New to BAV

[hbh]

Hi I just wanted to talk to someone about this and it looks like a friendly place

I am a 37 year old female recently dianosed with BAV...
Mild Stenosis
Mild Regurgitation

Also, on my echo results it states:
trivial mitral regurg.
pulmonic valve regurg.
mild tricuspid regurg.

I have an appointment with the cardiologist in a week, lots of fear, stress and anxiety right now...

 

[Danny]

Hello and welcome.. You found a great site, and lots of informative people here. If you have a question, dont hesitate to ask.

 

[TXGal]

Welcome! I'm sorry to hear about your diagnoses... you have come to a wonderful place though for information and support, so ask away. Let us know how your cardiologist appointment goes next week!

 

[vhmoriarty]

This site has worked wonders for me and I wish you the best of luck. Just read the stickys at the top of the threads. Put what you would like to know in the search. And if you cant find it elsewhere, just make up a new one.

Good Luck!

 

[ALCapshaw2]

HBH -

Take a Deep Breath. RELAX.
Repeat until you can truly relax.

Your Echo Report and diagnosis appear to be Early Signs of a very Treatable Condition.

Hopefully, it will help you to get an understanding of the Hierarchy of Medical Modifiers.

NO / NONE
Trace
Mild
Moderate
Moderate-Severe
Severe
Critical

MILD typically indicates that a condition exists but is in the Early Stages and needs to be Monitored for signs of change. Guidelines may be given for management of this condition.

This is a good time to learn about your condition and ask questions of your Cardiologist about living with this conditon and your prognosis. MANY BAV patients never progress to the point of needing surgery. If / When Surgery is indicated, while it is major surgery, the Success Rates for first time surgery are extrordinarily High. Almost ALL of our members, or a family member, are Survivors of various types of Heart Conditions. If we can do, SO CAN YOU !

Have a good weekend and try not to be too rattled when you have your appointment with your Cardiologist. You may want to take someone along to help listen and take notes so that you can review what your Cardiologist tells you. This would be a good time to start collecting All of your Test Reports in a file to track the status of your condition.

Best Wishes,

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Bina]

Hello Heather,
Relax and we will help you out if needed.

 

[knoxbone09]

HBH -
You may want to take someone along to help listen and take notes so that you can review what your Cardiologist tells you. This would be a good time to start collecting All of your Test Reports in a file to track the status of your condition.

Best Wishes,

'AL Capshaw'

I agree strongly. Due to my initial anxiety, I found myself ruminating over my first appointment afterwards. It was helpful to have someone who was there with me to interpret and to remember everything the doctor had said and alleviate my fears. Maintaining a personal file--also a great idea. YOU ARE YOUR BEST ADVOCATE! Know your medical information!

 

[DebbyA]

Hello Heather, and welcome!

You're about the age I was when I found out about my BAV, and I didn't need a replacement until age 60. It's always a shock to find out you might have this surgery in your future. I used to be really irritated that my doctors treated it like some little puddle I'd just jump over and then keep on with my life--but that's pretty much what happened. I wish we could innoculate the newcomers against that anxiety. Reading here helps, but get out and enjoy yourself too.

Be sure to let us know what you find out!

 

[hbh]

Thanks to all of you. Reading your stories and words of encouragement helps.

 

[Mentu]

HBH, my very first trip to the Cardiologist produced much the same result....everything was either a trace or mild. That was 9 years ago. Things did not start changing much until last year and then there were lots of changes during the summer of 2009. So take a deep breath. The stenosis usually does not change very quickly and almost always there are symptoms to indicate it is becoming a problem. You need to realize that you are one of the lucky ones. Your Doctor has identified the problem and now has a baseline against which to measure changes. You can be monitored as time passes to help reduce the likelyhood that your condition will get out of hand. It is even possible that your stenosis will progress so slowly that it is never a significant problem for you. In the mean time, you can learn more about your condition and the symptoms to watch for in the event your valve should degrade more than it has at present.

 

[Cooker]

Welcome to the zoo ... you have come to the right place ... take your coat off and sit a spell....

 

[skeptic49]

Welcome to VR...there are plenty of us BAVers here. Relax...sounds lke you are only in the early stages of stenosis (narrowing) with your BAV.

Best wishes,

Jim

 

[COLLEEN S]

Hi and welcome to the site. I am a BAV among other things...see my signature line...You are relatively young, you are doing the right thing seeking a cardio...my first symptoms were tiredness unlike any I'd had before, and shortness of breath. Ask all the questions you can, write them down, write the answers down too, have someone go with you if you can...they can be your second pair of ears.

 

[Bill B]

This is deja vue of me a year ago when I first got my diagnosis. I was scared and lost a lot of sleep over it. My cardiologist was very reassuring and thought I might have stable disease for many more years with minimal problems.

I made an intellectual challenge out of my new diagnosis, which worked pretty well to keep my mind off morbid thoughts. I tried to work on this as if it was an assignment at work, although a rather personal one, reading a lot here and elsewhere. The intellectual approach worked well until I got to the point where I stupidly thought I might know more than my doctors and I nearly ruined my receovery from surgery by second guessing what was going on. My BAV did not prove to be stable and required surgery, but many are stable for many years.

Anyway, enjoy the company here as I have, prepare ALL your concerns for discussion with your cardiologist. Most likely, unless you have symptoms now, your cardiologist will obsvere you with periodic echos and exams and see how your course goes.

Best of luck to you. Know that ultimately this disorder is VERY treatable and the results are excellent.

 

[hbh]

I just wanted to thank all of you for the taking the time to respond with you experiences and encouragement. It has helped me a lot in dealing with something until last Tuesday I knew nothing about... thank you!

 

[scuba_898]

hbh

just want to say welcome to VR. don't be afraid to ask questions, I learned a lot from VR. I am 3 weeks post op from having a BAV repair (not replacement) and having my aortic root and ascending aorta replaced. I am 29 years old. I want to encourage you to learn as much as you can about this stuff, do your due dilligence and everything is going to turn out great. no worries. take a deep breath and relax. keep us updated on how your doing and again don't be afraid to ask questions.