Patient Stories
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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 [...]
Helen Sadler’s Story
Helen had always been an avid traveller, but her mitral valve disease stopped that. Having lived in Bangkok for 11 years as a teacher, she was itching to get back to seeing the world. Now, after her surgery in July 2015, she reflects on her experience of valve disease, and the questions she wishes she’d asked sooner. In 2012 I had a singular incident of severe chest pain, and took myself off for an emergency doctors appointment with a GP. She called an ambulance, believing I was having a heart attack. Once at hospital I was given an angiogram and [...]
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 [...]
