Stories

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.

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.

​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.

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.

​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.

Valerie simply thought she was going in for routine knee surgery. However, when she attended her pre-op she found out that there may be more than she originally bargained for when it was recommended she go for a cardiogram. Not long after, in 2014 Val was diagnosed with heart valve disease.

We were lucky enough to meet Bill at the recent Interactive Educational Evening hosted by Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital (LHCH). He got up and told his heart valve disease story to the group and proved to us all that there is genuine quality of life after heart valve disease treatment. Bill has for a long time been an avid cyclist, but at the age of 82, he found himself slowing down significantly from his usual 150 miles a week. Here is his heart valve disease 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.