Christopher's Profile

I have had a heart murmur my entire life. I was diagnosed with a bicuspid aortic valve when I was 39, but was pretty much asymtomatic. I am now 45 and have been symptomatic for a few years. I’m at the point now where I am out of breath when I climb stairs or go for a brisk walk. I knew I needed to see a cardiologist, so I went to Cleveland Clinic to be seen by Dr. Brian Griffin. After seeing my Echo and meeting with me on 1/22/19, Dr. Griffin scheduled a stress-echo for 2/1/19. That went as I expected - not well. Dr. Griffin told me that I’ll have to have my aortic valve replaced ASAP. He referred me to Dr. Douglas Johnston for surgery. I’m expecting a call from his office to schedule my surgery within the next couple of weeks. In the mean time I’m trying to research and learn as much as possible about what I’m getting into in the days ahead. Needless to say, the last couple of weeks have been a blur.