I want to thank Michele for these sites. I feel like I know you so well. I stumbled upon your first website last year as I was researching my choices for mitral valve surgery. I really thought I was the only one in the whole world having to choose between the tissue and mechanical valves. Needless to say, you provided me with a lot of the courage I needed to make the decision to have surgery.
I am 34 years old and have battled lupus since the day I got married 8 years ago. My "heart" issues began in November of 2001 when I ended up in the hospital with congestive heart failure.
It was at this time that I discovered that the minor "murmur" I had always been told that I had was actually more serious than I ever imagined. I was told that I had rheumatic fever as a child or that the lupus had caused inflammation of the valve. Using a heavy dose of steroids, the doctors were able to reduce the inflammation and get me out of immediate danger. I was told that I may need to replace the valve in the future. I didn't pay much attention. I just wanted out of that hospital.
During the past 8 years, I was never well enough to attempt pregnancy because of the lupus. However, my luck began to change at the end of 2003 when I started feeling better and my doctor thought I was well enough to get pregnant. He said that I had to get clearance from a cardiologist. I didn't think anything of it. I was flying. I had buried any dreams of having children deep inside of me. It was surreal and almost a miracle that I was being told to get pregnant.
Of course, I failed the stress echo miserably and the cardiologist warned me to never get pregnant. I fell back into the dark hole I had briefly climbed out of. He mentioned that I could fix or replace the valve but wasn't too enthusiastic about choosing open-heart surgery just to have the chance to have children. I wasn't listening. Like Michele, I could only focus on not breaking-down in front of him.
Anyway, we got a second and third opinion and that's how we arrived at the surgeon who performed my surgery in April 2004. He was more encouraging than my own cardiologist about my chances. He thought it was nothing to have 2 heart surgeries. Easy for him to say. We went with his advice and, after agonizing over the tissue/mechanical decision, I decided to go with a tissue valve.
The surgery was successful. I don't want to ever do it again...but I know I have to. Tell me this? Why do they shave you "down there" if they are going to work on your heart? Humiliating!
Six months after the surgery, we got pregnant. I have never felt such a sense of true happiness in a long, long time...maybe ever. We got to see the little bleeping dot that was our baby's growing heart at 6 weeks. But, unfortunately, I lost the baby at 7 weeks.
We are now trying again.
That's my story. I should also mention that I have an angel from God as a husband. I have awesome parents too.
Thanks for listening. I'll keep you posted on our journey.
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