Welcome! The time is almost here - January 30, 2020 (the rescheduled date due to a bad cold) is the date scheduled for surgery. I feel ready. The waiting has brought on several bouts of anxiety and wishing this wasn't a necessity. I must admit that I am so very grateful to have options and access to a wonderful hospital and surgeon.
Some background: I was born with a bicuspid aortic heart valve, Over my lifetime, calcification (stenosis) has formed on the valve which makes the valve work very hard and inefficiently. Luckily I had not experienced any issues until last year when I began feeling shortness of breath, extreme fatigue and frequent heart palpitations. The doctors took a closer look and said I need to have the valve replaced or I'd have about 4 years to live.
I'm scheduled to have a mini-sternotomy, which is open heart surgery but with a smaller incision. The surgery will last between 4 -6 hours and I will likely be at home 5 days later. (AMAZING!)
I'll be posting my progress here and will greatly appreciate your comments and encouragement. I've been told that recovery will have set backs and challenges, so hearing from you will be a great help.
Thank you for taking the time to visit. More to come soon...
CaringBridge is a nonprofit social network dedicated to helping family and friends communicate with and support loved ones during a health journey. Learn more about CaringBridge.
