My Latest Echo Results: Relative Stability

[skeptic49]

Got my latest echo report. This seems to be what relative stability/very slow progression looks like. I've got another year unless things should deteriorate rapidly in the interim.

2008 gradients: 22/36 mmhg
2009 gradients: 16/27 mmhg
2011 gradients: 25/40 mmhg

2008 AVA: 1.3 cm2
2009 AVA: 1.2 cm2
2011 AVA: 1.1 cm2

2008 ascending aorta: 4.25 cm
2009 ascending aorta: 4.5 cm
2011 ascending aorta: 4.3 cm

2008 aortic root: (SOV 3.5cm, STJ 2.55 cm)
2009 aortic root: 3.7 cm
2011 aortic root: 3.0 cm

2008 EF: 55%
2009 EF: 70%
2011 EF: 65%

 

[ottagal]

Skeptic,
Looks like you are going to be the 'chief' of the waiting room for now. Hope you continue with your wonderful travels and for now, put your surgery thoughts on the back burner.
Very best wishes,

 

[epstns]

Skeptic,

Those stats look a lot like mine did. It gave me plenty of time to come to grips and make peace with the choices I was to make. It also allowed me to do a lot of things before things got bad enough to be in the way.

BTW - do they have you on annual echo's or every 6 months? As mine progressed past "a certain point" we switched to echo's every 6 months. That's how I knew the cardio thought surgery would be soon. Of course, I went about 18 months or 2 years on the semi-annual echo schedule, and finally I was the one who said "Let's get this done." As long as I felt OK and had no symptoms, the cardio waited for me to call it. He later told me that there are guidelines for surgery even absent symptoms, and if I had crossed one of those lines he would have called it.

Hang in there. Life is good, and it beats the alternative!

 

[MaryG]

Jim --

I have been following your progress, as we both seem to be on the same timeline. My Echo numbers have hardly changed at all since 2009 and they are almost identical to your numbers. My valve area measured at 1.1 cm2 this last time and my ascending aorta was also 4.3 cm. In 2009 I was sure that surgery was just over the horizon, but here I am, still in pretty much the same situation. It has given me time to recover from the original feelings of panic and to come to accept that surgery will be needed at some point.

I guess we'll be holding down the fort in the waiting room for awhile yet. From what others have said, things can change rapidly -- we'll find out.

 

[epstns]

Mary - That's exactly the progression my valve followed. The time during which it was stable did indeed allow me time to become at peace with what was to come and to do the research and make the decisions without being under time pressure. You are, I believe, lucky to have the luxury of time, as is our Skeptic.

 

[Cooker]

Jim, congrats on another year! ... maybe you can ride this horse for many years to come!:thumbup:

 

[skeptic49]

Thanks for the comments all.

Steve: I'm still on a yearly schedule for echos. I'm OK with that even though I do realize that things can change rapidly. I know the drill and what to look for.

Mary G: Yep, we'll hold down the waiting room together for a while longer. It's good to have your company.

BTW: My partner is concerned about my scuba diving so he came to the cardiio appointment with me and asked the doc directly about it. No problema he was told! YA! I can still dive!

Jim

 

[Lynlw]

I'm glad to hear things are staying about the same and you can hang out in the waiting room for at least a little while longer. I've decided Stable is a very good word, we never will hear Justin's heart is good or even normal, so stable is what I look forward to and hope to hear.
He has his MRI and a stress test at CHOP/HUP in a couple weeks, Do you get food at the carts outside as a reward for putting up with the poking and prodding too?