Masked problems.

[Christina L]

I have been reading with interest the threads on those needing pulmonary valve surgery or having had pulmonary surgery.

As you all know, I just recently had an echo two years post mitral valve repair showing mild right heart enlargement. I don't know if I told you that my pulmonary valve has gone from trivial to mild regurgitation on any of my threads.

My family practice physician just last week told me that he does not think I have pulmonary hypertension when I asked him if the mild pulmonary valve regurg was a sign of that - BUT he said that is what could be causing my right heart enlargement.

I know I have read on this board many times that once a valve is fixed, you just have to wait and see what else "turns up" as some problems are masked from the major problem (which was my severely regurgitating mitral valve).

My tricuspid valve went from mild regurg to physiologic which is good, but the pulmonary is now showing signs of trouble.

I still wonder about living at this high altitude, after reading the post on the gal with the son who only started having problems when he moved to Colorado (with his pulmonary valve).

Needless to say, the shock of the not-so-great echo has worn off and the Prozac has kicked in, so I am much more level-headed thinking about all of this now, although I am still somewhat "down" at the turn of events. Will the pulmonary valve and right heart dilation progress for sure, or could it stay at the same level?? Will moderate exercise help?

Thanks all.

Christina L

 

[Nancy]

You have gone from trivial to mild with your pulmonary valve. This is still a small problem in the scheme of things, considering that some people live their whole lives without a pulmonary valve. Trivial to mild could even be a case of the tech and how good they are, or you could have had a bad day or been nervous. There was a young lady on this site a few years ago who had her pulmonary valve removed in childhood and lived for a long time without it. They then implanted a new valve, but it was many years after.

I can't imagine they would do anything but keep an eye on it for a long time.

They cannot even get a good picture of Joe's pulmonary valve. Who knows what's going on there, he's got two mechanicals (aortic and mitral) and a severely leaking tricuspid. I would bet the farm that his pulmonary valve has been leaking for years.

Go by your symptoms. If you are feeling well and can exercise, then maybe you could relax and put it in the back of your mind for a while.

 

[Lynlw]

hi, I saw nancy's post and wanted to say Justin is 17 and just got a pulm valve for the first time, actually if he didn't need his conduit replaced he still would be w/out one, Lyn

 

[Karlynn]

Christine - A few years ago my pulmonary valve went from trivial to mild. Then I started working out at Curves 3 - 4 days a week and the next year it had gone back down to trivial and has remained that way. My card told me that it is most likely due to my cardio exercise.

I've heard that if you do something for 30 days it becomes a habit. Well I've been working out for 2 years now and I STILL have to force myself. But I do go.

For women in our "years" strength expercise is important for bone health. I highly recommend a "Curves" type work out that's a 30 minute circuit of strength resistance exercise combined with cardio. You keep your HR at a target rate for your age (for me it's around 120 - 130) for the 30 minutes of the work out. Curves is the biggest national company, but I know there are other facilities that offer the same type of work out. When I belonged to a women's gym, I'd go and do 20 - 30 minutes on the treatmill and then weights. That took over an hours of my time w/ travel. Time was my excuse to not go. Now with 30 minutes (< 40 w/ travel) I have no excuse.

 

[Christina L]

Wow -

Wow -

that is quite interesting about the pulmonary valve - a non-necessity for the heart, huh?

I am hoping against hope that ALL of this was tech error but I don't understand how a brilliant cardiologist would blindly accept the measurements as "fact." Wouldn't they hand-pick their techs and make sure they are the best? This gal who did my echo was very young and I hope that she was fresh out of school.

I don't have shortness of breath at all, Nancy - in fact that is why I got so upset with the echo results - it was a shocker. I feel pretty darned good still. I do have real hard beats of PACs at times when taking a deep breath or such, but wonder if that is out of the ordinary.

I just got off the treadmill, Karlynn. I wasn't exercising near enough, I know that (down to 1-2 times every two weeks, if that - just had put other things as more of a priority and I know that exercise HAS to be a priority for me). My PCP told me to "take charge of my health" and to take Co-Q10 and to exercise moderately. He said "the heart can take a lot and exercise will NOT hurt it." However, he is not a cardiologist. Surprisingly they do have a Curves here in the small town of Estes, but I peeked in the window one day and the weight machines looked "ancient" so I walked away. Guess I will check into them again. I like the thought of a "gals only" place to exercise.

Thank you all for your wisdom. I come to VR.com for my sanity.

Christina L

 

[Karlynn]

I should also mention that my aortic valve also did the trivial to mild and back again thing at the same time.

The weight machines are pneumatic machines, the kind with pistons rather than weights. The more you work them the harder they are. Seniors can work them very mildly, with little force, and get their muscles going and body builders can use a lot of force and get some huge resistance.

 

[Christina L]

Karlynn,

Karlynn,

I guess that explains the antiquated-looking machines I saw. Little do I know about weight machines.

I, like Mark, will be going in to see my cardio just one more time before the year is over to have him explain a little more to me about my echo and to tell me what the possible diagnoses are and the prognosis (of my "right heart dilatation") before I really start doing any weight machines. I totally agree with you how important it is as we get older to increase our muscle mass - to hold our bodies together and to increase bone density.

Thanks again for your prompt response to my questions. I really appreciate it everyone. This is by far the roughest time mentally I have had since my surgery two years ago.

Christina L