infection in the bloodstream. This started a series of specialized exams. An ultrasound scan of the heart finally found the source on the Aortic Valve. It was a bacterial infection of a type known to be associated with dental procedures (my second bad decision). The build up of detritus from the infection threatened to slough off particles from the aortic valve into the blood stream with possibility of a stroke. Immediate Aortic valve replacement was recommended, seemed wise to me, and the surgery was performed the morning of January 10th. As others on this site have said, the anticipation and "centering of perspective" that occurred as I waited those few days had an unprecedented impact on me, an impact that I will always value. I am now in my 10th week after surgery, not nearly as vital and energetic, but I am vastly improved from the earlier weeks and looking forward to added improvement. However, I am very surprised by the level of fatigue that seems not to lift much over time and glad to find this website as a resource to help cope with the fatigue and loss of vitality. I am not a patient person, especially with myself. I am looking forward to seeing how this is all going to work out and whether I have the strength and fortitude to get somewhat back to where I was four months ago: 2 more months; 6 months; one year or more? Fatigue is the big issue right now! How best to cope with that?