Living with Aortic Stenosis

After my doctor detected a heart murmer in 2003, I was dignosed with mild aortic stenosis (1.4cm). After two years, this had decreased to 1.1 cm. As I was fairly asymptomatic, I didn’t realise the “inevitability” of the worsening situation.

In Feb 2007, I found that one of shoulders was so sore I couldn’t lift a car boot. After July 2007, the rate of deteriorisation has been alarming - gap down to .9cm, feeling “spaced out” and forgetful, frequent toilet visits, chest “turbulence”, insomnia. Besides cartia and Lipex, I take a raft of ayurvedic herbal medicines, which seem to be of benefit. One of them, called Cardio Support, acknowledges the role of emotions in heart disease and purports to help “balance the emotions”. I quite believe this reasoning!

During the angiogram, the doctor was unable to “cross the aorta”. The specialist said he would have been able to! Some help. But everything else in there seemed to be unaffected. He is a specialist in valve replacements through the leg artery, but won’t do it. There seems to be more valid reasons than keeping the colleagues in work! Is there anyone out there who has had this procedure?
He still won’t operate because .9 cm is still in the “grey area”, but I feel this won’t last for long. It seems that the new valves are not 100% in their effect - that you still feel it is there, and you don’t function as before.
Has anyone had the bovine valve?
The most sobering thing is the realisation of one’s own mortality, and that a full innings won’t be possible. Very philosophical.

Euan