Waiting...waiting..

[mamarobn]

I spoke to another surgeon today. He feels that even though I have moderate regurgitation in my tricuspid valve and enlargement of the right atrium that I am not ready for surgery at this point. I have mixed feelings about this. I was mentally prepared for surgery but now I feel as if I am waiting for things to get worse. I was concerned before because I did not really have any major symptoms. Now I hope I recognize the symptoms that will alert me to my cardiologist. I am learning what it means to be patient and thankful.

 

[middleman]

mamarobn

I am a newbie too.

I can understand your anxiety of waiting, but you know you have a problem with your heart. That is a key thing to remember. You can watch how you are doing and monitor how things are going. If or when you see changes it won’t be a surprise and you are ready with information to make an informed decision.

June 1, 2011 I passed out and was transported to the hospital. There was no clue I had a problem prior to me passing out. I thought was in good health. In hindsight my only symptom was chronic exhaustion, which I passed off as my long work hours and a cold. Within 24 hours they found my aortic valve was leaking. After a few more tests I was in surgery by 5th. I had very little time to make informed decisions and had to act from the gut and my years in the emergency services field.
Six weeks later my mind is doing the what if’s and it is driving me crazy, but I am back to work and making a good recovery. I have to remind myself I made the right choices.

You know your body the best. Have faith you will know the changes if or when they come. If you notice a change, have it checked out. Don’t worry if it is an false alarm or the real deal, your on top of it and you can move forward and heal up.

By the way don’t rush the surgery, it hurts.

Jim

 

[epstns]

Jim - For me it wasn't the surgery that hurt, it was some parts of the recovery. . . (just kidding - this is serious stuff).

Mamarobn - If you are concerned that you may not recognize when things begin to change, I suggest that you begin keeping a journal. Note as much as you can about things you can and cannot do, how long you can work/exercise, if you exercise, note how fast/how far, etc. The more quantifiable things you can note, the better. Then over time you will have a history of "what was" and "what is." You can use the comparison as a basis for discussion with your cardio and surgeons. Sometimes symptoms creep up on us, even though they are not the classical major symptoms we are all taught to watch for. I kept many years of exercise/lifestyle journals, and they formed the basis for my discussions with my cardio.