6 for Sarah
Active member
Sarah. I have been reading for a long while but just now decided to join and post. You have such a warm, caring, supportive, helpful community. Here is part of my story. I look forward to becoming an active member of this community.
I am so gratefull for the past 4 years in my life. I was born with a bicuspid aortic valve. We always knew it would need replacing but the cardiologist wanted to wait as long as possible. I put it out of my mind except for the yeatly cardiologist appts, and the EKG's. I had no symptoms to speak of. I got married, had a family then in 2001 at my routine cardio appt I knew something was wrong. They immediately rushed me into a cardiac MRI right then, nurse escort and all from the office to the MRI room. Turns out I had formed an aneurysm on the aortic root from the pressures of my left ventricle trying to get enough blood out. (It leaked back moderately-severely by then).
The cardiologist, whom I did not care for too much, told me to not have any more kids as pregnancy would be too risky. I was devestated as I knew after 3 kids we were NOT done. I cried for about 2 days. We were in Raleigh, NC at the time and I made an appt at Duke with a doc that specializes in congenital valve disease. He was supportive of my plans to have more children and said I did not need to rush and end our childbearing years. I fired my other cardio and started seeing the one at Duke. He suggested cardiac MRI's and EKG's every 6 months for a year to see if the aneurysm was growing. After 2 more MRI's and a year of much praying, nothing had changed. We got the go ahead to try for number 4 in 2003. PG and everything else was fine. I was followed by my cardio at Duke and my bp was closely followed which luckily naturally runs on the low side.
Then we moved to AL and my symptoms escalated big time in 2004. I could not even mop the floor without having to sit down and huffing like I had run a marathon. I could not climb to our upstairs either. So I found a wonderful cardio at UAB. The leak was much worse, but the aneurysm was stable still.(~5cm) He said it was time to replace the aortic valve. We went over the options. I still did not feel our family was complete so I opted for a human valve. (So I would not have to be on coumadin, just a low dose aspirin daily.) I was placed on a waiting list in Aril, 2004. In August 2004 I got the call they had valves available and scheduled surgery for Aug. 19, 2004.
We got there the day before and had all kinds of tests and surgery the next morning. I was not scared at all, dh was terrified. UAB is about 90 miles from my house and my mother stayed with my girls. Surgery went fine, the cardio said the valve was much worse than he thought and the aneruysm not as bad as he thought. After 7 days in the hospital I went home but could not pick up my then 18 month old for 6 weeks. That was torture.
Got the go ahead from the cardio and cardio surgeon we could have another baby. I got pg 4 months after the surgery. Had another uneventful pg. Then another one in 2006.
I cannot even imagine the hurt some family was in but they thought to donate their loved ones organs and tissues. Without someone's sacrifice my 2 littlest babies would not be here. I cannot imagine my life without them. They allowed me to be able to have these precious babies. I often think who's part of their heart is beating in my body and has enabled me to a normal life again. What were they like? What happened to them? I wish their family could know how much I appreciate what they lovingly gave of their precious departed family member.
I will have to have it replaced again and that scares me to death as my hospital stay and recovery were very hard and I never imagined the horrendous pain afterwards. I would rather have dozens of babies without drugs than that, and yes I have had 3 without so know what I am comparing it to! But I am still so grateful for my valve!!
I am so gratefull for the past 4 years in my life. I was born with a bicuspid aortic valve. We always knew it would need replacing but the cardiologist wanted to wait as long as possible. I put it out of my mind except for the yeatly cardiologist appts, and the EKG's. I had no symptoms to speak of. I got married, had a family then in 2001 at my routine cardio appt I knew something was wrong. They immediately rushed me into a cardiac MRI right then, nurse escort and all from the office to the MRI room. Turns out I had formed an aneurysm on the aortic root from the pressures of my left ventricle trying to get enough blood out. (It leaked back moderately-severely by then).
The cardiologist, whom I did not care for too much, told me to not have any more kids as pregnancy would be too risky. I was devestated as I knew after 3 kids we were NOT done. I cried for about 2 days. We were in Raleigh, NC at the time and I made an appt at Duke with a doc that specializes in congenital valve disease. He was supportive of my plans to have more children and said I did not need to rush and end our childbearing years. I fired my other cardio and started seeing the one at Duke. He suggested cardiac MRI's and EKG's every 6 months for a year to see if the aneurysm was growing. After 2 more MRI's and a year of much praying, nothing had changed. We got the go ahead to try for number 4 in 2003. PG and everything else was fine. I was followed by my cardio at Duke and my bp was closely followed which luckily naturally runs on the low side.
Then we moved to AL and my symptoms escalated big time in 2004. I could not even mop the floor without having to sit down and huffing like I had run a marathon. I could not climb to our upstairs either. So I found a wonderful cardio at UAB. The leak was much worse, but the aneurysm was stable still.(~5cm) He said it was time to replace the aortic valve. We went over the options. I still did not feel our family was complete so I opted for a human valve. (So I would not have to be on coumadin, just a low dose aspirin daily.) I was placed on a waiting list in Aril, 2004. In August 2004 I got the call they had valves available and scheduled surgery for Aug. 19, 2004.
We got there the day before and had all kinds of tests and surgery the next morning. I was not scared at all, dh was terrified. UAB is about 90 miles from my house and my mother stayed with my girls. Surgery went fine, the cardio said the valve was much worse than he thought and the aneruysm not as bad as he thought. After 7 days in the hospital I went home but could not pick up my then 18 month old for 6 weeks. That was torture.
Got the go ahead from the cardio and cardio surgeon we could have another baby. I got pg 4 months after the surgery. Had another uneventful pg. Then another one in 2006.
I cannot even imagine the hurt some family was in but they thought to donate their loved ones organs and tissues. Without someone's sacrifice my 2 littlest babies would not be here. I cannot imagine my life without them. They allowed me to be able to have these precious babies. I often think who's part of their heart is beating in my body and has enabled me to a normal life again. What were they like? What happened to them? I wish their family could know how much I appreciate what they lovingly gave of their precious departed family member.
I will have to have it replaced again and that scares me to death as my hospital stay and recovery were very hard and I never imagined the horrendous pain afterwards. I would rather have dozens of babies without drugs than that, and yes I have had 3 without so know what I am comparing it to! But I am still so grateful for my valve!!
