S
scottvant
Greetings, Valvers! 
I know it's been forever since I checked in around here, sorry about that. Every once in awhile I have to stop being "Scott, heart patient" or I make myself crazy with all this stuff.
For all the 5,555 new people since I posted last--my short story: Undiagnosed BAV which decided to develop endocarditis in 11/02, at age 34. Ross Procedure in 12/02. After surgery, treated for LVH and decreased EF which may or may not have developed during my endocarditis bout--may also have developed slowly over a longer term if BAV was leaking... Ross went perfectly, neo-aortic valve functioning as well as could be expected and new pulmonary homograft behaving as well. In the initial aftermath I was hugely annoyed at feeling like there were restrictions on physical activity--my new reality as someobdy who has to watch himself didn't mesh well with my previous feelings of immortality.
I have a very understanding cardiologist who doesn't seem to mind that I'm forever moving my appointments up whenever I feel like something has gone horribly wrong--which so far has never been the case, and now, almost 2 years later, I'm learning not to panic every time the slightest little thing "feels" wrong... He also tends to understand that as one of his younger patients, I make requests his other patients don't. Like can I go back to weightlifting, and when can I go skydiving again? The answers to those questions--I am back in the gym now with my only restrictions being no squats or deadlifts and be careful with breathing rhythm, and I did another 12,500 foot jump out at Perris Valley a couple of months ago.
So, all things considered, I can't complain.
One thing they are watching is the RV outflow through my grafted pulmonic valve. I've noticed these last few months as I've been hitting it harder and harder at the gym, that I'm starting to feel just a litle more out-of-breath than I think is appropriate, so during my next stress echo in October, I guess they're going to be taking an extra close look at RV/outflow pressure gradient. EKG is completely normal and results of last regular (non-stress) echo a few months ago didn't show anything unusual, tho. But that's the caveat with the Ross--you tamper with a valve that was just minding its own business. I'm not letting this bother me too much--I'd rather be having a mild issue on the right side of the heart than be dealing with the same issues on the aortic side again...
Especially considering I was as close to dead as dead gets when I was admitted to the hospital, I still wake up every morning feeling lucky to be alive.
Scott, back into semi-lurk mode for a minute whilst I catch up on what everybody's been talking about...
I know it's been forever since I checked in around here, sorry about that. Every once in awhile I have to stop being "Scott, heart patient" or I make myself crazy with all this stuff.
For all the 5,555 new people since I posted last--my short story: Undiagnosed BAV which decided to develop endocarditis in 11/02, at age 34. Ross Procedure in 12/02. After surgery, treated for LVH and decreased EF which may or may not have developed during my endocarditis bout--may also have developed slowly over a longer term if BAV was leaking... Ross went perfectly, neo-aortic valve functioning as well as could be expected and new pulmonary homograft behaving as well. In the initial aftermath I was hugely annoyed at feeling like there were restrictions on physical activity--my new reality as someobdy who has to watch himself didn't mesh well with my previous feelings of immortality.
I have a very understanding cardiologist who doesn't seem to mind that I'm forever moving my appointments up whenever I feel like something has gone horribly wrong--which so far has never been the case, and now, almost 2 years later, I'm learning not to panic every time the slightest little thing "feels" wrong... He also tends to understand that as one of his younger patients, I make requests his other patients don't. Like can I go back to weightlifting, and when can I go skydiving again? The answers to those questions--I am back in the gym now with my only restrictions being no squats or deadlifts and be careful with breathing rhythm, and I did another 12,500 foot jump out at Perris Valley a couple of months ago.
So, all things considered, I can't complain.
One thing they are watching is the RV outflow through my grafted pulmonic valve. I've noticed these last few months as I've been hitting it harder and harder at the gym, that I'm starting to feel just a litle more out-of-breath than I think is appropriate, so during my next stress echo in October, I guess they're going to be taking an extra close look at RV/outflow pressure gradient. EKG is completely normal and results of last regular (non-stress) echo a few months ago didn't show anything unusual, tho. But that's the caveat with the Ross--you tamper with a valve that was just minding its own business. I'm not letting this bother me too much--I'd rather be having a mild issue on the right side of the heart than be dealing with the same issues on the aortic side again...
Especially considering I was as close to dead as dead gets when I was admitted to the hospital, I still wake up every morning feeling lucky to be alive.
Scott
, back into semi-lurk mode for a minute whilst I catch up on what everybody's been talking about...
