Mitral Valve Regurgitation

[fireman]

I am a 32 year old male who was diagnosed with Mitral Valve regurgitation one year ago. I had never been to a doctor for anything before, thought I was in good health. I have had tests performed over the past year and will be having valve surgery in June. I have made contact with some people who have had Mitral Valve surgery, but not many (if any) my age. I have only started having the symptoms and I have a high level of anxiety. I am basically healthy except for the Valve regurgitation.

My questions are: How does one deal with the anxiety and depression, and what can be expected in the overall quality of life after surgery?

I would like to hear from more Mitral Valve Patients, especially around my age and find out just what is expected from someone in that age group.

[Bill Hall]

Fireman - Welcome to the site. I am a bit older than you (48), but wanted you to know that I feel about the same before and after surgery (I had no symptoms). I had my Mitral valve repaired and Aortic replaced about a year ago. I was not depressed before surgery because I looked at it as going through a bad experience and hearing about so many successful surgeries on this site helped. I think all of us experience some anxiety before surgery. Mostly, I just kept busy and didn't dwell on it, since there is no way to avoid it completely. I also looked forward to things after surgery and made plans for the time off work. There are several people at this site your age. I hope they write a response to your posting.

[Nancy]

Hi Fireman, welcome:)

You've come to a fantastic website. It's so full of information and friendship and support. Everyone here understands where you're coming from, we've all either been through the surgery, are facing it or have loved ones going through the procedure. We also have the pleasure of the company of some very fine professionals from related fields.

In my case, my husband is the patient. He's 70, so quite a bit older than you are. I can tell you that youth is a big plus when going through this surgery. My Joe has had three heart valve surgeries (2 valve replacements, mechanicals, and one repair on his mitral valve), he's also had 2 lung surgeries, and has a pacemaker.

The best way to get through these anxiety filled days is to spend time educating yourself about all the aspects of your heart situation. This is a great place to start. If you read all the posts (quite a chore), you will find posts from many, many people of all ages who've had this surgery and have gone on to live a much healthier life. Check out the personal stories as well. They are so informative. Look up one of our members Bum Ticker. He has his own website and has written a book. You can read about his surgery at that website. It's a day to day account of what he went through written in informative and at the same time humorous fashion.

Think of the surgery as a life saving procedure which will give you back your health and normal lifespan. The surgery is quite an experience, but not as bad as many people think. The rewards are immeasurable. The surgeons who do this are a very dedicated group and the risks are minimal.

I wish you all the best. We'll all be here for you if you need us to answer questions and just to bounce things off of. We try to tell it straight and from the heart (so to speak).

[sylviayasgur]

hi fireman!
welcome to this site! you've come to a wonderful place for support, information and just hand-holding.
i'm sure someone will come forward who will be able to help you more with regard to your mitral valve replacement with relation to our age.

as far as the anxiety goes, everyone here will tell you that the time before the surgery_the waiting_ is the worst.
getting used to the idea that the surgery is near, deciding on a valve, finding the surgeon, and just waiting for the date is very nerve wracking.

what helped my husband joey and me were guided imagery tapes by diane tusek.
you can find them at :http://www.guidedimageryinc.com/ they helped relax us and still help me sleep at night when i have trouble (or when joey snores).
please keep coming back to visit and let us know what you decide.
be well, sylvia

[Zazzy]

Hi Fireman,
Everyone has already told you what a great, supportive place this is.

I also had mitral regurg, along with dilated cardiomyopathy. I had surgery to repair my mitral valve one year ago. What is your EF (ejection fraction)? Mine was 20% before surgery and is now up to 57%, which is dang-near normal!!! I am also 48 and feel great heart-wise! (I have a couple of other minor problems that complicate matters)

Just follow your cardios advice. If you are extremely depressed talk to him about it. He can prescribe something to help. Depression is a normal reaction to being told you have heart problems.

Take care,
Zazzy

[Braveheart]

Hi Fireman!!

Welcome to the group! Everyone here is great!! So kind, loving, supportive and truly understand. You'll make many good friends here and the experiences will hopefully encourage and inspire you.

My name is 'Jonathan' and I'm 34years old and live near London in Great Britain. I see you're in Texas. I was there in Houston over Christmas and New Year. I've been to Texas about 6 times now and love the place. I have many friends there and they've shown me much of their lovely country.

Anyway, I just want to say you're not alone at all. We understand. I for one went through a very bad depression around the time of my last two heart surgeries and for a while after too. I do understand. I was anxious about the surgery and the period after. But as others have said before me, these surgeries are performed so frequently and the risks are really minimal. The surgeical and medical teams are wonderful! You'll soon be over this and looking forward with hope and a positive attitude I pray.

But, I know how you feel. Being so young too. It really did my head in for a bit. I'm now 3 years post-surgery and things are back on course.

The important thing is finding people you can confide in and who understand and will listen. It's no good talking to people who brush it off. If you need to talk then you should. Don't bottle it up. I tried that for a bit and it eventually had to come out and did.

