Hi everyone! I am 31 years old and have severe mitral regurgitation that was diagnosed shortly after I was born. Well, actually, to be accurate, they first thought it was a hole and later diagnosed it as MR. Despite the severity of my MR, my heart is very strong and handles the extra stress very well. I have lived symptom-free my entire life and have always been very active. In fact, for years, I was a competitive swimmer. I was told several years ago that I should not/could not have children. At the time, I was not thinking about having children yet, being one of many women of our generation who wait until they are close to or into their thirties before they consider the possibility of children. But still, the thought of never having the opportunity to have a baby naturally upset me.
Luckily, I sought an opinion from another doctor (at the Cleveland Clinic) who (eventually) told me that it was ok to try and explained the possible risks to me. Last October, without complications, (but with many doctors) I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. I feel very lucky to have him. It was quite a journey getting there and I am happy to share my experiences with you.
Last week, I was told that it's time for surgery. They feel that there is a good chance they can repair the valve, but, if not, they recommended a mechanical valve. I am not crazy about the idea of Coumadin and I am absolutely distraught at the thought of not being able to have any more babies. So, I believe I will opt for the tissue valve, if it comes to that. Anyway, surgery is going to be scheduled for sometime in November if things go as planned. I will probably be seeking advice and words of wisdom here as it gets closer. Stay tuned...
Welcome Jill. Thanks for sharing your story. I'm curious, do your Dr's believe that your pregnancy progressed your MR, to the point that you now require the valve replacement surgery? You should check out valvereplacement.com for pre-surgery support; I think you'll find it to be a great resource.
Posted by: shelly | April 13, 2005 at 10:40 AM
Hi Shelly! Actually, the doctor did not seem to think that the pregnancy caused the progression. He told me that my ERO was measuring at about .60-.70 and that, because that is a difficult measurement to get, he suspects that I may have been there before.
I have just recently started visiting valvereplacement.com, although my husband has been posting there for years. In fact, there is a thread over there that he started when I got pregnant (and maybe even before) that chronicles my pregnancy. It looks like a great place to go for support and information!
Posted by: Jill | April 13, 2005 at 01:33 PM
Oh sure, I'm familiar with your husband's posts. He recently signed off and said that you would pick up posting from now on right? I'm mostly a lerker on that site, rarely post anything - but read quite a bit. It can be a little overwhelming at times though - a lot of information.
Posted by: shelly | April 13, 2005 at 01:45 PM