Lie e's Journal

Yumiko Ishida  I had rheumatic mitral valve stenosis, but also knew it for years. An experienced nurse heard a murmur, sent me to a doctor, who ordered an echocardiogram. It was scary at first. I was short of breath when I exercised too hard, but otherwise had no symptoms for decades, so I eventually got used to it. Things got bad rapidly in the last couple of years, but I got a new valve three months ago. I am told I don’t need to worry about issues related to a rheumatic mitral valve anymore, because I no longer have a rheumatic mitral valve. Really? I am having a hard time adjusting to this new normal. The new valve is a foreign object to my body so I still need to worry about clots, but the stenosis is gone, so the blood flows better, no pressure building up in left atrium, etc. You have a new valve, too, right? I think we can both allow ourselves to relax a little bit, since we technically no longer have rheumatic mitral stenosis.

Lie e Van Acker  You are absolutely right about that. Yes, Sorin Carbomedics 27mm. Normally I should be happy but that's not the case. I had been to a cardiologist regularly beforehand, but there was never anything wrong, I was 36 when the doctor said I had the heart of a 100-year-old, I just had to exercise a little more 👍. A few years later, another cardiologist told me that there was a hole in my left ventricle and I could live to be 100 years old with that 👍 Then in September 2020 (52), my father had died a week before, I was urgently admitted by a caretaker ECG at the GP. 2 days later they sent me home, it was psychosomatic so to speak. When I had to go for a check-up 2 weeks later, there was panic, a kind of disbelief and this had been going on since I was a teenager. How is it possible that all these doctors saw nothing? Until then I was a lightweight of 48 kg and due to my father's stress it was down to 39 kg. Now 3 years later I weigh 20 kg more, retain fluid, have fat feet and my face is disfigured due to the extraction of all my teeth. No, I really wish it had turned out differently. I wish everyone a peace of mind and a pleasant Sunday.

Yumiko Ishida  I was just listening to a program about broken hearts, and apparently it is possible to have physical heart problems caused by emotional trauma or grief, and it sounds like that is what you were experiencing. And maybe it didn’t help that you are in your early 50s, when many women start to have serious health issues. A couple of months before I turned 50 my body started falling apart, and the valve surgery was just one of many attempts to address ongoing issues. I do hope there is light at the end of the tunnel!

Brady Busch  Hello Lie e,
I've reprinted your message in English for our non-Dutch speaking friends,if that's alright?
"I am so grateful that I found this site. I have probably found the information I have been looking for for 3 years. 1 month before my heart operation, the stomatologist decided that all my healthy teeth had to be extracted. 29 teeth! Generalized periodontitis. For 3 years I hardly go outside anymore, for 3 years I don't look in the mirror anymore. I feel completely mutilated. I got my removable dentures 3 months after the operation and personally I think they are a terrible piece of plastic. It is too big and needs glue from day 1. I can't eat with it, taste gone, etc... From the moment I knew they all had to be pulled, I had doubts, I didn't fully believe the stomatologist. According to him, it was life-threatening if the bacteria settled on my mitral valve, so it had to be done. I should be so happy because the heart operation was a complete success after complications. Are there people here with the same experience?"

Yumiko Ishida  I am sorry you are so uncomfortable. I think in the US they just bombard you with antibiotics. On a couple of occasions I have been prescribed antibiotics “to be on safe side” or “out of an abundance of precautions” in the US. I think they are more sparing with antibiotics elsewhere. In the dental area, I have several large fillings from when was a kid in Japan. I don’t think my cavities were particularly serious, but they just over drilled and filled them up. My mother (now age 89) insisted on keeping her teeth instead of getting dentures, and it took her a while to find a Japanese dentist that was willing to work with her. She is now back in the US and here they are happy to oblige and do fancy (expensive) dental work to allow her to keep her teeth. We (heart valve patients) need some form of prophylaxis, though, because the risk of infection is high. Your situation (removal of all teeth) may sound extreme, but over reliance on antibiotics is has its own problems. My best friend is highly allergic to many forms of antibiotics, so I have no idea what would happen if she had to undergo the same kind of surgery I just had. 

Susan Lynn  I am so sorry to read your story. I can only imagine how traumatic this has been for you. I would suggest that if you are able, seek out a dentist who specializes in dental implants and prosthetics. Bring a photo of your original smile. My husband makes dental prosthetics for dentists in the United States. He provides dental appliances that not only work for chewing, but also are aesthetically similar to the patient's own natural teeth in their appearance. Dental implants and the accompanying prosthetics are secure and will give you your taste back due to the difference in construction and attachment. Most people don't realize how many taste buds are on the roof of their mouths - removable upper full dentures cover this entire area with acrylic resulting in diminished taste. Don't give up on your future - enjoy your life! We're only given one! Please keep us posted!

Lie e Van Acker  @Yumiko Ishida

The use of antibiotics has really been reduced a lot. You see, I didn't get anything at all, even though it was really necessary. Now I would rather have taken a few boxes of antibiotics + treatment for periodontitis than lose my teeth. It was so weird. Once you have to have your teeth removed, you will see this coming. They are rotten, black, crumbled and most of them are happy to let their monstrosities out.

Lie e Van Acker  @Susan Lynn I would love to have implants but it is unaffordable. Yes, the stomatologist made a mess of it. But the open heart surgery was more than successful. The cardiologist and the heart surgeon are both very pleasant people. Thank you for your message 😊