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Mark A. Vincent The week of February 22, 1999 my wife and I were both sick which seemed to last forever. My mother-in-law called Wednesday night Februaury 24 and said she had namonia. All week long, I woke up each morning with a dull ach in my chest, so I thought that I might have had namonia or some sort of infection. The next morning at 6:30 am I woke with the same dull ach so I took myself to emergency. After a stethoscope, EKG and ultra sound they told me I was born with a bicuspid aortic valve and had severe aortic insufficiency. I was also told that I needed to see a cardiologist immediately. Needless to say, this came as quite a supprise to me considering all my life Ive been extremely athletic. That afternoon a Dr. friend recommended a cardiologist in his department. My wife and I went to see him and he told me my options. Right away I knew the Ross was was my only option considering that I live a highly active lifestyle, scuba diving, skiing and racing cars to name a few and was unwilling, at 35, to live life like some old man. I also live to eat and drink, being in the restaurant business, and couldn't fathom having to give up yet another passion! My cardiologist gave me blood pressure pills and said on Monday we would do a catheterization and Wednesday a T.E.E. with surgery the following week. All pretty fast for someone who's never been seriously ill before and had no prior symptoms. Well I didn't make Monday because Friday I felt like hell, my blood pressure went up to 210 over 80. At work my arms and hands went numb and I began to faint, I thought I was checking out right then! I took my chef of the line, in the middle of lunch, and had him drive me to emergency. Well I was there from Friday till Tuesday and they got me stabilized. Monday I had the cath(what a joy that was) and Tuesday the T.E.E. My cardiologist said the surgeon would talk to me sometime during my stay, however once he found out wanted the Ross he sent his assistant. In the 5 days I was there, he never once came to see me. Arrogant prick! I was suppose to let this guy operate on me? No f---ing way! On Tuesday after all the test results were in my doctor said that I was not a candidate for the Ross because my aortic valve and root were too enlarged. The surgeon told my doctor that after a year or two my valve would leak. He also said the local hospital that did the Ross (only 50) had lost 2 people on the table. My world came crashing down with the thought of being on cumadin the rest of my life. The past few days a friend of mine had done some research and found this web site as well as the Ross Institute. He called the Institute and received the names of the top three surgeons, one in NY, one in Montana and one in Oklahoma. Well NY and Montana both said that Dr. Elkins in Oklahoma was the top man in the field and we found out from the Institute that Dr. Elkins has performed 25% of all the Ross procedures. My cardiologist, even with all the facts as he saw them, recommended that my wife and I fly to Oklahoma and see him. We agreed. I checked out tuesday March 2 and Thursday March 4 we were on a plane, with cath tape and T.E.E. video in hand, to Oklahoma. Friday morning we met with Dr. Elkins and he informed us that he had perfected a way to reduce the enlarged root and valve and that he expected some enlargement. We also found out that out of almost 400 surgeries he has lost no patients during or after surgery. Actually the 2 patients that have died were by suicide and a car accident. After a few more questions and answers my surgery was scheduled for the following Thursday March 11. We felt extremely positive and comfortable with Dr Elkins and just hoped I would make it to my surgery(paranoia was setting in). We flew home that afternoon. I felt the best thing was to go home and not think about it for a few days instead of staying in Oklahoma and watching the clock. The following Wednesday March10 my father, wife and I flew back to Oklahoma and I checked into the hospital. I woke up Thursday morning at 6:30 am to my new best friends. I received a relaxer and was whisked down to preop. Just before I went to OR my wife and father came to see me and with a morphine cocktail in me I turned to my wife and said that when I get home I want to "get lots of oral sex". In the same breath I also said "I want to do lots of laundry". The nurse said she has heard many things but she would definitely remember this. Unplanned by me of course, this helped ease both my loved ones knowing that I was relaxed. I woke up in I.C.U. at 2:30 pm Thursday and started moving my hands and feet remembering what Dr. Elkins had said. After a couple of hours my breathing tube was removed without any pain. However, I did through up quite a bit of liquid fortunately without any pain to my chest. Friday late morning I was moved to my room were my wife was also sleeping in a queen size sofa bed. Every night she stayed in the hospital room with me which was very comforting. Saturday they removed the bladder tube, neck cath and some misc IV's, again no pain. Sunday they removed the drainage tube and gave me a little morhpine. I was out. The only problem I had in the hospital was from the narcotics they gave me. I had such severe withdrawls from this stuff it was worse than the pain from the surgery. Dr. Elkins put me on T-3's and that did the trick. I have to take this time to say that besides being an excellent surgeon, Dr. Elkins was a very compasionate and giving man. He was humorous when it called for as well as to the point when need be. I couldn't imagine having any other Dr. perform my surgery. On Tuesday afternoon we left the hospital and went to the hotel. On Thursday March 18 we saw Dr. Elkins for a final exame and flew home that night. Its been a month today from my surgery and I think the most difficult things have been restoring my lung capacity and dealing with my sternum. The first week home I also had a low grade fever from the pulmonary imflamation which is slowly subsiding. I am on my treadmill every day doing 50 minutes at 120-140 beats per minute roughly 31/2 miles at 4.9mph. Next week I am moving to my bike, thats on a trainer, to ride for an hour every day. Each day is another rung in the ladder. I would like to thank Cary for creating this web site and my fellow peers for their letters which gave me insight and direction for my own choices. If it wasnt for this information , I feel that I would be listening to the click clock of my plastic and metal valve now. I would also like to thank Dr. Elkins for giving me the second half of my life. When I was in the hospital, for the first time, my father-in-law expressed his opinion of how his choice would be simple, a plastic and metal valve to guarantee life. However, without quality of life what kind of life do you really have. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at home. I promise I wont be as winded.
Hm 248-546-4584 Mark A. Vincent |