Rik A
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Born with ASD ("hole in the heart"), a prolapsed mitral valve and a bicuspid aortic valve (BAV).
ASD and prolapse mitral were diagnosed aged 4 and operated on aged six in the late seventies - ASD repair was successful, the mitral prolapse repair not so successful. The mitral valve regurgitation was mild enough not to warrant corrective surgery and I lived an active and healthy childhood and early adult life. I put this down to good lifestyle choices such as a mainly vegetarian diet, daily yoga and/or chi gong practice, regular meditation practice and a wiliness to enjoy life even if some activities may not be recommended by the doctors. Life is for living and a healthy acceptance that life can be short and death is inevitable for us all definitely helps one to stay healthy in mind, body and spirit.
Aged 42 my aortic root started to enlarge and showed up in a regular echo scan. It was at this point that the bicuspid aortic valve was diagnosed. Aged 44 I had both the mitral and aortic valves replaced with St.Jude titanium valves along with a replaced aortic root. Have been well and active since, though limitations on how much activity is achievable are obviously present.
As I am now in my early fifties and a good few years since my valve replacement surgery, I am finding I am experiencing daily fatigue, though interestingly I am still fully capable of regular exercise without problems (I swim 600 meters once a week and go for regular country road walks with sometimes steep inclines). I have suspicions that the daily intake of Warfarin is a contributing factor of the fatigue, though I am yet to find any definite proof of this.
Interests:
Music
Nutrition
Cooking
Yoga
Chi Gong
Swimming
Mountain Walking
Sleep
ASD and prolapse mitral were diagnosed aged 4 and operated on aged six in the late seventies - ASD repair was successful, the mitral prolapse repair not so successful. The mitral valve regurgitation was mild enough not to warrant corrective surgery and I lived an active and healthy childhood and early adult life. I put this down to good lifestyle choices such as a mainly vegetarian diet, daily yoga and/or chi gong practice, regular meditation practice and a wiliness to enjoy life even if some activities may not be recommended by the doctors. Life is for living and a healthy acceptance that life can be short and death is inevitable for us all definitely helps one to stay healthy in mind, body and spirit.
Aged 42 my aortic root started to enlarge and showed up in a regular echo scan. It was at this point that the bicuspid aortic valve was diagnosed. Aged 44 I had both the mitral and aortic valves replaced with St.Jude titanium valves along with a replaced aortic root. Have been well and active since, though limitations on how much activity is achievable are obviously present.
As I am now in my early fifties and a good few years since my valve replacement surgery, I am finding I am experiencing daily fatigue, though interestingly I am still fully capable of regular exercise without problems (I swim 600 meters once a week and go for regular country road walks with sometimes steep inclines). I have suspicions that the daily intake of Warfarin is a contributing factor of the fatigue, though I am yet to find any definite proof of this.
Interests:
Music
Nutrition
Cooking
Yoga
Chi Gong
Swimming
Mountain Walking
Sleep
- Location
- Ballydehob, Co. Cork, Ireland
- Surgery
- Atrial septal defect (ASD) repair, aged six.
Mitral and Aortic valve replacement, aged 44.
Fitted with St. Jude prosthetic mitral and aortic valves (titanium).
- Medications
- Warfarin
(previously on Bisoprolol for one year after surgery. Came off this at my own request)
- Occupation
- Musician
Audio Sound Engineer
Personal Assistant for people with physical disabilities.
- Referral
- I was looking for info about interactions between Echinacea and Warfarin and found this site on a Google search.
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