Monitoring 4.9cm ... Feeling Anxious

Listen, you’re gonna be all right. You came to the right place and there’s a lot of people here who wanna be supportive. I will tell you that on the whole most general practitioners and cardiologists are not sufficiently educated on aortic risks in my experience. This is not the kind of condition you can ultimately treat with a pill once you get to a certain size. You’re right on the edge and the sooner you focus on on building a good rapport with a thoracic surgeon who’s going to do the surgery, the better. Peace.

Listen, you came to the right place. In my experience, most cardiologists and general practitioners are not sufficiently Versed in aortic risk to speak intelligently about it and certainly not to treat it once you get to the size you’re at at 4.9 cm. the sooner you Create a relationship with a thoracic surgeon who will ultimately be your best friend and surgery, the better. Get a referral. Peace you’re gonna be fine.

Thanks Moonboy, I know you're right it's not just a throbbing tooth, it does need action. I know you were being kind from concern too. I'm wondering if these beta blockers are causing some change in rhythm or intensity of beat that I'm aware of that has me feeling this anxious feeling. I never suffered with anxiety. Or if I ran through life pushing my best performance in all aspects that now while contemplating life, it's catching up with me...

The first stage in this process is getting through the terror. Then you make a plan, subject to change depending on circumstances. You're definitely not alone here.

Anxiety is just your brain’s intelligent response to perceived danger. I will tell you that the amlodipine and carvedilol that I take absolutely change my heartbeat and reduce my heart rate. What the net effect of that is is that I used to get a spike of adrenaline and an increase in heart rate in the presence of some perceived threat in response to it, but now I don’t. Now with those medications, that response is dampened and that is in congruent with what my brain is expecting. It gets over time. You learn to respond more calmly because that’s all your body will permit. Again, unless you happen to have a thoracic surgeon who has been on these meds themselves or had an aortic dissection corrected by surgery themselves, most doctors just cannot genuinely understand the impact of the medication. Like Dean Acheson liked to say, “Don’t just do something. Stand there!” A lot of people who have an aortic aneurysm may have gotten there by having high blood pressure and being used to overreacting to all of the perceived threats in their world. That has taken a toll on their aortas and now they have to learn how to do the opposite in order to save themselves. Peace.

Hi
I discovered I have a BAV about a year and an half ago when I was admitted to hospital with a suspected heart attack.
I’ve been on medication ever since and no mention of of aortic dilation.
After a recent echocardiogram it has shown that I am at 4.9 which is very concerning to me as it’s the first time this has been brought up even though I’ve had multiple echo’s and an MRI scan in the past year.
Booked in for a CT scan in a few weeks and referred over to specialist aortic surgical team.
Like other people I'm feeling very anxious as I have 3 children.

Getting news like this, especially when it wasn’t mentioned in previous scans, can be overwhelming. It’s completely understandable to feel anxious, especially with your family in mind. The good news is that you’re now being monitored closely and have a specialist aortic team involved. A 4.9 cm dilation is significant, but many people live with aortic aneurysms for years under careful observation. The CT scan will give a clearer picture, and your doctors will assess whether surgery is needed or if they’ll continue monitoring it for now.

Try to take it one step at a time. You’re doing everything right by staying informed and seeking expert care. Focus on what you can control—managing blood pressure, avoiding heavy lifting, and taking your medication as prescribed. You’re not alone in this. Many of us have been where you are, and we understand the fear. I suddenly dissected in 2015. It was a nightmare. I wish I would have known I had a problem before that but now you KNOW that you're at risk and can do something about it. But with the right care, many people go on to live full lives. After 10 years, I'm here talking to you. I have five kids and my sudden dissection, 1600 miles from home, was a nightmare for my wife. You will be fine. Listen to your thoracic surgeon. Keep asking questions, stay engaged with your medical team, and know that you have support. Peace.

It is surprising the dilation (aneurysm) was not discovered before with all the tests you had, especially having been hospitalized for a cardiac issue. Anyway, as @moonboy says you know you have it and can do something about it. The only additional thing I can add as I mentioned before is to take care of your body, you want to be at your best when you need the surgery (if it's confirmed at 4.9 it seems inevitable at some point), stay active, exercise (sensibly), control your BP, if you smoke stop. In my case they left my BAV as it was highly functional and in maybe 10 years or so may get replaced but now that the aneurysm has been taken care of, it can be done via catheter, which as very routine operation. we can't stress it enough, find the best surgeon you can find, and a cardilogyst that specializes on aortic issues, it make a big difference.

I wish you the best!!!!!