Doug's Profile

I had endocarditis back in '92. It started with meningitis, damaged my mitral valve and caused mini-strokes as bacteria shed off the valve. I'm alive today only because of the quick actions and patient advocacy of my wife Lora, support from friends, and great care from a host of specialists. I miraculously came out of it with no surgeries - but was expected to need a new heart valve within a few years. Well, thirty two years later, Lora I & have two grown kids and I still have that damaged valve, but have been asymptomatic throughout. Regular echos, stable for 29 years, recently uncovered significant heart enlargement (left Atrium). Long story short we headed to the Cleveland Clinic to get some answers, where a June 21 test showed a Mitral Regurgitation severity of 4+ leading to a referral for surgery.