Finally I am making progress

So, I am trying to prepare myself for what is to come without scaring the beegeesies out of myself! At this point I know that I will have my bicuspid valve replaced and my aorta will be replaced as well. I do not qualify for the minimally invasive procedures I have been reading about.

I have a follow up appointment with my original cardiologist May 9. I hope to have some questions ready for him!

I have now received a couple of phone calls for appointments.

May 20 @ 6:45 am at the University Hopsital - Angiogram - The angiogram will tell the doctors if my arteries are clogged. If they are, the surgeon will also perform bypass surgery while he has my chest open.

June 20 @ 9:00 am Pre-admission at the University Hospital, which includes a chest x-ray; 12:00 same hospital for CT Scan. I believe the CT Scan may be to see if there are any aneurysms IN my heart.

My surgeon told me it could be 4-5 months before surgery AFTER I have the tests done. Yes, I have been telling everyone that if there is a cancellation to put me on the list. I am only an hour away and will come right away!

I am participating in two researh studies:

The first one is research into which causes less damage to the brain during this surgery - moving blood through the brain through a small hole in the shoulder area, or pumping blood through my chest where it is already open. Participants are randomly selected for which of the 2 ways will be done.

I will have a brain scan before, and one after the surgery, so they can identify whether or not there are areas in the brain that react differently (better) to the way the blood is pumped to the brain. The hope is that as medical techniques improve, there will be less and less adverse reaction to patients. So now I am waiting for a call for the MRI appointment.

The second study involves my aorta. They will replace my aorta. When someone has their aorta replaced, it is taken to a lab where tests are done on the aorta for general research. My aorta will be taken to a different lab where it will undergo a series of extensive tests. My surgeon has helped many people over the years, and the research he has done and continues to do will help people for many years to come.

Why do I participate? Well, it may help someone else in the future. Even if my small contribution will help even just one other person, it is worth participating in the studies. Further, my bicuspid valve, although it is not genetic, it happens in the womb, and it runs in families. I am the first that I know of. However, my dad, after a triple heart bypass (which gave him more then the 8-10 years they thought), passed away in his 61st year (yikes! I'm 61!). His brother was 62 and had a heart attack (that was what I was told). His one sister passed away at 59. She had other medical problems, but if I remember correctly, it was her heart that failed her at the end. His one other sibling was in her 80's when she passed.

My mom? Well she had cancer and the heart specialist wouldn't touch her until the cancer was dealt with...and the cancer specialist wouldn't do anything with her heart the way it was :( - and I don't know "the way it was". Her brother was the first open heart surgery in Canada, done in St. Thomas. I don't know what the issue was, I just remember how everyone was so worried for him. Her older brother was crossing the street and had a massive heart attack. He may have been 45 at the time. Her oldest brother had a heart attack, but he was well into his late 70's or early 80's and had diabeties, too.

So, according to my family heart history - I just MAY be doing something that will make a positive impace in medicine that will help one of my kids or my grandkids. :)