Charlie
Active member
Hi all,
I'm a 61 year old male living in the wilds of Arkansas near Eureka Springs. For most of my adult life I've been told by different physicians that I had a heart murmur. I am career military (retired) and it never stopped me from doing my job nor did it prevent my entry into the military some 40+ years ago.
In 2002 I had a career ending accident while "on the job" and had to have several surgeries on my back and neck. Since that time I have steadily gained weight because my once active lifestyle abruptly ended.
For the last three years I had several incidents of severe shortness of breath which I mostly blew off because I had gained so much weight since my "retirement". I voiced concerns with my primary care physician and she promptly dismissed it as adult onset asthma. On subsequent visits I assured her that the inhalers she had prescribed were not effective. It fell on deaf ears. Turns out I should have been more proactive in finding out what was wrong.
A month ago I was taking our garbage to the curb. Our driveway is extremely steep and long. All I remember is breathing hard then waking up looking at the sky wondering how I got there.
I of course saw my PCP who finally sent me for an EKG and a stress test. As they were preparing me for the treadmill the PA that was in charge listened to my heart and heard my murmur only he was more astute and said he would like an echo of my heart before the test. The echo revealed aortic stenosis and then the real tests began.
So, at this time I am to get a heart cath at the VA in Little Rock, Ar. on the 8th. From there I will be advised as to my surgical options. This process has been daunting to this point from the standpoint of nobody believing that someone with my background and physical training could have anything wrong with their heart. But I learned a valuable lesson from all of this, advocate for yourself. Make yourself heard and stick to your guns.
This site has allowed me to learn what to expect both pre and post op. It also allowed me to make an intelligent decision as to which valve I will have installed. I will go with the bovine replacement.
I've been waiting a week or so for the mods to activate my account so this is my first post. However, it is gratifying to read the stories, understand the process and know that there is a greater outcome from all of this. I look forward to your comments and insight as to what I should expect as this progresses.
I'm a 61 year old male living in the wilds of Arkansas near Eureka Springs. For most of my adult life I've been told by different physicians that I had a heart murmur. I am career military (retired) and it never stopped me from doing my job nor did it prevent my entry into the military some 40+ years ago.
In 2002 I had a career ending accident while "on the job" and had to have several surgeries on my back and neck. Since that time I have steadily gained weight because my once active lifestyle abruptly ended.
For the last three years I had several incidents of severe shortness of breath which I mostly blew off because I had gained so much weight since my "retirement". I voiced concerns with my primary care physician and she promptly dismissed it as adult onset asthma. On subsequent visits I assured her that the inhalers she had prescribed were not effective. It fell on deaf ears. Turns out I should have been more proactive in finding out what was wrong.
A month ago I was taking our garbage to the curb. Our driveway is extremely steep and long. All I remember is breathing hard then waking up looking at the sky wondering how I got there.
I of course saw my PCP who finally sent me for an EKG and a stress test. As they were preparing me for the treadmill the PA that was in charge listened to my heart and heard my murmur only he was more astute and said he would like an echo of my heart before the test. The echo revealed aortic stenosis and then the real tests began.
So, at this time I am to get a heart cath at the VA in Little Rock, Ar. on the 8th. From there I will be advised as to my surgical options. This process has been daunting to this point from the standpoint of nobody believing that someone with my background and physical training could have anything wrong with their heart. But I learned a valuable lesson from all of this, advocate for yourself. Make yourself heard and stick to your guns.
This site has allowed me to learn what to expect both pre and post op. It also allowed me to make an intelligent decision as to which valve I will have installed. I will go with the bovine replacement.
I've been waiting a week or so for the mods to activate my account so this is my first post. However, it is gratifying to read the stories, understand the process and know that there is a greater outcome from all of this. I look forward to your comments and insight as to what I should expect as this progresses.
