Confused with a bicuspid

[taranjit]

and please remember to breathe correctly if and when you become pregnant.. do not hold breathe when you "push"... if you learn the correct breathing technique when you become pregnant, your valve will not get any worse just because of pregnancy..

 

[Mary]

Michy,
Taranjit makes a good point. Everyone has a different story, and what happens to one, doesn't mean the same thing will happen to someone else.
I had five successful pregnancies and never knew I had a bicuspid valve. No one ever heard a murmur.

It sounds like your doctor is on top of things and will watch you closely. I'd try to forget my valve for the present time and live my life. You only have one to live; don't let what might happen in the future spoil the here and now.
Mary

 

[Bryan B]

but instead most of us are telling her horror stories she could probably not absorb all at once.. getting educated is one thing but scaring is yet another.. now that she has found valvereplacement.com, she could browse thru wealth of info out here, and see how different people with conditions of different severity did differently at different times... but when she asks a "specific" question about herself, about her "current" situation, there is no need to tell her about the worst possible scenario.. for a newcomer, it can be a very scary experience and not necessary helpful

taranjit,

You must be reading a different thread than me. I read all the posts before you posted and again after you posted to see who was "out of line". The only thing I see happening here are people offering caring, supportive, realistic advice, and people sharing their own experiences who have "been there and done that".

(unless you are calling my story a horror story )

 

[MichyB]

Yikes. I'll chime in ... this site is a lifeline to me and to others. Please don't edit or stop sharing your stories for me or anyone else. Maybe it will take 5 years for my condition to worsen. Maybe it will take 10. Hopefully, I'll never see the OR. Can't guarantee that though, and in the meantime, I'd like to learn what I can and stay informed.

At times I may get freaked out by the stories but at times I also choose to watch bad movies on Lifetime and get sappy for no reason whatsoever! Neither one, in moderation, is a bad thing.

Anyway, I do appreciate all of your stories. Thanks for being so open.

 

[Raverlaw]

Michy-

Of course I didn't intend to scare anyone and we all hope that you can knowledgeably go many years without having to have AVR!

We've had members and guests, however, who have resisted getting the medical treatment they needed and stuck their heads in the sand. Our point, of course, is just that you should make yourself informed, understand what is being tested and what the results mean, and never be afraid to ask for multiple opinions. It's your life at stake, and you want to be able to be an informed decision maker.

You seem to have the right attitude and we welcome you to our family!

 

[Bryan B]

Michy,

Everyone here means well in their own way. I'm with you, I'd rather hear the worst case scenario and not have it happen than have someone sugarcoat it and be surprised later.

Take care!

 

[Susan BAV]

Taranjit -

I'm with Bryan B... I'm not reading any horror stories when I review the posts on this thread, just efforts at first-hand, and hopefully helpful, information. (Actually, I did find your post on "how to breathe while delivering" a bit frightening. But then, delivering babies is frightening anyway !)

 

[Sherry]

Hi, Karlynn. Sorry, I'm just now reviewing this post. (I've been at school both days this week getting the room ready and attending meetings.) We do have very similar stories, don't we? I agree with you about wanting that third kid. I really did for awhile, but our kids are 14 and 16 now, and they are soooo busy themselves, I don't think I could manage a younger one, plus teach full time, etc. However, all of that aside, it just wasn't in the cards with the coumadin issue.

Taranjit, I completely agree with Bryan, Bill, and the others. None of us said anything to scare her. We simply told her our stories, which can only serve to empower her. I (and I'm sure Karlynn would agree with me) only wish I had access to this wonderful site before my surgery seven years ago and the wealth of knowledge the members have to offer. I could have been much better prepared and could have asked much more knowledgeable questions of my surgeon.

 

[taranjit]

Well, I guess it is my time to say sorry to offend you all... I had been reading quite of other posts and you are right it is not as much negative in this thread however.. so I owe you all sorry ...

But I hope you also understand my point a bit, even though it is not relevant to this particular thread.. We need to take control of ourselves rather than heavily relying on surgeons, etc.. I mean we need to also find ways to make sure valves do not deteriorate with time (other than things beyond our control), which are especially useful for someone like Michy who has all the time in her hands to ensure she rides on her native valve as long as possible?. Michy, if you search there are a lot of herbs and supplements out there, that can help you with your valve.. in other word

And Susan What do I know about pregnancy J? But as a bodybuilder what I know is that if we can avoid the situations of valsalva maneur we can protect our valves? doctors actively recommend not to lift weights but they do not realize that some activities of daily living e.g. sex and constipation also result in the situations of high blood pressure detrimental for the valves, especially if they are not trained for such pressures thru systematic weight lifting type exercises.. I think child birth for women is one such situation in which such high pressures can occur and if correct breathing techniques are followed, not only it is easy (and not scary J) to kick the baby out but also easy on your valves, etc?. It is not something artificial way of doing it, but rather natural.. we simply need to be aware of it while doing it and use it to our advantage as a valve patient.. anyways it is not the topic of discussion at hand..

 

[epstns]

taranjit, I think you may be reacting to one of Al Capshaw's posts that had a theme of "Now, don't wait" to it.

In his case, that was a major issue. In others, maybe not. I thing we are all trying to present a balanced picture of the good, the bad, and the others here. I, for one, have a similar condition and am in the "Watching and waiting" mode. For me, that's OK. I just maybe watch it closer than some folks, but my cardio and I agree that as long as I don't let it run my life, I'm going to be in a better position to deal with it when the time comes.

In the meantime, I accept some limitations that weren't there 5 years ago, but can pretty much do as I please. That was my point, and I'm stickin' to it. . .

I don't think anyone was really out of line, and I do appreciate your concern that we don't scare someone beyond cautioning them to do what is medically appropriate for their case.