Kate's Posts

The church across from my hospital in London today…I’m home now. I’ve always found joy in keeping our complex family world turning and looking after everyone in it—nothing I couldn’t do. How suddenly the pendulum swings, and for now, I find myself the one needing a hand. It’s been quite a year. In April, completely by chance, I discovered that I’d been born with a defective heart valve—a bicuspid aortic valve so severely calcified and narrowed that my doctors were amazed I was walking around, let alone living my usual active life. I had no symptoms. None. Suddenly, open-heart surgery was not a possibility but an inevitability. Those early months were spent quietly coming to terms with the news, exploring my options and trying to keep life ticking along as normally as possible. There was a household to run, a son to get through his IB exams, and plenty of other things that seemed rather more pressing at the time! Sometimes it was surreal. Fast-forward to November, and I’m now on the other side of a remarkable operation called the Ross procedure—a double valve replacement that has saved my life. I owe my presence here to an extraordinary combination of chance discovery, modern medicine and the exceptional skill of my surgeon and his team. Gareth and I are profoundly grateful to everyone involved in my care at Royal Brompton and Harefield. We hope to find meaningful ways to support the work of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, helping more people benefit from the extraordinary expertise and treatment available there. In this immediate time, I’m learning to be the one receiving care. But I’m also beginning to look forward again—to making plans and continuing to do my little bit for the planet. 🌍 If only fixing her were as straightforward as replacing a couple of heart valves. ❤️

Hi everyone, I am five days past Ross procedure surgery. I have encountered a few complications along the way, including a pulmonary embolism and an infection, both being treated with blood thinners and antibiotics. I’m feeling OK, but a little demoralized by the fact that we can’t seem to get on top of my nutrition. I have completely lost my appetite and actually feel nauseated when I see or smell food. Does anyone have any advice about this? The team here at the Royal Brompton Cardiology has attempted three different anti-nausea medications, but they don’t seem to work. I always knew this was going to be hard work, so I’m up for it, but it would be nice to get on top of the nut nutrition because I need food for strength.