Visit to the Cardiologist

[MarkU]

Saw my cardiologist on Friday.
Short version:
Since I started serious triathlon training 1-1/2 years ago the pre-AVR enlargement of both my left ventricle and atrium have completely reversed and both my wall thicknesses & chamber sizes are now within normal ranges. My resting heart rate is about 20bpm slower (mid 40's). The St. Jude valve is working as advertised.
Things look so good my cardiologist increased the time between my echo checks from every other year to every three years.
My cardiologist is convinced that all my aerobic exercise is the major factor in my improvement and gave his blessing to my plans to start training for a half-marathon next year.
I'm very lucky & blessed.
Mark

PS - Look out Bill Cobit, I'm coming!!!

 

[BillCobit]

Great news!

Great news!

Saw my cardiologist on Friday.
Short version:
Since I started serious triathlon training 1-1/2 years ago the pre-AVR enlargement of both my left ventricle and atrium have completely reversed and both my wall thicknesses & chamber sizes are now within normal ranges. My resting heart rate is about 20bpm slower (mid 40's). The St. Jude valve is working as advertised.
Things look so good my cardiologist increased the time between my echo checks from every other year to every three years.
My cardiologist is convinced that all my aerobic exercise is the major factor in my improvement and gave his blessing to my plans to start training for a half-marathon next year.
I'm very lucky & blessed.
Mark

PS - Look out Bill Cobit, I'm coming!!!

Great news, Mark! Sounds like your engine is in great shape. The three-year checkup program is a real vote of confidence.

I have had return of my heart size to normal as well, but my HR (resting and exercise) remains about 20 BPM higher than pre-op. My resting HR is 78-80, despite doing 10-20 hours/week of cardio exercise over the past several months. My cardio says he is "puzzled but not alarmed." My ejection fraction is still kind of low (45 - 50%), and it doesn't look like it's going to come back. BUT - I could be a LOT worse off.

Best wishes to you for continued recovery, and good luck with that 1/2 marathon training. And I'm glad to hear your threat, "I'm coming!!!" I may be the first Ironman at VR.com, but I personally know a Ross procedure patient that has done several IM races, and performed very well doing them (nearly qualifying for Kona). For those of us with successful surgical outcomes and structurally sound bodies, Ironman is not outside the realm of possibilities; it's more of a psychological stretch than a physical one. If you've got the inclination, I'd like nothing better than to cheer you on in an IM race.

Train smart, and keeps us informed on you progress.

 

[tommy]

Mark,

Happy to hear your great news! A half marathon certainly seems in reach for a tri man. Go go go!

 

[rbl1999]

Mark, you are an inspiration!!!! I am a little over 3 weeks post op and just did 1.2 miles on the treadmill in 30 minutes, I must say I was pretty proud!!!! I am so anxious to get into some serious exercise again, it is good to hear that it makes such a difference. Congratulations on such a good follow up visit... Rose

 

[Ross]

I wonder if we can set a record here for the most ironmen on one forum?

 

[Karlynn]

Congratulations Mark!

 

[mntbiker]

Mark,
Great news on the checkup. Keep up the good work. If you ever want someone to ride with come to Georgia.

 

[MarkU]

Mark,
Great news on the checkup. Keep up the good work. If you ever want someone to ride with come to Georgia.

As long as we stay on the pavement - none of that riding on dirt stuff...

Mark

 

[LLJ]

Mark: Congrats on a great checkup! I think we all are happy for you but also happy for us as a group! It's so nice to see someone with the same medical condition thrive,because it gives everyone hope to do the same.

Jeez, Bill, if you had a normal ejection fraction and BP you could probably fly!!!!!
Tom: I had no idea you had come so far! Wow!
All of us from the treadmill walkers to the gardeners to the Iron Men are wonderful to read about!
Laura

 

[Abbanabba]

Awesome news Mark!! Sounds like Steve Austin needs to be looking over his shoulder..!

Cheers
Anna : )

 

[afraidofsurgery]

Way cool!

Way cool!

That's so good to hear! I am scheduled for aortic valve replacement Sept 7, and really starting after I had my daughter (1999) I've progressively lost the ability to run, I just get too pooped. I can still ride my bike but don't feel too hot afterwards - my heartrate stays in the 70s for a whole day post-exercise, while it used to drop back down in the 60s a few hours after the ride. Sucks.

So I am looking forward to being able to get out there again (after proper healing and rehab of course) and get the ol' ticker settled down.

Thanks for the post!
Patty

 

[MarkU]

That's so good to hear! I am scheduled for aortic valve replacement Sept 7, and really starting after I had my daughter (1999) I've progressively lost the ability to run, I just get too pooped. I can still ride my bike but don't feel too hot afterwards - my heartrate stays in the 70s for a whole day post-exercise, while it used to drop back down in the 60s a few hours after the ride. Sucks.

