Erica’s Story

Site created on March 1, 2023

Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends ✅updated in one place. ❤️
Erica was born 👩🏼‍🍼with a bicuspid aortic valve. 💕A normal aortic valve has 3 leaflets 🍂, with a bicuspid valve, there’s only 2 🍃These 2 work as hard as 3. 😣Over time, the leaflets get overworked and start to stiffen.

❤️To read more about this: https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-valve-problems-and-disease/heart-valve-problems-and-causes/problem-aortic-valve-stenosis

On March 20th, 2023, Erica had an aortic valve replacement with a mechanical ⚙️valve at Abbott Northwestern Hospital 🏥 in Minneapolis. 👨🏼‍⚕️

We appreciate your support, words of hope and encouragement and prayers. Thank you for visiting.

Newest Update

Journal entry by Erica Penkert

I can’t believe it’s been almost 11 weeks since surgery. I have one more week off of work. I am getting a little anxious about going back, although I’m  not exactly sure why. Maybe I’m afraid of getting to worn out?! 
I feel like I’ve taken a bit of a step backwards as far as energy. I am much more tired than I have been the last several weeks. Some of that is due to some insomnia I’m going through. Trying to get back into a a more normal sleep schedule for work. I’m also going to ask for some bloodwork just to make sure it’s nothing too concerning. 
Cardiac rehab is still going well, my walking the other days of the week hasn’t been as steady since I’ve been in the garden a lot (I’m my mother’s daughter, I guess 🤷🏼‍♀️) I’m thinking this could be part of the fatigue as well. So, I’m going to put some focus back on walking and taking it easy gardening. 
I have little more upper muscle chest pain and nerve pain too. My INR is leveling out good. 
Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers! 
I would certainly take some regarding the fatigue! God is good 💕
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