Leaking Valve

So let me start by saying that prevention is so much better than cure. In my case I discovered this problem or rather it was diagnosed, during a routine annual check. I hasten to add not my bike but me!! My job requires me to have a fairly comprehensive annual medical and back in January I was grounded by the CAA due to a leaking mitral valve in my heart. In essence the valve is comprised of 2 "leaflets" and the rear one had prolapsed, meaning it was not allowing the valve to form a seal when closed, resulting in blood leaking back through the valve (otherwise known as "regurgitation") and causing an audible murmur, which is how it was first detected.

This condition causes the heart to have to work harder and the muscle to eventually stretch to compensate, which in the short term mitigates the leak but in long term, eventually weakens the whole organ and increases the risk of atrial fibrillation and having a stroke. Had I not had the medical, I would have been none the wiser as I was asymptomatic, with no clue as to the problem I had. Fast forward to June 17th and after an echocardiogram, angiogram and numerous blood tests, X-rays and more besides, in the preceding months, I was operated on at Papworth Hospital. Thankfully I am now out of the woods, in terms of any future risk to my heart and the mitral valve was successfully repaired as opposed to replaced, which is always the best option for a number of reasons, which I won't bore you with.

I've been at home now for three weeks and have a further 9 weeks of recovery left. I can't drive yet and am not allowed any alcohol either, so no bad thing really. As I had a full sternotomy, I am now sporting a 10 inch scar on my chest, The bone will take a further 3 weeks to completely fuse back together but full strength is not achieved for 3 months post-surgery, so I am very limited in what I am allowed to do right now and sleeping is still a challenge. What I will say is it is not a painless experience and I felt as if I had been run over by a truck for the first 1-2 weeks but things improve day by day.

Knowing I was going to be limited in what I could practically do around the house, I made sure I did any heavy work that required moving or liting stuff, long before surgery. To that one of my jobs was to upgrade my desktop PC. I've created a build thread for anyone interested of the new setup, which was a ground up project using some of the latest tech, as well as another thread (in the for sale section) detailing a very comprehensive assortment of both PC parts and some fully re-built ready to go systems, that still pack a punch, if anyone is interested.

My diesel heater project is also still up and running as well, but obviously I can't complete it until I am able to, despite my having all the kit to hand I need to do so. So for now I am pretty much limited to sedentary activities, hence my having the time to pen this lengthy post, amongst other 'light' work. For someone like me who is always happiest when doing something practical, it is frustrating but I know it is a means to an end and a hopefully healthier future and a return to work around mid September, all being well and good and with the CAA's approval (after another echocardiogram, cardiology report and an aviation medical).

I'm keeping my fingers crossed on that front, as I am not quite ready to call it a day flying helicopters for a living, if all the future tests prove positive, which the surgeon will confirm when I go back to Papworth in 5 weeks time, for some post operative scans, ECGs and imaging.

 

Thanks one and all for all your kind words. I do consider myself very lucky in having had this diagnosed before it became a problem and am looking forward to a return to full strength and fitness and a return to work later this year.

 

Quick update. Had a meeting with the cardio-thoracic surgeon who performed my operation, a few weeks back. All seems to be healing well and I'm due to see the local cardiologist and have an echocardiogram to confirm the leak has now been well and truly plugged. That should have been that and what was to follow was a hasty return to work once the CAA had seen my results, but sadly it appears I have now had a re-occurrence of the issue in my cervical spine with the main brachial nerve to my right arm which is causing me some considerable pain. Had another MRI today so just waiting on the results which may or may not require me to have another round of spinal surgery (3rd time lucky hopefully, as I have had two disctectomies already). Wasn't envisaging going under the knife again so soon after open heart surgery but C'est la vie.

 

Thanks Sam. It's a bit of a bummer if I'm honest. Just waiting on the results of the MRI now, then I will know for sure if I'm back under the knife again or not. Either way it's put ANY plans I had to ride the bike out the window for this year. Looks as if 2024 will be my first time back on a bike after a five year hiatus, mostly as a result of my well document delayed bike build, house building work, ill health and some bad luck thrown in, just for good measure. There can't be many 2018 V4s with 12 miles on the clock

 

So having more or less completely healed from my open heart surgery back in July, I was looking forward to returning to work and normality. Sadly my neck problems which were addressed in 2011 and 2019 with earlier surgeries, returned in the form of another issue, that began in September, lower down my cervical spine. So a week ago I underwent another procedure (cervical foranotomy) this time through the back of my neck to reach the spinal cord. All I can say is that this is a 'kin painful procedure to put it mildly, and since the op, it has been very 'uncomfortable'. The stitches come out on Tuesday and whilst some pretty industrial painkillers help, they still don't alleviate the searing pain. Sleep is a luxury I don't have at the moment so I'm hoping that once all the swelling goes down, I'll feel a little less secondhand. Still hoping to return to work before the year is out but right now all I'm able to do is shuffle around the house then lie flat for a few hours. I've got the diesel heater project to keep me busy but even putting a nut and bolt together takes an age. If you are faced with a similar procedure then you have my utmost sympathy. It's not pleasant by any stretch of the imagination. I'm confident it will improve but it's hard to see past the present situation, when if anything, it's worse than when I was admitted. Hopefully this is the last time I'll need to go under the knife for a while. Not been the best of years for me.