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.
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