I have been a life-long teacher of 38 years and had plans to continue teaching for at least another 4 years. My heart had other plans for me though. It was mentioned to me throughout my life that I had a heart murmur, but it wasn't until I was 50 or so that I was finally sent to a cardiologist and a congenital aortic bivalve was diagnosed. When I started having shortness of breath early in 2021, an AAA was also discovered. Within a week I was having OHS (April 2021).
I worked hard to complete cardio rehab and to heal and get strong again. As I neared the one year mark, I began having trouble breathing with mild exertion and the fatigue made it difficult to move through the day. An echo revealed that the tissue valve from OHS had stenosed in less than a year. In June 2022 I had a TAVR with Edwards Sapien Ultra valve placed inside the SAV. They had to fracture the tissue valve in order to open the TAV fully to 23 mm.
So, again I went through full cardio rehab and worked hard to get strong again. And again, a few months before the one year mark, I began having troubling symptoms again. An echo has revealed narrowing of the valve. I am scheduled for 4D CT scan on July 5, 2023. If the narrowing is caused by a blood clot, they want to treat with Warfarin. If it is calcification, it means a second OHS to remove the valve-in-valve, do work on the Aortic root and put in Mechanical Valve. Ugh! Waiting for the scan is tough, but I know we need answers.
I was looking for the support of others who may have walked this journey ahead of me. Has anyone experienced this rapid calcification and failure of both surgical and TAVR valves?
That is how I discovered Mended Hearts. I am grateful for the opportunity to offer and receive support from this group of brave warriors.