Patient Stories
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Mike Thurston’s Heart Valve Disease Story
Aged 53, Mike was training for Insanity, an intensive fitness programme, as he had been doing for the past few years. Ordinarily, he has a low resting heart rate which will usually settle in a predictable way following a work out. However, one session near Christmas 2014 it settled just under 70, which struck him as unusual. He’d always monitored his heart rate closely, and explained to his wife he felt he was running at 85%. He began to get breathless, and climbing the stairs required extra effort. Something was clearly not right. Mike was particularly busy and was travelling [...]
Natalie’s Heart Valve Disease Story (US)
On a recent trip to the US to support the American Heart Valve Voice, Heart Valve Voice UK CEO Wil Woan wanted to meet with a local patient to find out if their experiences differ from those of our UK patients. So he met with Natalie, 80, from Washington DC who found herself slowing down in 2017 while on a trip to Israel. She struggled to keep up and was frustrated that she was missing out on enjoying her time with her family. She later found out that her struggles weren’t a result of her age but that she had [...]
Howard Lockett: My Aortic Stenosis Story
Howard Lockett has lived a full life, but has experienced some ups and downs when has come to his health. Having been diagnosed with Hodgkins Disease (lymphatic cancer) thirty years ago, Howard was surprised when he found out that he was up against another life threatening disease later in his life at the age of 63. This time around it was heart valve disease, aortic stenosis to be exact, and treatment would be needed as soon as possible. Despite his cancer and ill health, Howard has lived a very fulfilling life as a teacher of science and maths, a gymnastics [...]
Brenda Walker’s Heart Valve Disease Story
In 2010, Brenda Walker, now 84, was suffering from all of the red flag symptoms of valve disease, breathlessness, tiredness and swollen ankles. After a visit to her doctor did not result in a stethoscope exam, she took matters into her own hands and sought out a second opinion from a cardiologist. It was a good decision, Brenda was told she had aortic stenosis and that it needed to be treated. Brenda has lived a very active life full of creative pursuits, enjoying a career divided between the arts and education. She always loved teaching and still encourages others to [...]
Anne Waters’ Heart Valve Disease Story
After a successful triple bypass operation at Blackpool’s Victoria Hospital fifteen years ago, Anne Waters thought her heart problems were over. However, a nasty bout of sickness while on holiday in Turkey eighteen months ago led a doctor to pick up a heart murmur and Anne was soon back in Blackpool’s renowned cardiology unit where she was diagnosed with heart valve disease. Anne has always kept herself busy even after her bypass surgery. The retired OFSTED Inspector can often be found immersed in her charity work, playing bridge, running around after her family or off travelling to new places. She [...]
Breda Sullivan: Preparing for My Second Surgery
Breda Sullivan struggled for years to convince clinicians that something was wrong until a simple stethoscope check led to a life-saving diagnosis. Born with congenital heart disease yet totally unaware of the condition or its symptoms, Breda could have died within six months without treatment. For former mental health social worker, Breda Sullivan, 68, “not feeling right” was a frustrating fact of life until she was given a simple stethoscope check. Many visits to one primary care practice then another and multiple ECG examinations all failed to detect a problem with Breda’s heart. Yet she knew something was wrong and [...]
Marina McGrath’s Heart Valve Story
Having lived with a heart murmur that was the result of rheumatic fever as a child, Marina never noticed it having an effect on her life until she reached her 50s. It wasn’t until a visit to her GP with high blood pressure that she found out she had aortic stenosis (AS). Marina has since had treatment for her AS and is now back to work at her busy job as a Midwife. This is her story. Marina had always been conscious that she had a heart murmur after being diagnosed when she was a young child, but she never [...]
Gareth Hopkin: My Second Procedure Story
Gareth Hopkins was diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis in February 2017. Two months later, Gareth believed he was going in for open heart surgery to receive a valve replacement only to find that when he awoke, they could not perform the surgery because his valve was too damaged. Cue Dave Smith, Interventional Cardiologist, Morriston Hospital, who informed Gareth that he was the perfect candidate for a TAVI. Gareth, a retired plumbing engineer from a small village in the beautiful Upper Afan Valley in Port Talbot. After suffering from a chest infection in October 2016, Gareth was referred for numerous tests [...]
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 [...]
James McElwee: My Second Valve Replacement Story
James McElwee, from King’s Health, is a retired Printer and Voluntary International Rescue worker. In 2004, aged 60, he underwent valve replacement surgery for aortic stenosis and in 2015 had his aortic valve replaced again. He has written this account to help more people to become aware of this condition, and help reassure valve disease patients of the positive outcomes of treatment. I remember my initial diagnosis very vividly. I was on a night navigational exercise with IRC training some new recruits. It was a 20 kilometre night walk across the Southern Downs. I began feeling light-headed and suddenly fainted. [...]
