Cindy's Journal

Ginny Turner  Hi Cindy, and welcome to the community! I had mitral valve prolapse/regurgitation for most of my adult life (I'm 73), but it was moderate, and I was healthy, active and asymptomatic. In 2021, the echo showed the valve had deteriorated and my regurgitation was severe, though I still felt well and had no symptoms. Further testing (TEE) also showed tricuspid regurgitation at the moderate level, and surgery was recommended. I had both valves repaired 5 weeks ago as well as a Maze procedure for Afib. My recovery is going well and I'm feeling stronger each day. Since your testing shows severe regurgitation and you are now experiencing some symptoms, surgery may be recommended for you as well. My recommendation is to trust your doctor's guidance and to get a second opinion if you feel it is needed. Because valve regurgitation can be a silent condition, you must trust the test results over how you feel. Best of luck to you going forward. Please keep us updated!

Cindy Senseney  Thanks for your advice and for sharing your story. I am wondering how you are feeling 5 weeks post op?  I am an active 60 year old and don’t want to be debilitated by this surgery.  I am still hoping that surgery will not be necessary but it’s looking more and more like I will need it.  Well wishes to you for your continued recovery. 

Ginny Turner  Cindy, I'm doing very well at 5 weeks. I've had no problems in my recovery so far. Very little pain, in fact I only took OTC Tylenol after my day in ICU (I had a full sternotomy) and now most days I don't need anything for pain. I'm walking 2 miles a day and will start an at-home cardiac rehab program next week. My fatigue is much better and I'm sleeping well at night. All is well at 5 weeks and I'm looking forward to resuming more of my normal activities soon. BTW, we lived in DC and McLean for many years before returning back home to Texas - I love your beautiful part of the country! My email is ginnyturner@hotmail.com if you'd like to touch base by email. Keep me posted!