Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What kind of heart disease do you have, OP?

Slightly Leaky valve

That is not really a very bad health problem. you can even reverse it.
Do yoga - paranayama. Take supplements of magnesium,vit K2, Arjunarishtam. Eat healthy and try not to go on statins.

Umm..this poster needs a statin. Why give crap advice here?

Giving advice to take a statin is the latest in ‘crap advice’ actually. Many doctors are taking those away from patients these days.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.forbes.com/sites/nextavenue/2017/03/20/the-big-problem-with-statins-that-medicare-patients-need-to-know-about/amp/

Anonymous wrote:I have an autoimmune deficiency that makes me way more likely to get sick. I've had pneumonia multiple times as a kid, from a young age, and still do (3 in the past 8 months). I had several ear infections (as a kid and as an adult), I am TB positive, I have cold sores about every other month. I have an enlarged spleen and enlarged liver. I have no idea whether if will affect how long I live, but I don't think about it.

What makes your spleen enlarge - has anyone explained it to you? Mine enlarged sometimes but just a little - Harvard educated doctor said ‘ I don’t know’ and sent me for a CT scan which was ridiculous. For one it’s an intermittent problem for two she could have just felt it - but she’s incompetent and a little psycho (I’m looking for a new doctor).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have an autoimmune deficiency that makes me way more likely to get sick. I've had pneumonia multiple times as a kid, from a young age, and still do (3 in the past 8 months). I had several ear infections (as a kid and as an adult), I am TB positive, I have cold sores about every other month. I have an enlarged spleen and enlarged liver. I have no idea whether if will affect how long I live, but I don't think about it.

Is TB positive the same thing as having tuberculosis? Isn't that terribly contagious?

I was found to be TB positive in my pre-college physical. A positive test means you have been infected with TB, but the infection can be active or latent. Those with latent TB are not infectious, but have a 10 percent or so chance of developing active TB. I had the latent variety, and was prescribed isoniazid for a year.

I thought this was pretty much the end of that, but in checking on this for this response I have discovered that having been diagnosed with latent TB in the past I have a lifetime risk for active TB.

Darn!

Anonymous wrote:I have an autoimmune deficiency that makes me way more likely to get sick. I've had pneumonia multiple times as a kid, from a young age, and still do (3 in the past 8 months). I had several ear infections (as a kid and as an adult), I am TB positive, I have cold sores about every other month. I have an enlarged spleen and enlarged liver. I have no idea whether if will affect how long I live, but I don't think about it.

Is TB positive the same thing as having tuberculosis? Isn't that terribly contagious?

OP, I was born with a defective heart valve. I'm in my 40s and have had it replaced twice. I expect to have a normal lifespan, based on what I have been told by specialists. I do have to have one more surgery, though, and that's my only sticking point, because anesthesia was rough last time. But my problem was much, more more than a "leaky valve." Mine was fully stenotic, and I was in heart failure.

If you have mitral valve prolapse, it is very very common, and "...most patients with MVP remain asymptomatic and have a near-normal life expectancy." ( http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/155494-overview ) It's worth doing the recommended follow-ups, but it is not worth changing your life over, nor does it justify obsessive worrying over it.

I get it. It's your heart. That's a primal thing to have threatened, but your medical providers will have a balanced perspective. What have you been told about what to expect?

Anonymous wrote:I think when your parents died is a better indication. My mom died 60s and my dad died 5Os, so it’s not looking good for me! In addition, I’ve actualky had a valve replacement in my 40s. Who knows? I’m thinking 60s...

My parents are 60 and 57- both still working FT, traveling, etc.

I have Stage 4 COPD. I have other conditions that keep me off the transplant list. I'll live as long as I possibly can, because I don't give up easily. I plan to move to a different state where it's easier to breathe, which will definitely help. Virginia is hard on people with lung problems.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What kind of heart disease do you have, OP?

Slightly Leaky valve

That is not really a very bad health problem. you can even reverse it.
Do yoga - paranayama. Take supplements of magnesium,vit K2, Arjunarishtam. Eat healthy and try not to go on statins.

Umm..this poster needs a statin. Why give crap advice here?

I think when your parents died is a better indication. My mom died 60s and my dad died 5Os, so it’s not looking good for me! In addition, I’ve actualky had a valve replacement in my 40s. Who knows? I’m thinking 60s...

This is a hard question, and it has changed as I aged.

BLUF: today I am 54 with serious issues and have no clue how long I will live. Really no clue. And I am good with it.

Long answer:
At 30, I had very high cholesterol, like 300 on meds. I figured I would live to 45. If I was lucky I would have chest pain and bypass surgery. My life plan was to not have children. Every male in my family with the high cholesterol gene died of heart issues before 50. I was dating a woman in her 50's.

