I am a 37 year old divorced mother of 3 children under the age of 10 whose life has been turned upside down! Back in March of this year I had what I thought was a chest cold that I just couldn't shake. I had taken an entire bottle of over the counter cough medicine but my chest still felt incredibly heavy and I was incredibly weak. I went to urgent care where they simply said "go home, take 2 aspirin etc etc". The next day I called my HMO doctor's office and demanded an appointment! The odd part was that I am not one to go to the doctor...unless I was pregnant...but this time I felt I had to go. I was very fortunate as the physician I saw was intuitive, caring and he listened. I was diagnosed with pleuritis but he also found a heart murmur. I told him I never knew I had one, so he ordered a complete blood work up, chest x-rays and an EKG.
A week later he called me with the results, stating he felt that although I was a little young he thought that I had Mitral Valve Prolapse and he wanted to schedule an echocardiogram to verify. During the echo, it was discovered that not only did I have MVP with Mitral regurgitation, I also had moderate aortic insufficiencies. I was then streamlined referred to a cardiologist. This doctor ordered a Cat Scan to rule out Aortic Aneurysm. Instead of ruling it out it was discovered that I had one...he said that surgery was usually done at 5.5cm and mine was a little over 5!!
I am now on Atenolol and Prinivil to lower my normal blood pressure to put less stress on my 2 valves and the aneurysm. I was told to be careful of an chest traumas, no heavy lifting and if I feel any pressure/pain in my chest to go to the ER. I am always cold, always tired, I have lost all of my strength and I am very very scared. I am scheduled for another CT in 2 weeks....I know that surgery is inevitable.
It is very hard to make others understand what I am going through. I look perfectly fine and healthy on the outside and I try not to show how depressed and how bad I feel to those around me. For the past 15 weeks a day has not gone by when my chest did not feel as though it would explode or that I couldn't take a deep breath.
I needed to get this all out and I need to ask for some support, comfort and compassion.
Thank you all for listening...
Update 30 Mar 2000
On March 14th, 2000, I went to Urgent Care because I had been experiencing alot of heaviness in my chest, difficutly breathing and things just didn't feel right. That night they transferred me to the emergency room of Whittier Hospital Medical Center and 2 days later I was in The Hospital of the Good Samaritan in Los Angeles. On St Patricks Day I had my very first Heart Cath and my anuerysm had grown to 5.5cm and the arotic valve had a 4+ regurgitation. On Monday March 20th I had the anuerysm repaired and the valve replace by Dr Gregory Kay of the Kay Medical Group. I came through with flying colors and was released on Friday March 25th! I hear that I will down for about 8-12 weeks but good as new after that!