Maryanne's Profile

I am 61 years old living in a small town in New Hampshire. Married for over 30 years with two grown children, a daughter who is in the criminal justice field (and has three children) and a son who is a pilot in the Air Force. I am a breast cancer survivor twice, once in 1984 and once in 2011. The doctors think the radiation and perhaps the chemo that I had in 1984 might have caused the aortic valve stenosis. I try not to dwell on that because if I had not had the treatment I might not be around today. So choices made then are what I went with and now I need to take another choice to make it better. I have the chief of cardiac surgery Dr. Prem Shekar at Brigham and Woman's Hospital in Boston, Mass doing my surgery. I am going in for cardiac catherization Tuesday October 20. My prayers and my Catholic faith have helped me to deal with this "situation" in a somewhat, reasonable calm manner. I have a great "recovery" team from family to friends and feel so blessed to know so many people care and love me. Wow!! And yes there are very scary moments and wondering if I will ever be the same again. I have had no symptoms and walk 2-3 miles a day, yoga, meditate and work part time and take care of my grandkids two days a week. But the doctors say the numbers don't lie and it is better to do the surgery when I am feeling good physically. It helps with recovery they say. Trust is what I rely on at this moment. Trust in my doctors , my choices and of course that God has this under His control and I am doing the right thing.