A few years back, I started feeling lots of pain in my upper chest when running up hills. As most of you know, I'm pretty active, though I was always an "intramural" athlete. Patti finally convinced me to see a cardiologist in 2007, and after an extensive battery of testing, I found that I had what's known as a bicuspid aortic valve, and a moderate aortic stenosis (warning, there are explicit graphics in this link). However, it wasn't too severe, and I was told to resume normal activity. Six days later I ran the 10-mile Broad Street Run in Philadelphia with no ill effects. My cardiologist, Dr. Kelley Spratt at Univ. of Pennsylvania, advised me to simply rest more and stop running up hills. That was easy advice to follow! She and I were confident that I wouldn't need the surgery until I was much older. My annual exam in 2008 showed no changes, so life went on normally.
Patti and I took up bike riding five years ago and (until this year) rode about 400 miles per summer. Bike riding has never caused me any pain, and this year was no different. So imagine my surprise when Dr. Spratt sat me down after my annual cardiac exam this past June and told me that the valve area had decreased 30% since my 2008 exam, and I had better prepare for surgery! But that was the finding, so we scheduled the surgery for August 11.
Fate had other plans for me, however. On July 5, just a week before my son Jordan's wedding, I was struck by a car while riding my bike in Cooper River Park. The resulting injuries forced me to delay the surgery (and made for a pretty uncomfortable time at the wedding)! I have recovered sufficiently to reschedule the surgery, and it's set for September 15 at University of PA Presbyterian Medical Center in Philadelphia.
We'll post here occasionally leading up to the Big Day, and Patti will post here regularly after the surgery so you can stay updated on my condition. Blogging is a two-way street, so I am counting on hearing from you also! Please post often so I can keep in touch with our friends and relatives! This may not be as interesting as cooking my way through Julia Childs' Mastering the Art of French Cooking, but it's a good way to stay in contact before, during, and after this process.
And having just enjoyed the "Julie and Julia" movie, posting comments will be more heart-healthy than Julia's cooking with loads of butter!
ReplyDeleteOur prayers are with you for an excellent procedure and a rapid recovery. - Marc & Elaine Horton
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