HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART ( VALVE ) PART 7 

THE NET IS CLOSING

Since I was diagnosed with a  leaking aorta heart valve I took to writing a blog to help my family and friends  understand just what my mind is going through. And to help myself to come to terms with it. 

This is my continuing story of my heart valve disease. The Net Is Closing.

On July 21st 2018 we had just returned home from a holiday in Cardigan West Wales and as I opened the post there was a letter from Glenfield Hospital asking me to attend a meeting with my appointed surgeon Mr C Efthymiou. Although since my consultant at Burton Hospital Dr Martos told me on 13th October 2015  I would need  heart valve replacement surgery on my aorta valve, seeing the letter confirming an appointment with the surgeon suddenly hit home and having an operation became very real.

On the 25th July I drove to Glenfield with my wife Theresa for my appointment and I have to say that despite all my anxieties and fear about having open heart surgery I was surprisingly calm.

After checking in at reception I was sent for an X Ray an ECG and a blood test. Following this we saw Mr Efthymiou. In the meeting Mr Efthymiou looked at the X Ray of my heart and I asked him if my heart was blue ( Leicester City still on my mind ) he just said that my heart was very large. I was then taken into another room where Mr Efthymiou examined me.Following the examination we went back into his office to join my wife Theresa.

Mr Efthymiou then said to me that the decision to have an operation was entirely up to me and I could have the operation or walk away. I began to think that my condition couldn't be as bad as we thought, but then he said that if you don't have the operation I would probably be dead in less than three years. I said that in that case I have no choice, He explained that he has to offer me that choice and the decision is mine. Obviously I told him Yes I wanted the operation, the thought of living somehow seemed better than the option of dying.

He went on to discuss the operation and what it entailed and I asked him if I would be able to play walking football again, I also asked about the recovery period following the operation, the reason being that I had a conversation with a rehabilitation nurse at Burton Hospital and I asked how long it would be before I could go and watch my football team Leicester City. The nurse said that I would be OK after six weeks, but Mr Efthymiou said I wouldn't advise that so soon after surgery. I asked why not when Rehab at Burton told me I would be OK. He said it was my choice but he wouldn't advise it as I would be having major heart surgery. My wife Theresa then joined in by saying to me " There are more important things in life than football " but I said "There isn't", which didn't go down very well. I know she has been worrying about me ever since I was diagnosed with my condition.

Mr Efthymiou went on to tell me the statistics of how many people don't survive the operation etc   I then asked what the waiting time would be before I had the operation. Mr Efthymiou said when do you want it done, tomorrow, next week , I will be in touch.  On the 27th July I received a letter from Glenfield Hospital asking me to attend a pre - operation appointment on Monday 30th July and I would be admitted to Hospital on Thursday 2nd August  and my operation would be performed on Friday 3rd August.

On Monday 30th July I was up early to get ready for my Hospital appointment, my daughter's fiance Dave was giving me a lift. On arriving at Hospital and following the registration with the receptionist I was sent for another ECG and other tests and then it was a waiting game before I saw a consultant. I was surprised how calm I was and it was Dave that seemed on edge.I concluded that he didn't like being in Hospitals. When it was time to see the consultant I asked Dave if he wanted to come in with me and after all the questions and answers I had signed the consent form to authorise that I would be putting my life in their hands ( A bit dramatic but I have had this moment on my mind since October 2015 ) It was then a meeting with a senior nurse who gave me all the information I needed to be admitted to Hospital and then it was home.    The net is closing.    

HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART VALVE ( THE SAGA CONTINUES ) PART 6

HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART (VALVE ) PART 6 

THE SAGA CONTINUES

It has been well over a year since my last blog and the continuing saga of my diseased heart valve.

 Since I was diagnosed with a leaking aorta heart valve I took to writing a blog to help my family and friends  understand just what my mind is going through. And to help myself to come to terms with it.

It has been a long and stressful road so far. To be precise it was October 13th 2015 when I had an angiogram and was diagnosed with a narrowing aortic heart valve, or to use the correct phrase aortic stenosis, and was told by my consultant that I would need heart valve replacement surgery within six months. Without going back to the beginning of all this ( You can catch up on my previous blogs )

At the end of my last blog, many months ago I was waiting for my next appointment with Dr Martos at Burton Hospital on May 2nd 2017 and true to form Dr Martos said that I am doing well and he will see me again in six months. This is how it has been since October 13th 2015 and everyday the thought of surgery and the fact that I could die has been constantly on my mind. When I play football when I am watching Leicester City and when I am at the theatre , every minute of the day it is constantly on my mind.

At my appointment on the 2nd May once again Dr  Martos asked how i was getting on and he still couldn't believe that I was playing walking football four times a week. He said he was pleased how i was getting on and he would continue to monitor me. I did ask the question " is there any chance of me dropping down dead !!!!"   

My next appointment was on September 12th 2017 and once again I would be continued to be monitored. I was now in the state of mind that I would try and carry on enjoying the things i love doing and try and put the thought of my illness at the back of my mind. There were some days when my breathing wasn't so bad and i suppose i was kidding myself that perhaps my condition wasn't as bad as everyone thinks! or is that just wishful thinking.

On the 23 October I was back at Burton Hospital for the customary Echo-cardiogram.  I can never understand why they give me this following an appointment and not before the appointment!! I asked the nurse how does my heart valve look but she won't disclose any information to me.

My next appointment is on March 6th 2018. 2 years and five months since Dr Martos told me that he was going to recommend that my heart valve is replaced within six months. This time Dr Martos said that he is still pleased with my results and how I am doing and he will see me again in eight months. I can't quiet believe this but my mind is now programmed to go with the flow and just carry on. On April 10th I have my customary Echo - cardiogram .

On the 28th April I received a letter from the Hospital asking me to attend a pre op  appointment at  Burton Hospital on Friday 4th May. My mind was now confused not knowing what had changed so quickly since my last appointment with Dr Martos.

I enquired with the Hospital on the 7th May about the letter and I found out that I was to have another angiogram. Obviously something had changed as I also received another letter saying I was now being transferred to a surgeon at Glenfield Hospital because my aortic valve had become severely  calcified.

On 4th May I went along to Burton Hospital for my appointment. The consultant performing the procedure couldn't find a suitable artery in my wrists and so he said he would have to go through my groin. I wasn't happy about that as it meant I wouldn't be able to play football for two weeks. While he was performing the procedure I asked him how my valve was looking and he said that they were checking my arteries to see if they were in good condition, he said that they were clear which is good news for the surgeon if they were going to operate. Now reality hit home because I knew it was almost time and the net was closing in on me at last.

I could now tell that my heart valve had got worse because I was struggling to play walking football my breathing was getting laboured and I could feel it in my chest!.

On July 14th we went on holiday to Cardigan the place we love . I was as relaxed as much as I was going to be and we had a nice few days away, When we arrived home on the 21st July there was a letter from Glenfield Hospital asking me to attend an appointment with my appointed surgeon Mr C Efthymiou on Wednesday 25th July 2018. Now after all this time and the ongoing saga, it was suddenly getting very real, surgery which I was dreading now seemed imminent.  

To be continued