At 33, new meds came out (or was it a more aggressive Doctor?). Cholesterol suddenly was in the low 200's (like 220 or so). LDL and HDL splits not good (LSL was 160, HDL 19). But, suddenly, I could see a potential for longer life. Over a few months, I decided I wanted a family, which meant breaking up with my GF (we are still friends....on a sad note, she is burying her daughter today from influenza).

At 37 (right after 9/11), I was diagnosed with diabetes. My wife was pregnant with our daughter. I figured I would live until my 60's....or maybe 70.

The next 10 years were uneventful. Cholesterol hovered between 220 and 240, My fasting sugar, and A1C would slowly creep up, then new meds, and it would be down again.

At 48, I was diagnosed with advanced (metastatic cancer). Frankly, at that time, I was just hoping to 1) hit 50, 2) see kids Bat Mitzvah, and 3) see the eclipse I had been waiting for since 1991. My cancer was probably familial; I am BRCA1 +. My father and grandfather had similar cancers.

At 49, my cholesterol caught up with me, but it was repaired with a stent. Oh, and I was declared No evidence of disease. I figured I would live to 55 - 60 unless the cancer came back.

At 50, I got my colonoscopy. and found out I had a series of precancerous polyps removed. NBD.

At 51, while undergoing a stress test, I fainted. (I would faint about once per year since I was a teen). Problem was I was wired up when I fainted, and they saw a 12 second pause in my heart. Twice. In investigating, they discovered 3 more serious blockages (3 more stents) which triggered the angina that led to the stress test. In addition, because of the heart stopping, they put in pacemaker.
Now, I am thinking a life span of 60-65. I remain NED on cancer.

At 51, I watched my daughter get bat mitzvah'd.

At 53, they started me on a new cholesterol med -- based on genetic engineering. Suddenly, my LDL in where they want it to be in the 60's instead of 200's). Now, I figure unless the cancer comes back, I will live a normal live span. I do not know.

At 53, on Aug 21, 2017, I got to see totality.

I am now 54. I do not know how long I will live. I just do not have a clue. Financially, I am planning to live to 100. Emotionally, I have accepted I could drop dead tomorrow.

Graves Disease and it makes my heart hurt? 51. Also PCOS which can affect heart. But Grandmom is 96, other Grandmom died at 74 due to heart, I think she had PCOS too but also sedentary and drank too much I am hoping to see 84 (split between the 2). I drink moderately, get 10,000 steps daily, go to gym and do yoga.

BRCA2,though I’m monitored every 6 months and will have my breasts and ovaries/tubes removed in my 40s. So I probably won’t die of breast cancer, though it could be some other type of cancer. BRCA increases the risk of some others as well. Otherwise, no health problems, thank god. I hope to live to 90.

My 77 year old mother has a leaky valve. She's just about to take a2 week jaunt through eastern Europe.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What kind of heart disease do you have, OP?

Slightly Leaky valve

That is not really a very bad health problem. you can even reverse it.
Do yoga - paranayama. Take supplements of magnesium,vit K2, Arjunarishtam. Eat healthy and try not to go on statins.

My doctor says I shouldn't worry but I'm nervous since I'm so young. Doesn't this usually happen to older people?

Not the poster you quoted, but the answer is no. Of course with age more heart problems form as your heart ages or bad lifestyle choices catch up with you. But I see many, many patients every day, who are 0-21 years of age, that have it (in addition to other more serious heart defects, or they wouldn't be in my unit). -- Pediatric Cardiac/Transplant nurse

Oh wow. Do most of them wind up ok and living full lives?

That depends on so many factors. The heart defect, its severity, response to interventions (medications/surgery), complications (from the condition itself and from treatments), family support, compliance with plan of care (medications, follow up appointments, restrictions etc) and many others.

So it's bad news

Not necessarily. But my point is, a valve regurgitation as OP described, is something she should not be worrying about, as her doctor advised.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What kind of heart disease do you have, OP?

Slightly Leaky valve

That is not really a very bad health problem. you can even reverse it.
Do yoga - paranayama. Take supplements of magnesium,vit K2, Arjunarishtam. Eat healthy and try not to go on statins.

My doctor says I shouldn't worry but I'm nervous since I'm so young. Doesn't this usually happen to older people?

Not the poster you quoted, but the answer is no. Of course with age more heart problems form as your heart ages or bad lifestyle choices catch up with you. But I see many, many patients every day, who are 0-21 years of age, that have it (in addition to other more serious heart defects, or they wouldn't be in my unit). -- Pediatric Cardiac/Transplant nurse

Oh wow. Do most of them wind up ok and living full lives?

That depends on so many factors. The heart defect, its severity, response to interventions (medications/surgery), complications (from the condition itself and from treatments), family support, compliance with plan of care (medications, follow up appointments, restrictions etc) and many others.

So it's bad news