Fran's Posts

Today I have a pulmonary test done. I'm wondering what that is all about. The hospital I'm having the surgery at is Providence Medical Center in Everett, WA. It's among the top ten hospitals in the nation. My surgeon is Dr. Joseph Austin, he's the top heart surgeon in WA. I met him two weeks ago and was very impressed with him. He answered my many questions with patience and compassion. I still get a nervous stomach in the late afternoon. Yesterday being one week pre-op I kept thinking one week from today at this time I'll be going into surgery. One week from today I'll be on the heart lung machine, then I'll be in recovery and so on. I'm trying not to dwell on things but I know too much and it's been on my mind for three years. Once I was told I had to have an aortic valve replacement, I've been obsessing and worrying about it. Now the time is close at hand. I can't believe how quickly it moved along. I was asymptomatic until two months ago then everything happened so quickly once I had to go to the ER. Thank God things did move quickly. My valve opening is closing up, it's .86 cm from 1.1 in April. The doctor said he's never seen this happen so quickly before. I started not taking vitamin supplements yesterday. Hopefully today won't be so worry some. I'll let you know how I make out with the test. I'm curious to know what it is. Have a good day and my prayers go out to those of you having just had and are going to have their surgeries soon.

I was diagnosed with heart murmur 2004. In April around my 70th birthday, my aortic valve opening down to 1.1. Started having trouble with getting out of breath climbing stairs then feeling dizzy and weak. In two months valve openiing down to .86. Had cath, need by-pass surgery also, 80% blockage in circumflex artery. Met surgeon June 10th. I'm thrilled with him. Top surgeon in WA state. Surgery scheduled June 30th. Also had to have infected tooth extracted. Done June 11th. Recovered quickly from it. Bought recliner and pillows yesterday. Have good days and bad days with being out of breath, weak and fatigued. Can't avoid stairs, live in split level house. Pulmonary function test and pre-op tests next week. Now it's waiting game. A little nervous but want surgery so I can feel better. Symptoms have changed my lifestyle drastically.