Mitral valve calcification

[LifeOnHold]

I am going to see my cardiologist tomorrow-- my last echocardiogram showed a worsening of calcification on my mitral valve... I might have to have it replaced.      I will post tomorrow with an update.

[toad]

good luck life....hope everything goes well for u today...keep us posted....other things suck don't they i just got over a bout of pnemmonia

[LifeOnHold]

Toad, glad to hear you've recovered!

Well, the cardiologist seems to think that the only way to get a good look at the mitral valve is to do a trans-esophageal echocardiogram (TEE).  It sounds pretty gross and I am NOT looking forward to it! 

They sedate you pretty well and stick a probe down your esophagus so they can look at the back of the heart where the mitral valve is.  That will tell them if the calcium is at a point where the valve has to be either repaired or replaced.

I'm just starting to experience shortness of breath, so there's no emergency... the procedure is scheduled for December 8, so I can at least have Thanksgiving dinner in peace.   

[Rerun]

LOH:  I have to have a heart catheter procedure done on December 9.  After 17+ years of anti-rejection drugs, they won't list me without seeing if my heart can take it.  I'm not looking forward to it either.  Good Luck to you.  They need to come up with something to disolve califications.

[LifeOnHold]

Rerun, is December National Stick-A-Probe-Into-The-Hearts-Of-Dialysis-Patients Month    


I started searching online for the survival rates of dialysis patients with mitral valve replacements, and I have to say I'm pretty depressed!  The info I really wanted (what's the survival rate for people who elect not to have surgery) wasn't included, probably because they don't make any money on the people who don't have surgery.


I'd like to know why, if the 3-year survival rate is so low, why they even bother to do the surgery?  I have a whole list of questions for the cardiologist after I  get the results of the TEE.  I want to know what my quality of life will be if I decide to get the valve replaced, and what it will be if I decide to do nothing.

(This is what aggravates me about these 'clinical studies'-- they never have an actual control group!  How can you take the results seriously if you have nothing to compare them to?)

[LifeOnHold]

I had the TEE-- woke up during the procedure and fought the probe, gagged even when they'd given me more anesthesia than they needed to-- I TOLD them I needed a lot!

The test showed serious narrowing of the mitral valve and stangnant, swirling blood in the heart.  The bottom line is, I need a cardiac catheterization to check out the heart arteries prior to surgery, I need to start on coumadin to avoid getting blood clots in my heart, and I need a mechanical valve put in...   Merry Friggin' Christmas!   


I won't be having anything done until after New Years'... I'll keep you all posted as things happen.

[Rerun]

Sorry to hear that you need more tests done to confirm the tests that the other tests had told them about the first test.

I had the heart cath done yesterday.  What no one told me is that after the procedure I would have to lay there for 6 fricken hours with a sandbag and clamp on my leg.  Then I had 2 choices: pee on a bed pan or get a catheter.  Getting up and going to the toilet was not an option.  I still produce "some" urine.  LOH... you will not have to make a choice!    AND.... bedpans don't work for me!

Then I was supposed to have someone stay with me for 2 days incase of bleeding.  Well, I live alone and there is no one to stay with me.  I'm lucky to get friends to take me to the appointment and wait for me.  Anyway, I lived through the night, so I guess I'll be okay.

I'm also not supposed to bend down and pick up something on the floor.  Well, first thing this morning I went to mail the last of my Christmas cards and when I came back in, the dogs had schreaded the bathroom garbage!  They are gorss little dogs!  Then they hide so I can't find them to kill them!   

[tamara]

When you think having kidney failure and being on dialysis is enough it goes on and on and on.
I found out today again because of that bloody calcium, i need to get my parathyroids out.Gee Merry Christmas and a Happy Dialysing Year!!!!!!!!!

[Rerun]

Well, I "did" produce some urine.  After the Heart Cath.... either the dye got the last of my kidney or the catheter to get the little bit of pee in me which caused a UTI (uniary tract infection).  Anyway..... I'm done.  No more urine output.  I have only had sips of water with pills today.  I gained 3 kilos yesterday, but they could only get 1.5 off of me because of cramping.  The calf of my leg still hurts and I felt like crap all day.   

Sorry to hear about your parathyroids.  They have threatened to get mine several times, but they will do "one" more test and they are fine.