Melissa and Cindy,
I never had your condition but I have had open heart coronary artery bypass surgery. I'm here to tell you that you should consider it a blessing that you're being told to wait, monitor and see if OHS to correct your aneurysm is ever warranted. While we tell people this on this forum who are about to have OHS for whatever reason that this surgery has become routine, it's performed every day and so on, believe me, if you can avoid having the surgery you are lucky. However routine it may be for the doctors to perform, it's neither routine nor fun for the patient. And I'm speaking from the viewpoint of a guy who made a complete recovery, an "amazing" recovery from the viewpoint of my cardiologist.
If you ever need the surgery, I'm sure that you will be fine but, in the meantime, count your blessings that you can avoid it for now, maybe forever, and just go about your life with a periodic monitoring visit/test. And as for fears/anxiety about what the future may bring, I personally have found that meditation helps me stay in the here and now, appreciating every moment of the borrowed time on which I am living for the past 3 1/2 years since my heart attack and emergency OHS when I was 67 1/2. Learning to smell the roses has been the greatest gift I could have received from my heart attack and surgery.
I wish you both good luck and good health and happiness.
Ira
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Ira Reid
Hoboken NJ
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Original Message:
Sent: 09-07-2021 08:39
From: cindy meredith
Subject: ascending aortic aneurysm
Hi Melissa,
i just came across your post from last year. I've got a similar story. 63 years old, ascending aorta dilation of 4,2 from a CT scan. Interestingly enough they sent me for an echo too and that showed the dimensions at 3.9. I met with cardiologist who is sending me on to a thoracic surgeon to be followed. I have that appt in 2 weeks. Everything I've read says that your size is mild. It may never grow beyond the current size, which is the hope. I'm just wondering how you are doing and has anything changed with your diagnosis? I'm not seeing any other posts or replies attached to this thread but I'm having trouble using this forum. Thank you!
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Cindy M
Original Message:
Sent: 06-19-2020 23:02
From: Melissa Karr
Subject: ascending aortic aneurysm
Hi--I'm a newbie to the group. I have had ongoing crazy blood pressure issues, crappy family history, lots of med changes and finally had an echo; found out I have an ascending aortic aneurysm- 3.7. I was diagnosed literally a week before all the COVID stuff shut everything down, so have just been dealing with reading lots of info online and sorting out priorities. I had my second appointment today and told my dr that I've been having a few times where its hard to breathe (but it could be COVID and masks or anxiety), and also some swelling in my feet and lower legs. I have never shied away from anything and was all ready to kind of push to an earlier surgery ( I'm only 63), but my dr was pretty up front about the dangers of surgery vs possible danger of dissection, so am resigned to the wait and see, get an echo, wait and see game. Lots of anxiety, and pretty sure no one really gets how serious this is. Am I crazy or did others feel under-appreciated with this diagnosis? Thanks--Melissa
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Melissa Karr
Business owner/musician
Iowa City IA
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