You're so vein...

[nursedarry]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

Thank you to everyone who has left messages. cards and v gifts; it made the last few days go by quicker and kept me smiling.

I've had my trans-oesophogeal echo (which was bloody awful) and an angiogram (which wasn't; it was cool).


Here's the update:

♥ My mitral valve needs repairing/replacing (they'll know which when they get in there).

♥ At least one of my pulmonary veins (the tubes that lead back from the lungs to the heart with oxygenated blood) is connected to my RIGHT atrium, not my left, where it should be. I think the docs were as surprised as I was when they saw that.


Next up, an MRI on my heart to find out exactly how many of my pulmonary veins are connected to my right atrium. Shortly after that, I'll have my endoscopy to see if I do or do not have a hiatus hernia - docs now aren't sure I do, but if I do, I can start treatment for that.

Then it's on to the London Heart Hospital for the operation to fix the valve and move the pulmonary vein(s) to where they should be. This will require two surgeons, so my surgery date will depend on when they're both available.

In the meantime, I'm on a very large cocktail of drugs to keep me from getting too short of breath, keep my fluid levels down, thin my blood, keep my heart in a regular rhythm, and best of all, keep me pain-free.

These are hereditary conditions, so I'm going to send all my notes to my sis and she'll see a cardio asap, and so will my kids. I've managed to make it to 45, carry twins and teach aerobics without this being a problem, so it could very well be masked in them.

I'm barely making it up my stairs these days, and am very tired. But I don't feel particularly frightened, just so much better to finally have a diagnosis.

taradiane, I'll be spamming you.

Comments

[delphipsmith]

Oh my, you are a bundle of interestingness, aren't you? When we took our dog in for emergency surgery a year ago Xmas Eve, the docs opened her up and discovered that internally she was completely reversed -- everything was on the wrong side and going the wrong way. They were quite surprised too :)

I looked at the picture on Wikipedia and it just looks like a big bundle of snakes to me, but I'm SO very glad that you have an accurate diagnosis. (BTW, Spouse says he's jealous because at least you know what it is, unlike his still-unidentified issues LOL!) Good that you're feeling comfortable (i.e. not scared) -- take it VERY VERY easy, really baby yourself. I'm petitioning the gods for an early surgery date for you and if they know what's good for them they better listen >:|
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