Today, November 14, marked one month since my MitraclipTM procedure. I was quite shocked when I realized it. To tell the truth, I thought it had been much longer. It seemed like at least three months that I’ve been recovering and trying to manage things, riding the sadness train. I had expected to be up where I started activity wise by now, and I got so angry at myself and fate in general that I wasn’t. I’ve been unjustly impatient with my slow recovery. Unjust because it really hasn’t been all that slow. Just a month; just 31 days.
I had my one month check up today and I knew it was coming up. But, the timing still didn’t register with me. Haven’t I been getting up early and going to 7 am cardiac rehab for ages? Haven’t I been taking this pile of pills forever? Nope, just a month.
Realizing that my recovery really hasn’t been that long and, in fact, I’m doing quite well for someone a month out, really brightened my mood. I need to be kinder to myself, more reasonable, and less impatient. It has been at year and a half since I have been anywhere close to what I would call intentionally active – walking long distances, working out, etc.
My check up today included an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) and electrocardiogram (a read out my heart’s function via little wires). I didn’t meet with my actual cardiologist today, but his physician’s assistant, Kelly. This is the first time I’d met Kelly, but she was all smiles and had full knowledge of my history and what I’d been through over the last year. She pulled up my two tests and read them for a bit. “These look really good,” she said.
“What does this phrasing mean?” I asked showing her the report I could read on MyChart.
“It means your heart is 60 years old, not 20,” she said.
“I looked up this word here and it says this is often caused by blockage,” I said.
“It says ‘could indicate’ that. But it doesn’t really indicate that at all because your arteries are clean as a whistle. Your plumbing is stellar. Again, all it really indicates is that your heart is 60 not 20. But, actually, it is functioning better than most 60 year old hearts I’ve seen.”
“Well, to be fair,” I said, “all you ever see are sick hearts.”
She answered with a smile and a shrug.
“My feet are still swelling some, and I do get fluid build up sometimes.” I said.
“And you will until your body readjusts. Your ejection fraction was 30-35% depending on the day and now it is near perfect. Your organs need a chance to get used to the change.”
“But, I’m still on all this medicine,” I said. Trying to find any reason that what she was saying was not true.
“When you come back for your next follow-up, we will start to wean you off of them, a little a time. You need the blood thinner for six months after the procedure so blood doesn’t clot around the clip. After that you can stop taking it. The aspirin you will need to take forever, but I tell that to most people your age. It’s just a good idea. The rest we will work on gradually.”
“I’m really confused,” I said. “Doc said he was fixing the valve but the heart failure would still need to be addressed.”
She frowned at the screen and scrolled through my chart. “Well, you were in heart failure. But fixing the valves seems to have addressed and righted the problem. You are fine. This was a success.”
“How much can I do at this point?”
“Whatever you want; whatever you are physically able to do.” she said. “Please keep up with the cardiac rehab to built up your stamina. That is what you need now.”
“What are my restrictions?”
“There are none.”
“I can walk the Appalachian Trail?”
“Sure. Have you done that before?”
“No, but I want to try. Can I scuba dive?”
“Why not? Sounds scary fun.”
“So… no restrictions at all??”
“Not unless you want some. You are fine. Build up your stamina, take your medicine for another couple of months, be careful while you are still on the blood thinners, then go live your best life.”
I’m not sure what to say. Who am I if I’m not this sick person?
I can’t wait to find out.