If you want to email me for a chat that's cool. My email address is:

braveheart@eurobell.co.uk

Take care,

Jonathan:)

[Jessica_B.]

Hi Fireman,

I had mitral valve replacement in February two years ago. I was not yet 24 years old at that time. My problem was aquired through a serious infection in 1994.

The anxiety and/or depression comes with the territory. At times I have wondered if I wasn't going around the bend of sorts ;). My doctor then assured me that as long as I was sane enough to worry about how sane I actually was, I was ok ;). Sort of anyway.
I had my days when I wondered why me? and all that but essentially you have to keep going regardless. If you feel really under the weather from depression and anxiety you should really mention it to your doctor so that he/she can prescribe something for it. Like Zazz said, it's only normal. Valve disease isn't a disaster -- even though I certainly thought it was after initial diagnosis. It's not a disaster and it's not the end of the world. Thank god for open heart surgery! With it you will be able to live a good and fruitful life. Without it you'd die from complications. With some valves you can even avoid blood-thinners.

The surgery really helped me. I quickly felt better and my quality of life was improved. Before surgery I could barely walk a flight of stairs, well, I couldn't walk a flight of stairs at all without frequent pauses to rest. I complained a bit over the coumadin initially because it just seemed to interact with everything and nothing. With time and a consistent approach to coumadin the problems lessoned considerably.

Good luck, give me a holler if you have any questions :).

/Jessica :D

[deborahj]

Jessica U R A star.
Fireman, don't be afraid...

[LeoLillac]

hi fireman , welcome this is agreat site packed full of
wonderfull people and great information:)
Anyway , i was born with congenital heart disease and had my first surgery at 2 days old :eek: I turned 30 years old
and my leaky tricuspid valve started giving me trouble the doctor
told me matter of factly i had 6 months to have my surgery .
I wen't thru alot of aniexty attakc's nightmares
& depression even after the surgery . It's
been a year since my surgery an di feel like a totally
near person . I am gratefull that i was given a second chance at life ;) .Good luck to you .
Dara
Tricuspid valve replacement
Dr Valentin Fuster ( my angel)
Dr . Randall Greipp
MT Sinai Hospital

[Perrster]

Hey Fireman, Welcome.

I'm a bit older than you. (Actually I'm 52 today! Sounds like I'm some kind of old f _ _ _ doesn't it?! I don't like the sound of it either, whatever, I feel like I'm 32!). Anyway, I can relate to your story as I hadn't seen a doctor for almost 30 years before I became a "double-clicker!"

Who knows what my current condition would be like if I had not had surgery. My lifestyle took on a major change. I'm eating right, exercising, etc. and think my quality of life is just right.

You will find many good suggestions from vr.com people for relieving your anxiety, etc. Luckily, you have time to prepare yourself and you have found us. I was clueless about vr.com and my condition until at least 6 months post-op.

Take this time to educate yourself on anything and everything you can about your impending surgery. You will recover much faster.

My best diversion was my work. I went back to work full-time after only two weeks of recovery. Set some short-term and long-term goals for yourself and go for it! You'll do fine.

Cheers.

[hensylee]

Hey Fireman - welcome.

Anxiety? Depression? Wow have you come home! Everybody in here has written a book on the subjects so you hit the jackpot by landing in this site with us. We can walk and talk with you about these two subjects, plus many more so add this to your favorites and check in every day - then you will know that you are not alone. We are here to help and support you. There is so much caring and information for you. God bless

[NancyMVP]

Hi Fireman, (I'm partial to firemen. My brother is a New York City Fireman).
I have Mitral Valve Prolapse with moderate to Severe Regurgitation and go for echo cardiograms every 6 months. I'm on medication to help the heart work easier.
I have good and bad days. I'm not sure sometimes if my fatigue is heart related or not.
I know of another good site www.medhelp.org

They say I don't need surgery yet. My ejection fraction is very good 60-65% and I don't have an enlarged left atrium. More or less so long as there is no change they will continue to monitor the situation. My doctors say I will need surgery someday. They don't know when.
I'm 42. I've know since I was little I had something wrong with my heart. Back then they just called it a heart murrmur.
My feeling about the whole thing is we are lucky to have this problem in this day and age. At least it is treatable. My doctor feels I will be able to have my valve repaired rather than replaced when the time comes.

People who have MVPS mitral valve prolapse syndrome say they have alot of anxiety. Or panic attacks. It doesn't mean for sure its time for surgery. The doctor evaluate according to test results and symptoms.
:)

[fireman]

I just want to say thanks to all who have replied. It is good to know that there are those who have gone through what I am going through and what I will be going through. I know that a positive attitude is essential. I know a few people who have had heart surgery and they are doing good. But I guess I just can't help but wonder about the "what if's." I am sure I'll have many more questions and will ask them as they come to me. But once again, thanks to all of you and I look forward to hearing from all again.