Second open-heart surgery at 24.

Here is another article written in Afrikaans and printed in Die Beeld, a South African newspaper, shortly after my second open-heart surgery, in 1995.

Ná 20jaar raak vark se hartklep eers onklaar. Barbara Steynberg en Helena Schutte
(After 20 years, pig's heart valve starts to fail.) 

ILLUSTRASIE:foto: Christopher Ruddick en Marijani Fourie op hul troudag in San Diego. Marijani het twintig jaar gelede 'n unieke hartoperasie in die Rooi Kruis-Kinderhospitaal in Kaapstad ondergaan waarin 'n hartklep van 'n vark in haar oorgeplant is deur die bekende hartchirurg dr. Chris Barnard. Dié varkklep is verlede week ná twintig jaar vervang deur 'n kunsmatige klep.

SELFS die Amerikaners was verbaas om te hoor 'n klein otjie kon 'n
mens se hart só warm en lank laat klop.
Só goed het dit gegaan met die vierjarige meisie van Port Elizabeth
in wie dr. Chris Barnard in 1975 'n hartklep van 'n vark oorgeplant
het, dat sy ná twintig jaar steeds ''spekvet en gesond '' is.
Eers nou het Marijani Fourie (24) van San Diego in Amerika 'n
operasie ondergaan om die varkhartklep te vervang deur 'n kunsmatige
klep nadat die eerste een begin verkalk het. Die operasie is verlede
week in die mediese sentrum aan die Universiteit van Kalifornië
gedoen.
Marijani is oorspronklik van Suid-Afrika, maar woon reeds agt jaar
saam met haar ma Delina en Andries, haar broer, in Amerika.
Marijani het van haar huis in Amerika gesê sy sterk nou goed aan ná
die operasie van vier uur. ''Ek kan nou nie in die Olimpiese Spele
hardloop nie, maar kan darem 'n normale lewe lei.''
Dr. Jolene Kriett, haar chirurg, het gesê sy is verstom oor dr.
Barnard se tegniek en kan nie glo die varkklep het so lank gehou
nie, het Marijani gesê.
Marijani het 'n aangebore hartdefek. Die hartwand tussen die
onderste twee kamers van haar hart het 'n groot gat gehad sodat dié
twee kamers nie behoorlik van mekaar geskei was nie. Met haar eerste
operasie op vierjarige ouderdom is die probleem uitgeskakel. In die
proses is 'n hartklep van 'n vark gebruik.
Die operasie het destyds groot opspraak in die mediese wêreld gewek
vanweë die uniekheid daarvan.
Ná twintig jaar het dié klep verkalk en was 'n tweede oorplanting
nodig.
Marijani sê dokters het haar gewaarsku dat sy nie kinders sou kon
hê nie, maar vertel sommer dadelik trots van haar woelwater
seuntjie, Clave (3), wat in die kleuterskool is. Sy is getroud met
Christopher Ruddick, 'n marinier.
Mnr. Jan Fourie van Johannesburg, haar pa, sê hy en sy vrou
Almari sien uit daarna om later vanjaar vir Marijani en haar gesin
te gaan kuier.

---

It basically says that I underwent my second open-heart surgery at the age of 24, at UC San Diego. My surgeon was Dr. Jolene Kriett, who is quoted as saying that she was amazed by Dr. Barnard's technique and could hardly believe that my pig's valve lasted for 20 years.

My second heart surgery only took 4 hours and the recovery seemed easier than expected. After 6 weeks I was taking care of my 3 year old, had moved back to Sacramento, and was exercising. Unfortunately, things took a turn a couple of months later when I became increasingly fatigued. I also developed a lot of strange and unexplained symptoms such as vertigo, joint pain, unrefreshing sleep, indigestion/nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, and brain fog. I was eventually diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and later with Fibromyalgia. I had hoped to lead a productive life after my second open-heart surgery, to go to college full-time, pursue a career and care for my son. Sadly, things didn't turn out that way and I was forced to scale down my plans considerably. Accepting my new normal was very challenging. Pacing has never been my strong suit, but I had to accept that it's a lesson I need to learn. Finding a balance between pushing myself to accomplish things and accepting my limitations is something I am still working on, to this day.

My early heart history.

This is an article that was printed in a South African newspaper regarding my surgery. It's written in Afrikaans and titled, Port Elizabeth Girl Has Pig's Valve in Heart.

Hi everyone! I am brand new to the world of blogging and excited about sharing my experiences with the Congenital Heart Defect community and beyond. I will begin with a little history. I was born in Pretoria, South Africa and diagnosed with Truncus Arteriosus Type 2. After many bouts of pneumonia and 4 grueling years I was finally operated on by Dr. Christiaan Barnard and his team on April 22, 1975, at the Red Cross Children's Hospital in Cape Town. The surgery was a success and after 40 days in the hospital I went home to Port Elizabeth, where I spent most of my time trying to keep up with my older brother. At 16 I moved to the United States with my mother and eventually settled in Sacramento, CA. While my health was relatively good growing up I did tire easily and was never able to take part in any sport. My parents had been told that my aortic pig's valve would probably last 10-15 years, but I didn't start to see any signs of deterioration until I was pregnant with my son at age 21. The pregnancy and delivery were truly exhausting and my heart never felt the same after that. I never had another child but feel very blessed to have had my son, especially since  I was told by my cardiologist that I most likely wouldn't be able to have any children. I have always considered myself to be both very lucky and rather unlucky. I was born with a rare and complex heart defect, but in the right place and at the right time to have one of the best cardiac surgeons in the world. Luck and perseverance has brought me this far and I am grateful for everything I have had the opportunity to see and do.

Me, shortly after my first open-heart surgery in Cape Town, South Africa, 1975.