The photo below was taken at the beautiful Hanging Lake in my home state of Colorado. Less than one year after my TAVR (transcatheter aortic valve replacement), Darryl and I hiked up to Hanging Lake to celebrate my 50th birthday. It was such a joy to be able to hike again! Just two years earlier, I had been diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis caused by the mantle radiation that saved my life from Hodgkin lymphoma back in 1983. Before TAVR, my heart valve was getting progressively worse, to the point where I became severely short of breath if I tried to talk while walking on a flat surface. I was also having fatigue, pressure in my chest, and palpitations. I was scared to have a heart valve replacement, but my quality of life was declining, and replacing the valve was the only chance I had for any improvement.
Having a TAVR changed my life! The very short hospital stay and the procedure itself were much easier than I had anticipated. And the improvement I experienced right away was incredible! The symptoms caused by aortic stenosis were immediately resolved. No more shortness of breath!
Six years later, and I still feel great! I wrote an article for Healthgrades to tell my "happily after TAVR" story. I hope you'll check it out!
To read the full article on www.Healthgrades.com, please click here.
Hiking at Hanging Lake in Colorado less than one year after my TAVR!
To read the full article on www.Healthgrades.com, please click here.