Patient Stories
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Neil Driver’s Heart Valve Disease Story
In 2019, the father of two and grandfather of four, Neil Driver, was diagnosed with aortic stenosis after visiting his GP with swollen ankles. Five years later, Neil’s condition had worsened, and he received his life-saving valve replacement. Now, Neil is looking forward to the rest of his life with his family, symptom-free. This is his story: My story started in 2019 when I went to my GP because of swollen ankles. The GP gave me a once-over and mentioned there might be something wrong with my heart. I found it hard to believe — how could swollen ankles be related [...]
Jacqueline Lewis’ Heart Valve Disease Story
In 2022, retired healthcare professional Jacqueline Lewis began to feel breathless and pain in her chest. After having her symptoms dismissed as mental health issues, Jacquline was eventually diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis and needed urgent treatment. This is her valve disease story: “I think I first started to notice something was up when my mum was in hospital around Christmas 2022. I remember getting out of breath when walking up and down the hospital corridors, and I just felt a bit different. I thought it was the stress of everything that was going on. I’ve always been asthmatic, and [...]
Joanne Woodhead’s Aortic Stenosis Story
In 2021, Joanne Woodhead began experiencing lightheadedness during exercise. After consulting her GP, she was referred for an echo and found to have severe aortic stenosis, bringing Joanne face-to-face with her fear of hospitals. With the support of her family, friends, heart team, and a clinical psychologist, Joanne was able to conquer her fear and undergo life-saving treatment. This is Joanne’s story. “My symptoms first started to show themselves when I was exercising. I’d been running regularly for a few years before the heart diagnosis. I decided to do the Fit for 50, and after doing boot camps I was always trying [...]
John Wolfenden’s TAVI Story
In 2020, John Wolfenden started to get increasingly breathless when walking, but it wasn't until a family emergency that John sought help with his symptoms. John's GP listened to his heart and heard a murmur, and just months later, John was being treated for aortic stenosis. This is his story. My GP diagnosed a fluttering aortic valve in 2020 after listening to my heart. I went to him as I found I was getting increasingly out of breath, which I thought was a lung problem. I had no idea I had a heart valve issue and had never heard of heart valve disease. [...]
Brenda Walker – 12 Years On
In 2011, Brenda Walker was treated for severe aortic stenosis. Now, at nearly 90 years old, Brenda reflects on all that she has achieved since her life-saving treatment, and her work as an advocate for heart valve disease patents around the world. 12 years ago, we lived in Leicestershire and I was in the middle of studying for a PhD at Loughborough University that I had started in Dec 2009. I was then 75, very active and in good health apart from some asthma. During the spring and early summer of 2011, when I was travelling around giving papers at [...]
Timothy Powell – 10 Years On (Out of 150)
In 2014, Timothy Powell was treated for mitral valve disease after being diagnosed at a routine health check. As Timothy approaches the 10-year anniversary of his surgery, he reflects on his post-treatment journey. You may be wondering about the title of my article, which is intended to cover my experience in the (nearly) ten years since I underwent mitral valve repair at Papworth Hospital in 2014. It refers to something mentioned by one of the doctors, to the effect that the Gore-tex put into my heart to replace the chordae tendineae (colloquially, the “heart strings”) has a useful life of about [...]
Stacey’s Heart Valve Disease Story
In 2019, at just 33 years old, Stacey Langridge was experiencing severe shortness of breath and swollen ankles. When referred to Weston General Hospital, it was found that she had aortic stenosis, mitral valve disease and endocarditis and needed emergency treatment. Over the next four weeks in hospital she had her valves repaired and replaced and antibiotics to treat her endocarditis. Now, she is making a good recovery, adjusting to life after treatment, and looking forward to the future with her family. This is her story. “My story started in 2019 when I was sent to a heart doctor after [...]
Patricia Walker’s TAVI Story
In 2021, 85-year-old, Patricia, began feeling breathless while out walking, but was hiding the symptoms from her loved ones. Knowing something was up, she went to the doctor and further investigation found she had aortic stenosis. Now, thanks to the brilliant team at Leeds Teaching Hospital, she has a "new life" - and is enjoying every minute of it. This is her story. "I started to realise something was up when I was walking to the shop, and I would need to sit down. I used to pretend to talk on my phone because I didn’t want anyone to think [...]
Morgan’s Aortic Stenosis Story
In January this year, while at an appointment with her GP, 63-year-old Morgan, mentioned she had started becoming breathless and had a sharp pain in her chest while walking up an incline. Recognising these were symptoms of a potential heart condition, her GP listened to her heart and heard a murmur. Just weeks later, Morgan was diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis, requiring an urgent, lifesaving intervention. This is her heart valve disease story: “My story started in January this year when I went to the GP for an unrelated health issue. At the end of the appointment, she asked if [...]
Joe Munro’s Heart Valve Disease Story
At the beginning of 2021, Fireman, Joe Munro, had just set himself a challenge to run 5 kilometres every day. Then, after feeling unwell at work one day, his GP listened to his heart and heard a murmur. A subsequent echo found he had severe aortic stenosis, and required urgent intervention. Now, just a year later, he is back at work with his watch, fighting fires and saving lives. This is his heart valve disease story: "My heart valve disease story is a bit of a strange one because prior to being diagnosed I was very fit. I did the [...]
