Friday 3rd August 2018
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.
Friday 6th April 2018
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.
Friday 16th March 2018
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.
Friday 14th July 2017
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.
Monday 3rd October 2016
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.
Wednesday 10th August 2016
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.
Wednesday 10th August 2016
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.