Hayden


My name is Hayden Johnson, I turned the big 50 on March 8th 2005, I am a Real Estate Agent and Auctioneer in Central Kentucky.  I am married to Kindergarten teacher, have a son in College, a son in High School and a daughter in Middle School.
 
In July 2004. I suffered with what I thought was a stomach virus for about 2 weeks and then went to my family doctor, who diagnosed me with acute gall bladder and ordered surgery.  The day of the surgery, the doctor who put me to sleep (I can spell the big word, I usually just call them the gas passer).  Anyway he told my wife that I had something abnormal about my heart but it would not affect the surgery.  Everything went fine with that and when I went back to my family doctor, I told him what the gas passer had said, so he ordered a echo cardiogram which showed that I had a leaking valve and a anyuresm that measured 5.2 and thus I needed surgery.  I went through the month of August having heart caths, TEE and several other test as the heart surgeon wanted to make sure I had no infections and he wanted some past due teeth work to be completed prior to surgery, so on August 31st, I had the surgery to replace the valve and repair the anuyrsem.  I really had no problems and was out of the hospital in a week. I was prepared not to wake up if you know what I mean. 
 
 I was doing good for about a month and then I started  having spells of my heart speeding up.  At one point it got up to 288, lucky I was in the ER when that happended, and I got a helicopter ride to Jewish Hospital in Louisville and spent the weekend to get my rate adjusted.  I have not had any problems since then, just keeping my INR adjusted and getting over the period of depression and the clicking of the valve. 
 
 My Surgery was at Jewish Hospital in Louisville Kentucky and my doctor was Sebastin Pagni.  He was great!!  I hope this helps somebody.