So I am looking forward to being able to get out there again (after proper healing and rehab of course) and get the ol' ticker settled down.

Thanks for the post!
Patty

Before my surgery in December 2000, I had absolutely no energy or tolerance for exercise. I tried going to the gym, but would have to quit after just a couple of minutes on a stationary bike.
I couldn't believe the difference after my AVR. Although it took some time to heal from the actual surgery, my breathing and heart function were noticably improved almost immediately. I knew right away that I had made the right decision to have to have my surgery.

Mark

 

[epstns]

Again, to all of you "success stories" -- a sincere "Thank You" for posting these very positive experiences. I know I'm not alone out here on the downward slope of pending surgery, and each and every one of your success stories helps me to realize that there really is a high probability of being able to continue the active life style after surgery and recovery.

Thank You All!

 

[Perrster]

Always Inspired by You, Mark!

Always Inspired by You, Mark!

That's such good news and inspiration, man. I don't post much, but I had to reply to this one. Are you in the Chicago Marathon this year?

I met with my new Cardiologist last month and got a good tire-kickin' exam by him, EKG, blood work and a (3-years-overdue) Echo. I hope I can keep him around for awhile. He has personally called me 3 times! Once to say the blood work was ok, once to confirm my BP readings, and just last evening to say that my Echo results were ok. INR average still = "It's Never Right," although I've been in range the last three tests.

So, I guess I'm good for another 100,000 miles or whatever. Yee ha!

I'm possibly in the wrong thread here as my 5K's are far and few between these days because of GOLF! But hey, I do walk most rounds even as my opponents ride in carts (which is sometimes a mental advantage for me in competition). There's a local Hospital sponsored 5K coming up this fall that I may just have to enter if I don't make the golf league championship playoffs. Home exercise efforts (investments in Bowflex and Treadmill) are paying off.

Cheers!

 

[brd]

SO glad to hear your story Mark. Congratulations and the best to you for continued high performance and good reports. I am a former triathaloner and marathoner but not for the past few years. I still jog but my AS has slowed me down INCREDIBLY. I look forward to feeling better and you give me hope. Thank you. Barbara

 

[tobagotwo]

Congratulations on your continued successful outcome. You have been an inspiration to more than a few here, and this just makes it more so.

Best wishes,

 

[epstns]

Not to HiJack the thread, but HI PERRY! Long time, no see. Glad you're still doing so well.

Maybe we'll see you in the fall, after golf season?

 

[OldManEmu]

Mark it is great that your heart is still improving almost 5 years post operation.
I do have a question though had your heart made any significant improvement in the 3.5 years post operation before you started serious training?
I am hoping for an improvement when I have my 12 month post operation follow up this December.

 

[MarkU]

I started exercising at the gym about three months after my AVR surgery. For the first year I would ride a stationary bike for 20-30 minutes and do some light weights, but nothing too strenuous. I averaged maybe three days/week.

The enlargement of my left ventricle and atrium was pretty much unchanged at my six-month checkup, but my one-year echocardiogram did show some improvement. At that time my resting heart rate was around 70 bpm and my blood pressure was in the pre-hypertension range.

I started doing my strenuous triathlon training in January 2004, exactly three years after my surgery. I started slowly at first, but have steadily increased my weekly training volume. I do primarily ?base building? workouts ? long, low-intensity workouts designed to build aerobic conditioning rather than speed.

It has been in these last eighteen months that I have realized the greatest improvement in the condition of my heart. My cardiologist was actually quite surprised at the results of my echocardiogram ? at the time of my surgery he was very concerned that there was permanent damage to my heart muscle.

I am not going to say that the improvement was solely a result of my exercise regime, but I do think it was definitely a factor. I?m sure that diet, genetics, and dumb luck also played significant roles.

Mark
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[Paul]

The enlargement of my left ventricle and atrium was pretty much unchanged at my six-month checkup, but my one-year echocardiogram did show some improvement.
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Mark,

Great recovery! Very encuraging.


I just had my 6mo check and was put on an Ace-Inhibitor to help reduce the size of my left ventricle and hopefully eliminate some mitral valve leakage. I am encuaged to read that you showed no improvement for 6 months and then great inprovement in you chamber size. I have shown some, but not enough. Did you remain on a Beta-blocker or Ace-Inhibiotor for chamber dilation?

My Doctor told me to do as much as I want. It seemed clear from that comment that he did not think my exercise was inhibiting the chamber contraction. Further more the hypertrophy of the muscle has reduced, so the larger chamber is not needed to accomodate the muscle mass (as I understand it).