Hi bibliophile and Christina - I never gave that a thought - it doesn't stay on the profile whether your male or female either. I'm sorry. No, I don't have MVP - mine leak if from my heart attack when I was 37 !!! Very young and my family and friends were shocked when it happened. It took years to 'accept' and then when things were just going very well - my vt's started and I had to get an ICD and then when I just started to adjust to that - I got shocked - took me almost a year to get 'adjusted' to the panic attacks afterwards and I was just coming out of those - when I got the news about my mitral valve. I have always compared heart disease to New England weather - wait 5 minutes cause its going to change.
I understand what you mean Christina when you say "things can change so quickly". One day I'm feeling great and running like the wind and the next I'm getting vt's and I can't breath.. Its just unbelievable. So, I kind of wait for the situation to be there for a long time before I take action - because I've learned that what I felt today I won't necessarily feel tomorrow. I haven't gotten any more shocks since last year - but it does take time to get rid of the 'fear' that its going to happen. I've had no stents and no open heart surgery - so this is going to be a first - and probably not my last. I know heart disease is a progressive disease and from what I have learned from others - it does tend to take a 'forward' progression every 10 years. So, I've gained an ICD and probably soon to be mitral valve. I'll take your wise advise and not wait to long - as I don't want more permanent damage if I can help it. I already have a scar from my heart attack - so I definently don't need any more permanent damage. But I don't want to lose my natural valve till I hit the enlargement of 55 mm if I can help it. My surgeon said that's his cut off for waiting - of course if I get any symptoms I'm to tell them. Which no offense but before they told me about my valve - I was getting 9:30 minute miles and I thought what are you NUTS it can't be tooo leaky I'm getting 9:30 minute miles - but I didn't tell them that - cause I doubt they would have believed me anyways. How can a person get 9:30 minute miles when they're 50% leaky !! I don't know but I did and I wasn't gasping for air as much as I was last year when they put me on beta blockers - now that was awful - I could barely get 12:00 minute miles - without turning 3 shades of grey.. This year my racing was going so fantastic till this.
So you've got congenital MVP Christina and your surgery is set for November. I hope your surger goes well - and you have a speed recovery. Do you work? where do you live if I might ask? Where will you be going for your surgery? I will go to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon - I have a great EP doc up there and he's the best electrician in the state. He's nice to. But I told him I have a motto that I developed several years ago and it goes like this doc: Happy, Happy, Happy - ok now I'll let you take one happy away from me if you really have to - but if you take two happy's I start to get alittle mad - and if you take all 3 - your going to hear about it..
I set my guidelines for when I lose my happys - I lose one happy automatically if I can't exercise - I lose two happy's if I can't walk up a flight of stairs and breath - now when I can't sit at my desk and breath - then I've lost my third happy and off I go to the ER. I won't complain much - I'll only take so much and I don't speak up as well as I should - but I do go to the ER when I've had 'enough' and I have no happy's.. But it takes alot for me to do that - cause I really hate NEEDLES - I practically cry at the sight of them. Do you have any children Christina? How are your kids taking your surgery date? My daughter and my husband are very, very scared about my surgery and they worry a great deal. I'm doing a half marathon this Saturday and my husband is alittle concerned - I've done probably 10 of them before - but with my leaky valve - he's alittle more worried and keeps asking how I feel and if I have any symptoms.. I think its very hard on them - cause they don't know what I'm feeling all the time and I don't tell them all the time - I mean - its kind of like after a hard workout - I get aches and pains as expected - and I don't complain about them all the time either. I certainly don't worry about every angina I get - cause I figure - it could be indigestion. A person I know once told me - heart disease aint' for sissy's - and he's so right - I've had so many tests and inserts and procedures - I sometimes think they keep to close an eye on me. It can seem like if I sneeze - they'll check that out. My cardiologist is my EP and he takes very good care of me.
Well, I chatted your head off - I do that - I'm very talkative - when I get the time to post.
It's so good to feel so welcomed. I think it will be nice to know I'm not alone and these feelings I have are all so 'normal'. Thank You for making me feel 'normal'..
I think your all so nice. Christina I especially wish I could give you a big hug before your surgery..
I know when I'm scared about something - a hug always makes me feel better.
Best Wishes
Marilyn and ****
