Tick Tock!

I am Rebecca, Beha, Beja, Bebs, Behizzle, Baywho, Bebbs, Bebbyboo, Becca and so forth.

This blog is primarily a means to update my scattered friends and family on my upcoming Open Heart Surgery (who hoo!)

You can access my other, non heart surgery, blog if you look at my profile.

Instead of turning my other blog into an "oh shit I'm having heart surgery blog" I made a whole new one. After all my life isn't ruled by my heart, why should my blog be?



So yea- I'm having heart surgery. Specifically I am having a pulmonary valve replacement and an aortic valve repair- they may end up having to replace the aortic valve but lets hope they are able to repair my natural one!




So why? why oh why oh why?

well I was born with a congenital heart defect called Pulmonary Valve Stenosis. The pulmonary valve is the the valve that lets blood go from the right ventricle into the pulmonary artery- which carries it into the lungs to get oxygenated. This valve has 3 leaflets that open and close (open to let the blood into the pulmonary vein then closes to stop it from flowing backwards). My pulmonary valve was all misshapen (they call is dysplastic) which made the opening too narrow. Not enough blood could get from the right ventricle into my lungs... they took it out when I was 19 months old. That's right they just took out the whole valve. They also enlarged the right ventricle outflow tract (basically the channel the blood goes through to get out of the right ventricle- the valve is like the gate to this channel) using a patch that goes from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery (its called a transannular pericardial patch)

So you mean I don't have a pulmonary valve? at all?
Yep- many people live for many years without a pulmonary valve- better no valve than one that's too narrow and all stuck together.
Here's the rub though- because I don't have a pulmonary valve there is nothing stopping blood that is pushed into my pulmonary artery from flowing back into the right ventricle. This is called Pulmonary insufficiency (or regurgitation). Luckily my heart muscle is strong and pumps hard so most of the blood is able to make it up and out into my lungs (where it gets oxygenated). Some however does flow back into the right ventricle (RV) and this makes the RV have to work harder. Over time this can cause the RV to dilate. It doesn't always happen in people with absent pulmonary valves- but its pretty common. After 22+ years pumping with no valve to help it out my right ventricle has started dilating.

But wait! It gets better!

I have recently found out that I also have moderate to severe Aortic Insufficiency. No one is really sure why this is. It could be a defect I was born with that was really mild and undetected but worsened recently or it could be a result of the extra work my heart has had to be doing as a result of the screwed up pulmonary valve. The aortic valve is the valve that opens to let blood go from the Left Ventricle into the Aorta and then out into the body. For some reason my valve isn't closing right so just like on the other side of my heart some of the blood is flowing backwards back into the ventricle (the LEFT one this time). Note: heart drawings are backwards, these drawings are oriented as if you were the surgeon, not the patient.




So in a nutshell on both sides of my heart blood is flowing backwards down into the ventricles where it is making them dilate.

So it's time for a tune up.

I'm in Texas right now but decided with my parents that it would be best if I went home for awhile to get this all taken care of. So in 11 days I will leave the Lone Star state and go back to Chattanooga, Tennessee (my hometown). I have an appointment on December 3rd. at Emory in Atlanta (where I will be having my surgery) for an echo/ekg/bloodwork/cardiologist appt. (Dr. Wendy Book) and then I will meet with my surgeon Dr. Brian Kogon. What a Fun Filled Day! We will likely schedule the surgery at this appointment (unless they decide they need to do more tests first). I will let everyone know when I know more.

If anyone has questions or comments just let me know!