Zach,
Thanks for the update. It sounds like your doing okay for now. I assume the follow-up in September, only 4 months away, will include an echocardiogram or another TEE. That will tell the cardiologist how your quickly your condition is deteriorating. I'm sure that if your cardio felt that waiting another 4 months would do any irreversable damage to your heart, he'd be talking surgery to you now.
I know having the surgery hanging over your head is very anxiety prevoking, but you don't want to go through it too soon either. If your body can deal with the problem without doing any damage to your system or causing you serious symptoms or pain, don't rush it.
However, that being said, and the time frame of 3 to 12 months that you were given a few months back, I think you should be focusing in on a hospital and a surgeon, if you haven't already decided, and thinking about the type of valve you would feel most comfortable with. Also, think about when it would be a good time for you to be laid up for a couple of months while you recover. When would be the best time for your support folks to be able to be with you? Develop a plan with as much detail as you can, but allow for some flexability.
I was told after an echo in September that it looked like I was approaching the time to consider surgery. This was confirmed by a TEE in November. I met with the cardiologist again in December to discuss the TEE results and the timing for surgery. I was given a time frame to have the sergery done of up to 1 year. However, my wife and I opted to have it done sooner rather than later and selected late February. We met with the surgeon just before Christmas, discussed valve types recommendations, etc. and tentative dates. In early January, we confirmed 2/26 as the date for surgery. (I knew I needed AVR, but there was a possibility that I would need MV repair or replacement as well. In addition, I had a moderate amount of pericardial effusion from a virus that I had been walking around with for more than a year.) Given these circumstances, the surgeon agreed that doing the surgery sooner while I was still in good condition and since I wouldn't be getting any younger was a wise decision.
So Zach, you've got a little time to wait, maybe even a lot of time if nothing changes in the September evaluation. Relax and don't dwell on it too much. When it's time for surgery, you'll be ready and you'll do fine. As most of us who have made the journey up this mountain will tell you, the anxiety and fear before the surgery in much worse than the actual experience. It's not a piece of cake, but it's not nearly a bad as you think it is going to be.
Have a great summer with your family and keep posting.
Ron K
