Walt's Journey

On Wednesday, February 29^th, I made a trip to Ann Arbor to see my cardiologist. I was hoping to receive some more detailed information about some of the discouraging news that I received during my appointment on February 6^th.

There were some readings from my echocardiogram that showed a concern with one of the chambers of my heart. I was anxious to hear some more detailed news about these findings as I knew that my surgeon and cardiologist would be speaking prior to my appointment on the 29^th.

I was informed that scarring was found on one of the walls of my heart. This scarring is the result of one of three things. 1 – The aortic dissection itself and the trauma related to it could have caused this damage. 2 – The violence of the surgery itself could have been the cause, or 3 – I could have suffered a minor heart attack after the surgery due to the overall trauma inflicted upon me.

We know that it is one of these three things, but there is no way to tell specifically unless we put me through some battery of tests that we just do not feel is necessary at this point.

My premature ventricular contractions have been increasing drastically over the course of the last several weeks, and this scarring area of the heart is most likely the reason why the PVC’s have increased in intensity. When there is a damaged portion of the heart, such as this scarring, the PVC’s will focus on this area. The PVC’s have become so violent, that they hurt, cause a large amount of fatigue, and by the end of the day I can hardly crawl into bed from the mental and physical effect that they are causing me.

Tomorrow, March 8^th, I have an appointment in Ann Arbor with my electrophysiologist.  I had hoped to avoid any sort of procedure to correct these PVC’s, as they had quieted down for a while, but now I am becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the fact that I may have to tackle the issue. The thought of going into surgery anywhere near all of the damaged area of my aorta and heart is not a comfortable feeling.

I am asking the Lord to give wisdom to all the doctors involved to make the best choices. I know many are continuing to pray for me as I continue this journey, and the prayers and words of encouragement over the course of the last several months have been greatly appreciated.