AndyChas
Well-known member
I think it?s time I introduced myself. I found this board a couple of months ago, soon after I was told I needed to have heart surgery, and you seem a very friendly, helpful and supportive bunch.
My story seems quite common here: an asymptomatic, fit and otherwise healthy person suddenly finding out they have heart disease which needs fixing soon. Life is turned upside down; mortality suddenly becomes very tangible. I?m 42 and have exercised virtually daily for many years (gym, swimming, cycling, walking etc). In August 2008 I fainted while swimming (at the end of a final lap, sprinting as fast as I could). The fainting episode must have been brief as I didn?t take in much water (or drown for that matter!).
While passed out as I was having a nice little dream (I can?t recall the details now but it was pleasant). It was thus something of a shock to come to underwater, out of breath and unable to breathe, rather than waking up warm in my bed. Even though I?d not fainted before I put off seeing a doctor for a month or so; he soon identified a murmur with the stethoscope and sent me off for an echocardiogram. I didn?t get the result until some weeks later, but the news relayed by the GP was grim: ?I?m sorry to tell you this on your birthday, but I?ve spoken to the cardiologist and we think that you?ll need mitral valve surgery; don?t do any strenuous exercise? (he knew that I went to the gym regularly).
That particular phone call, on that particular day, was a bit surreal ? it was as if I was watching it happen to somebody else. I live in a country town about 500 kilometres from Sydney and the local cardiologist said an operation would be required sometime over the next two years. However, as the operation would have to be done in Sydney I was referred to another cardiologist there who wanted it done sooner than later. I was sort of glad of this development as the anxiety engendered by the OHS process, and the choices you have to make in relation to it were taking their toll (sleeping problems, funny aches and light-headedness).
I was scheduled to have the pre-op tests and surgery at St Vincents, Sydney, in late November. The angiogram showed normal function and the TEE/TOE suggested that repair would be the more likely outcome. The surgeon had also mentioned the possibility of using minimally invasive keyhole surgery, but after the TEE he decided that repair would be better facilitated by traditional OHS. I had decided upon a mechanical valve if repair was not possible. Unfortunately, I had a brief and rather strange fever the night before the heart surgery (a bout of shaking while in the shower, a high temperature, and ringing in my ears; I felt quite sick). I didn?t get much sleep that night but the symptoms had all passed by the following morning.
I?d taken the precaution of ringing the surgeon?s registrar to get his advice; he said to come in prepared for the operation but they?d do another blood test as a precaution. This showed a high blood cell count of some sort compared to the same test taken the previous day, and the surgery had to be cancelled due to the potential complication of endocarditis.
I?d been coping well with the pre-operative anxiety (and I was only an hour away from the theatre by the time it was cancelled) but I?ve wondered since whether the stress of it all played some part in the brief fever (as it proved to be). My surgery has been classed as elective and I spent three weeks in Sydney waiting on a stand-by basis prior to the Christmas shut-down, but a spare spot didn't come up so I?m back home with a vague understanding that the operation will be re-scheduled from mid-January.
The cancellation hasn?t bothered me too much. The main reason is that it has given me more time to conduct my crash course in valve choices, potential complications, the recovery process, long-term Warfarin dependence and so forth. I?ve done the usual pre-op interviews with the various carers, and I?m familiar now with how the hospital works, but this forum has also proven to be a really helpful resource, so thanks to everyone for contributing. I?ve still got some specific questions/fears (some of which are probably pretty trivial in the wider scheme of things) but this post is getting rather long so I?ll save them for another day.
Andy.
My story seems quite common here: an asymptomatic, fit and otherwise healthy person suddenly finding out they have heart disease which needs fixing soon. Life is turned upside down; mortality suddenly becomes very tangible. I?m 42 and have exercised virtually daily for many years (gym, swimming, cycling, walking etc). In August 2008 I fainted while swimming (at the end of a final lap, sprinting as fast as I could). The fainting episode must have been brief as I didn?t take in much water (or drown for that matter!).
While passed out as I was having a nice little dream (I can?t recall the details now but it was pleasant). It was thus something of a shock to come to underwater, out of breath and unable to breathe, rather than waking up warm in my bed. Even though I?d not fainted before I put off seeing a doctor for a month or so; he soon identified a murmur with the stethoscope and sent me off for an echocardiogram. I didn?t get the result until some weeks later, but the news relayed by the GP was grim: ?I?m sorry to tell you this on your birthday, but I?ve spoken to the cardiologist and we think that you?ll need mitral valve surgery; don?t do any strenuous exercise? (he knew that I went to the gym regularly).
That particular phone call, on that particular day, was a bit surreal ? it was as if I was watching it happen to somebody else. I live in a country town about 500 kilometres from Sydney and the local cardiologist said an operation would be required sometime over the next two years. However, as the operation would have to be done in Sydney I was referred to another cardiologist there who wanted it done sooner than later. I was sort of glad of this development as the anxiety engendered by the OHS process, and the choices you have to make in relation to it were taking their toll (sleeping problems, funny aches and light-headedness).
I was scheduled to have the pre-op tests and surgery at St Vincents, Sydney, in late November. The angiogram showed normal function and the TEE/TOE suggested that repair would be the more likely outcome. The surgeon had also mentioned the possibility of using minimally invasive keyhole surgery, but after the TEE he decided that repair would be better facilitated by traditional OHS. I had decided upon a mechanical valve if repair was not possible. Unfortunately, I had a brief and rather strange fever the night before the heart surgery (a bout of shaking while in the shower, a high temperature, and ringing in my ears; I felt quite sick). I didn?t get much sleep that night but the symptoms had all passed by the following morning.
I?d taken the precaution of ringing the surgeon?s registrar to get his advice; he said to come in prepared for the operation but they?d do another blood test as a precaution. This showed a high blood cell count of some sort compared to the same test taken the previous day, and the surgery had to be cancelled due to the potential complication of endocarditis.
I?d been coping well with the pre-operative anxiety (and I was only an hour away from the theatre by the time it was cancelled) but I?ve wondered since whether the stress of it all played some part in the brief fever (as it proved to be). My surgery has been classed as elective and I spent three weeks in Sydney waiting on a stand-by basis prior to the Christmas shut-down, but a spare spot didn't come up so I?m back home with a vague understanding that the operation will be re-scheduled from mid-January.
The cancellation hasn?t bothered me too much. The main reason is that it has given me more time to conduct my crash course in valve choices, potential complications, the recovery process, long-term Warfarin dependence and so forth. I?ve done the usual pre-op interviews with the various carers, and I?m familiar now with how the hospital works, but this forum has also proven to be a really helpful resource, so thanks to everyone for contributing. I?ve still got some specific questions/fears (some of which are probably pretty trivial in the wider scheme of things) but this post is getting rather long so I?ll save them for another day.
Andy.
