During the summer of 2019, Ron and I were escaping Texas heat, traveling through South Dakota by way of Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. Before we left, I had notice a twinge of jaw pain any time I chewed on one side. We already had all of our reservations made, routes planned and sites selected. So, I opted for Motrin and crossed fingers to get me through the trip. Things went well until a couple of weeks into our trip. The twinge had turned in that toothache the tells you to see a dentist. We decided to head down to Ft. Riley to visit Dave the next day, and, then head home.
The next morning, my jaw was swollen so it was most obviously an abscess in the jaw under one of my molars. Being retired military, we have the great blessing of accessing free medical care at any military base. While at Riley, we stopped in at the hospital ER for some pain pills and antibiotics. Being the thorough medical team you would expect them to be, the doctor explained he wanted to do both a CT scan and chest X-ray to rule out anything else. That scan changed my life.
The doctor came into the examining room with a folder on his lap. He asked if anyone had ever mentioned anything about an aortic aneurysm. Taken by surprise, I said nothing, other than Granny Alice had one that ruptured and caused her death. The doctor asked if I had ever heard of Marfan’s disease or connective tissue disorder. Again, the answer was no. He then explained that the CT scan created images of my upper torso from my ears to my diaphragm. The image showed an aortic aneurysm. He suggested I make an appointment with my PCP once I got home. There was no emergency, just something that needed investigating and monitoring.
For the next 4 years, I started blood pressure meds and a Beta blocker to decrease pressure in the aneurysm, adopted a heart healthy diet, walked faithfully, and saw a cardiologist regularly for tests and monitoring. Every year, the aneurysm got just a tad bit larger. It started at 4.1cm and grew .5cm with each scan. Each year I would ask about surgical repair; but, was told the surgery wasn’t worth the risk. Various medical trains of thought all adhered to the watchful waiting approach. It wasn’t until we moved North to the Ft. Worth, area that I found a cardiologist and surgeon that validated my views. Which were: I am relatively young and in good health, which would make recovery easy. I have a family history of aneurysms, and the aneurysm was slowly growing.
After reaching 5.5cm, we started prepping for surgical repair. That involved almost one year of various tests and continued watchful waiting. The surgeon’s rationale for the barrage of tests was to make sure there was nothing else cardiac related that needed fixed while she had me open. Tests and referrals included: chemical stress test, sonogram, electrocardiogram, labs, visit with a hematologist more CT scans and x-rays. It is a wonder I don’t glow in the dark.
Finally, on August 11, 2023, the ticking time bomb was defused. I am currently in recovery; which is brutal. But, the peace of mind that has come with eliminating one thing that could end life as I know it, is well worth the next 8 weeks.
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