Mary Lou Wadley

It was time to get my knee replaced...damaged by years of tennis. As part of the pre-op for the knee surgery, I had to go through a heart exam in the orthopedic surgeon's office. A concerning heart murmur was present. I've had a heart murmur for the last 4 or 5 years and thought nothing about it. But, it was required that I go through an echocardiogram. After additional tests, it was determined my heart had a significant mitral valve defect which needed to be corrected. Imagine that...in for knee replacement and out with a major heart valve surgical  repair! The open heart surgery will be done at Swedish hospital in Seattle by a top notch cardiac team.  I'll be back in Olympia in about a week. There will be a 6 week recovery period for the surgery. Then there will be Cardiac rehab. We will provide information on this Caring Bridge site periodically so you can follow along if you so choose. This site will be monitored constantly during my journey. My husband, Dick, will be with me every step of the way. We will update my status when changes occur.  Your kind messages, thoughts and prayers are much appreciated.