There has been one hiccup...a few months ago I noticed a subtle regression in my symptoms...getting winded walking up stairs and general fatigue. Tests show that my new valves are doing great--too great, really! The new valves (together with my upgraded, larger aortic root) have increased my heart's workload capacity with no significant regurgitation. This is wonderful! Unless you're my mitral valve.
My mitral valve is the last remaining defect of my Shone's Complex--the only valve that has never been operated on. Why? Well, it's a bit wonky and it has always managed to keep up with the poorer performing valves. But now that my new valves are performing like Usain Bolt, the mitral valve is being left in dust...not even keeping up enough to get a bronze medal! My pulmonary pressures are elevated and the gradient across my valve shoots up to 30 with exertion. What's this mean? We have to fix that little mitral valve, probably sooner than we thought. AND it will probably need to be replaced via another open-heart surgery because the valve is too wonky to be replaced trans-catheter. Now, I know I make open-heart surgery look like a breeze, but I told my doctor I'd like to try to wait a LITTLE BIT longer before the next one. SO, a few weeks ago I started some diuretics in addition to the ACE inhibitor I'm on. And wouldn't you know it, the Energizer Emily reappeared! I am now a busy bee once again and I am feeling great! The plan is to manage my mitral valve as long as possible and cross that next surgery-bridge when we get there. With my Bolt-esque valves and my Energizer Emily-ness, I'll be leaping over that next surgery-bridge in gold-medal-style.
BTW, if I was an Olympiad, I would definitely be a pole vaulter!
