Patient Stories
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Gerry Kijak’s Heart Valve Disease Story
Gerry Kijak is 63 and lives in Solihull with his wife. In February 2016, he underwent double heart bypass surgery and had an aortic valve replacement due to heart valve disease. His valve disease story is especially poignant and shows just how important it is to not ignore your symptoms. I have always been fit and lead a healthy lifestyle. I don’t smoke, I exercise regularly, I eat sensibly and drink alcohol in moderation. For Christmas 2014 my wife and I, along with our two daughters, took a holiday to the Caribbean. On the first few days, I felt normal [...]
Sue Jardine’s Heart Valve Disease Story
Sue, from Kent, was diagnosed with aortic stenosis in 2013. After a successful TAVI procedure she is now back to enjoying time with her grandchildren and gardening in her community. Read her story to find out more about her experience and her advice. I first became aware that there may be a problem with my heart in 2007. While playing golf I suddenly experienced what I thought was an asthma attack. I hadn’t been diagnosed with asthma so I was surprised to have my first episode in my 60s. I had in fact had a heart attack, and was rushed [...]
Mike Casswell’s Story
Mike is a farmer from Lincolnshire, who has always been physically active. He was diagnosed with a heart murmur thanks to a routine check at primary school. Thanks to this early diagnosis, the condition could be monitored and treated. 25 years after his replacement, Mike is able to share his valve disease success story with us. At the age of 11 during routine health checks for the new intake of pupils the GP noticed my heart was making slightly different noises than the previous 50 or so children before me, and he explained I had a murmur. Consequently, I was [...]
Guy Maddox’s Story
Guy was only 35 when diagnosed with heart valve disease after experiencing dizzy spells and breathlessness. After 6 years of regular monitoring, his mild stenosis developed into a severe condition and he received a mechanical valve. Below, he tells us about his experience of heart valve disease and how early diagnosis helped him regain his busy life back. I was diagnosed with heart valve disease after visiting my GP seven years ago. I’d been having occasional dizzy spells, shortness of breath and blurred vision over a period of around a year. These occurrences were weeks apart and most only lasted [...]
Steve Langton’s Story
Brighton-based Steve Langton had surgery for aortic regurgitation (sometimes called a leaky valve as the valve fails to close properly) in February 2016. Since then he has been recovering well at home, where he has returned to light exercise. Here, writing before his procedure, he describes his diagnosis and treatment so far and the support he received from the Heart Valve Voice Facebook community. I was in the Royal Military Police Special Investigation Branch, which was an active job. I also studied and taught Aikido for over 20 years, but retired due to my heart valve and respiratory conditions, so [...]
Cecilia Owen’s Story
As Cecilia from Clitheroe approached her 70s, she was still enjoying long walks with family and friends. After a series of chest infections and medical tests, she was eventually diagnosed with heart valve disease. Her story is a poignant reminder of why it is important to get your heart checked sooner rather than later. I have always been an active person, and used to enjoy going on long weekend walks with the local club. I have an interest in photography too, so that was always a motivator to get me out of the house and capturing my local landscapes. When [...]
Lydia Monk’s Story
Although Lydia Monk will never know it, her experience of heart valve disease proved to be the inspiration for the birth of Heart Valve Voice and its campaign to transform treatment for patients across the UK. Lydia was a fiercely independent 91-year-old lady. She lived alone but coped superbly and was not averse to planting several hundred bedding plants in a day. It was only when undergoing pre-assessment for a minor operation that she was found to have a heart murmur. It was the sign of a tightly narrowed aortic valve; a condition known as aortic stenosis. The aortic valve [...]
Margaret Willcock’s Story
Margaret Willcock was prescribed antibiotics for a chest infection, before it was finally realised that she had heart valve disease. In this blog she advises patients to ask their GP to check their heart with a stethoscope and to not to be worried about treatment. “It’s well worth it,” she says from experience. I hadn’t really been unwell before and rarely visited my GP. But in 2002 I developed breathing difficulties, so went to visit my doctor. After a check-up, he told me that I had a chest infection and prescribed antibiotics. The antibiotics didn’t help though, and I was [...]
