Dave
McKinney
 Name: Dave
McKinney
Current Age: 42
Occupation:
Pastor/Teacher/Software
Trainer
Your Family: The
Lord has blessed me with a
wonderful and
supportive family. I have
a beautiful wife (we have been
married almost 20 years)
and three great kids ages 17,
15, and 8.
When you found out
about your condition: My
first symptoms appeared when I
was in college at about age
20. I had to go to the
emergency room one night when
my heart rate went up to
nearly 200 bpm. The ER
physician attributed it to
lack of rest due to final
exams. I went on with life
not suspecting anything
abnormal. I had been living a
very active life including
high school track and
basketball. During my college
years I played lots of tennis
and racquetball and ran nearly
every day.
During my 20’s and 30’s I
had rare incidents of rapid
heart rate and skipped
heartbeats. This was usually
when I was very tired or under
stress, so I attributed it to
that. I still felt energetic
and healthy. I did not worry
much about it.
In 1993 and again in 1998 I
had echocardiograms due to
what my family doctor was now
calling atrial fibrillation.
The diagnosis was mitral valve
prolapse. Until February
2001, this is all that anyone
suspected. My physician
assured me that this was
something I could live with by
staying fit and taking a mild
dose of Covera-HS.
In January 2001, I visited
my doctor when I felt I was
going into a-fib again. This
time he heard a “new” murmur
and ordered another echo.
This February 2001 echo
revealed new symptoms of
aortic root dilatation (4.5
cm) and aortic regurgitation
along with mitral valve
prolapse.
My local cardioligist
seemed overwhelmed by the
symptoms, so I took the big
step and went to the Cleveland
Clinic. They confirmed in
more detail the diagnoses and
recommended surgery be
performed soon.
What symptoms you had:
Other than my previous
symptoms of rapid/skipping
heart rate over the years, the
main symptom in January 2001
was fatigue. I have always
been a very energetic person,
so I knew something serious
was wrong. It was after my
diagnosis that I began having
shortness of breath.
How you prepared for
surgery: Prayer, support
from friends and family, and
diet and exercise.
What type of surgery you
had: Aortic root
reconstruction, aortic valve
replacement, and mitral valve
repair. Surgery Date: July
2001
Medications before
surgery: Toprol,
Enalapril, Lanoxin, Aspirin
Medications after
surgery: Lopressor,
Lanoxin, Coumadin (I am now on
Coumadin only)
Type of valve you have:
St. Jude Mechanical
(Aortic); SulzerMedica
Annuloplasty Ring (Mitral);
Dacron Aortic Root
Type of valve you had:
Hospital where your
surgery was done: Baptist
Medical Center in Little Rock,
AR
Surgeon: Michael Bauer of
Little Rock Cardiologist:
Eric Bowen of Little Rock
Your experience there:
Excellent! Everyone was
professional, compassionate,
and attentive.
Your first few days
home: I did a lot of
resting, but I got very little
sleep. I was not very sore,
but I found it difficult to
relax after 9 days in the
hospital. I think some of the
pain medication had me on
edge.
Your recovery since
then: God has been very
good to me. After 3 weeks
from surgery I was walking
briskly several miles a day.
At about 8 weeks I began
running. At about 12 weeks, I
began weightlifting again. It
has now been about 17 weeks.
I am running 1mile and walking
4 miles daily. I work out at
home daily with weights and
stationary bike, stepper,
rowing, etc.
How you found out about
this site: Yahoo Search
Any other comments you can
share:
If you are facing impending
surgery don’t panic. Relax as
much as possible. Get
yourself on a diet and
exercise plan that will
strengthen the heart muscle
and vessels. A great site for
diet is
www.mercola.com. Pray for
strength (Psalm 138:7).
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