Patient Stories
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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 [...]
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 [...]
Julia’s Aortic Stenosis Story
In February 2019, Julia was recovering from a viral infection and feeling run down and tired. After her GP listened to her heart with a stethoscope, they discovered she had a significant murmur and a subsequent echo found she had severe aortic stenosis with a bicuspid valve. This is her valve disease story. "My heart valve disease story started in 2019 when I had a viral infection. After it had passed, I noticed I was left with quite a lot of lethargy and continuous cough. I went to the doctor a few times with it, and on one visit, the [...]
Christian Nielsen’s Aortic Valve Story
In May 2021 Christian Nielsen's murmur was detected at a routine medical check up for a visa application. After just welcoming their second child into the world, Christian's life was turned on it's head, and after receiving further tests it was found that he required urgent surgical intervention. With the support of his family, his medical team, and Heart Valve Voice, Christian faced the challenge head on, and is now recovering at home with his family. This is his story: "It was a beautiful sunny day, 6th May 2021, when I biked to a routine medical check for a visa [...]
Derrick Johns’ Aortic Stenosis Story
In 2019, 57-year-old Derrick Johns found out he had a heart murmur. After further tests, he was diagnosed with aortic stenosis with a bicuspid aortic valve. A keen cyclist, Derrick had experienced no symptoms. However, his valve disease began to deteriorate, and he required urgent intervention. Despite the pressure COVID-19 has placed on the health service and delays to his surgery, Derrick received has now recieved life-saving treatment and is now looking forward to the rest of his life. "It was a week before Christmas 2019 that my story really began. During a routine screening with an occupational doctor, I [...]
Jeanine Jones: My Endocarditis Story
In December 2018, 33 year old Support Worker at Autism Together, Jeanine Jones was celebrating the birth of her first daughter, Phoebe. Flash forward four months and she was being raced across Liverpool to Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital with her heart, lungs, liver, kidneys and brain starting to fail. There, she received her life saving double valve replacement. This is her extraordinary story. “I suppose the story starts in December when Phoebe was born. I had a difficult birth, she was born back to front, and in the days after I started to get really bad back pain. At [...]
Lisa Condley: My Endocarditis Story
During March of 2017 Lisa was receiving physiotherapy for her Achilles Tendinitis and started experiencing symptoms of joint pains in her elbow and knees. The physiotherapist suggested that she go to her GP for a check up. Blood works were done and an inflammation was noted however nothing was done about it. The symptoms of joint pain were having an impact on Lisa’s job as a cleaner and a small task of walking to the bus stop was becoming more difficult. Due to the persistences of the symptoms, more tests were conducted in May. She was referred to a rheumatologist [...]
Alan Holmes: My Mechanical Valve Story
It was during a company health check in 2000 that Alan discovered he had a heart murmur. After being told it wasn’t serious it was left alone until 2010 when Alan started to receive an annual ECG (echocardiogram) to check on the progress of the disease. Due to his leaky valves, this resulted in Alan’s heart becoming enlarged which could only be resolved through surgery. In 2016, Alan underwent open heart surgery and received a mechanical valve for both his mitral and aortic valve. After being told in 2000 that a heart murmur was detected it wasn’t until 2010 that [...]
Mike Addelman’s Heart Valve Disease Story
It was a chance query to his GP to see a rheumatologist that led to an eventual diagnosis of heart valve disease for 53 year old Mike Addelman of Manchester. An avid cyclist and runner, the diagnosis was certainly a surprise but Mike is grateful for a lucky visit to have his spine checked and the doctor’s keen sense that something wasn’t right. Mike, first and foremost father to son Jake and husband to wife Sarah is a university press officer and formerly a journalist and nurse. Mike’s passions are music and fitness particularly running and cycling and someone who [...]
Ed Smith’s Heart Valve Disease Story
While heart valve disease is a condition that most often affects an older cohort of patients, it can be found in anyone. Meet Ed Smith; Ed, in his late forties, found himself slowing down, getting breathless and lacking the energy that he once had. He had always kept himself fit and stayed quite active but as he got a bit older he was finding his usual activities were getting harder to do. After his GP referral and receiving a series of tests including an echocardiogram, Ed was diagnosed with heart valve disease. The diagnosis came as a surprise to Ed and [...]
