Hello,
First of all, thank you to geebee and bvdr for responding to my post and for the encouragement. There?s so much I want to say, so many questions, but I will try to be as brief as possible. OK, here goes.
In 1993 at the age of 27 I had open-heart surgery to correct aortic valve regurgitation, or insufficiency, of a bicuspid valve. The procedure was done at the Cleveland Clinic and was performed by Dr. Delos (Toby) Cosgrove (yes, the same Dr. Cosgrove who made the rounds on television last month after President Clinton had his bypass surgery). This crackerjack surgeon was able to repair the valve, as opposed to replacing the valve with a pig or mechanical valve. I understand this procedure is not very common and that would explain why there is not much in the way of articles or literature on it.
After the surgery I was told once I was fully recovered the only restrictions I would have is to not lift any heavy weights and to take antibiotics before any dental work. The only medication I take is 5 mg of Vasotec daily as well as a baby aspirin. I am active in sports and have been healthy since the surgery. It is lately that I have had concerns.
While my blood pressure is normal, my resting pulse rate is consistently in the 90?s, which is relatively high. There are times when I am lying in bed that I can feel my heart racing, beating so hard that it seems to vibrate my whole chest. This is my main concern. I don?t know why it happens and quite frankly it is scary when it does. I worry that my heart is just going to go kaput, right then and there. It may sound like paranoia but at the time it is all too real. Also, when I am overtired I get dizzy when I stand up from a sitting position.
My cardiologist said the pulse is not a concern but rather making sure the blood pressure being good is what is important. My echocardiogram shows a slight leak in the valve but nothing of great concern. I asked him about me getting operated on again and he said that is not something to be concerned about ? YET. He would not give me a time frame on that. I know I will get carved open again I just don?t know when.
Other factors to consider are that I don?t sleep well; I either have a hard time falling asleep or I awake in the middle for no reason (although not due to palpitations). I also don?t have the best diet in the world. I?m not much of a cook so most of my meals are either fast food or something that has microwave instructions.
Lately I have been reading the Dean Ornish books and how he stresses proper diet, yoga and meditation as ways to reverse heart disease. While he does not address my specific condition I figure, what the heck, it couldn?t hurt. I have looked in to registering for such classes but they are usually taken by people who take it for recreational purposes, not for therapeutic ones. I wish my hospital offered such a class but no such luck.
It?s been eleven years since my surgery. I am now 38 years old, and single, and what has prompted me to write is, well, I am not sure how to proceed with my life. When I get those palpitations I get scared. Scared of dying. It makes me think, think deeply. I am apprehensive about getting married because if I will always be a heart patient, with these or other such maladies, I would not want to saddle my wife with the job of being my caretaker. It just wouldn?t be fair.
My cardiologist says there is nothing to worry about yet and I have friends who also get dizzy spells and palpitations, and they do not have heart conditions. Is there anybody out there who has also had this surgery or knows somebody who has had it? I would love to hear any information about your aftercare, quality of life, do you have to have a re-repair, etc? Do meditation, visualization and diet really have such a powerful effect, and can it help me?
Thank you in advance for your time and your feedback. I apologize for being longwinded. It?ll be nice to hear from people who have similar experiences and concerns. I look forward to hearing your responses.
