Pamela's Profile

Diagnosed with MVP (Barlow's Syndrome) in 1977 when I was 14 years old following a bad bout of the flu. MVP runs in my family - my father and grandmother had MVP, and several of my cousins also have MVP. I never had any major symptoms and have always led a fairly active lifestyle. I studied ballet for 10 years and in my heyday I was a very fast runner. About 10 months ago I started experiencing discomfort when lying flat on my back which prompted me to schedule an Echocardiogram. I was misdiagnosed with severe regurgitation 11-23-22 and told by my cardiologist that I would need a new valve. He said my valve was too damaged to be repaired. About a week later my cardiologist told me he may have jumped to conclusions after studying my echocardiogram. A Transesophageal Echocardiogram (TEE) was scheduled the following month and it was determined that my heart was overall healthy and my mitral valve appeared to be ok. Left ventricle size is normal. Normal wall motion. I was diagnosed with moderate regurgitation with bileaflet prolapse of A2 and P2. Partial tear in P2. I am seen by a cardiologist annually and I already knew I had moderate regurgitation. I've had moderate regurgitation since 2007. I consulted with a surgeon in January 2023 and he reassured me that my heart was healthy and that my Mitral valve appeared healthy and that he thought I was a candidate for repair. He doesn't specialize in Mitral Valve Repair and said my case is a bit complicated because both Mitral valves need to be repaired. I'm now in search of a new cardiologist because I don't feel confident in the Cardiologist that misdiagnosed me. I'll be seeing my primary physician next week and will ask her to refer me to a new Cardiologist. Update: I'm still waiting for a referral to a new Cardiologist. On a side note: I was in a bad car accident June 19, 2022 (SUV rear-ended me going 40 mph while I was sitting at a red light) suffered back injuries, concussion, and other less severe injuries. I also suffered from vocal cord damage. My Neurologist said the vocal cord damage was likely due to the vagus nerve getting damaged from the seatbelt. Another possibility that I came up with after conducting my own rresearch is that when I hit the steering wheel and was flung backwards hitting my head hard against the headrest I may have suffered injury to my upper abdomen which caused acid to go up my throat and burn my vocal cords. Still the most plausible explanation is what my Neurologist stated. I now realize that some of the pain while lying down may have been due to the acid reflux. I had an Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) May 2023 to examine the lining of my esophagus and I was diagnosed with grade B Reflux Esophagitis. Esophagitis has four levels, fortunately mine is only grade B. It can go up to grade D. I suspect the injuries I sustained in the car accident exacerbated it. My vocal cords are finally healing and my voice is not as gravely or hoarse. It's taken almost a year for my voice to get better. I was prescribed Omeprazole (lowers acid production) and now I'm feeling a lot better and my chest does not hurt as often while lying down. I think it's interesting to note that Esophagitis can cause an increase in blood pressure. Now that Esophagitis is being treated my blood pressure is back to normal. Fortunately I no longer need to take blood pressure medication. I was on high blood pressure medication for over 1.5 years.