Ascending Aortic Dilation - Ascending Aortic Aneurysm

That’s fair and good advice ! Just wanted you to know . Every now and then I check this site and sorta follow certain posters.

think about it. Being upset does not help the situation. Take walks, ride a bike, laugh etc, relax, do your yearly scans . Or go bonkers and worry yourself to death. Your choice , you decide. All of us who have this know what your going through. I decided to relax and do my yearly screenings and hope it quits raining for a week.

I’m a female age 46 very overweight I’m trying to loose weight. I’m so scare of this finding. I can’t sleep or eat. I’m afraid it’s going grow bigger. I was told to watch my blood pressure and to lose weight. All i can think about is my kids. I’m so scare. I have been reading a lot. About this. I don’t know how i have this. My blood pressure don’t really run that high. I had an echo don’t it cane back normal every thing was fine. I found this on the other page where the finding was and they never meant it. Please someone talk to me about this

Hi @jend,
I'm glad you posted your concern here and are being proactive about your health with this new information. Were you told that there's an aneurysm in your aorta? Here's some information about thoracic aortic aneurysm https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/thorcic-aneurysm/

I'm tagging members @johnwburns @elsinann @teatime @thegoodwife @thankful who can share their experiences and provide some guidance and thoughts.

Jen, have you seen your doctor to discuss the results of the scan and echo?

I have to meet with the cardiologist and find out the details. It is an ascending aorta measuring 4.0 and the main pulmonary artery is 2.5. I am very worried as I am a huge runner and cross train with weights. I have low blood pressure but my cholesterol is high as is is heredity. I'm very active and have never smoked, am not overweight and eat fairly healthy so this was a shock. I am just hoping it won't change my lifestyle or shorten my life expectancy.

Good to join this group @jend to help your prepare your questions for your appointment with the cardiologist. @caretothepeople @joem and @cynaburst, what questions would you recommend Jen ask?

Thanks for the tag @colleenyoung! @jend, it's great to hear you are being proactive about things, and the shock is understandable - getting a diagnosis can trigger a range of emotions. It sounds like you're doing a lot to educate yourself and prepare.

Mayo Clinic's guide to preparing for a thoracic aortic aneurysm appointment may be a great place to start: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/thoracic-aortic-aneurysm/diagnosis-treatment/preparing-for-appointment/ptc-20122088

They offer some basic questions to ask the doctor including:

What's the most likely cause of my symptoms?
What kinds of tests will I need to confirm a thoracic aortic aneurysm?
What treatments are available, and which do you recommend for me?
What's an appropriate level of physical activity?
Do I need to change my diet?
How often should I be screened for an aneurysm?
Should I tell other family members to be screened for an aneurysm?
I have other health conditions. How can I best manage these conditions together?
Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing me?
Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me? What websites do you recommend visiting for more information?

It may also be helpful to check out these questions suggested by The Texas Heart Institute: http://www.texasheart.org/HIC/HeartDoctor/answer_1410.cfm
And the American Academy of Cardiology: https://www.cardiosmart.org/Heart-Conditions/Aortic-Aneurysm/Questions-to-Ask-Your-Doctor

Best of luck at your appointment...and please keep us all posted.

-Melody

Thank you so much for all the questions. I will be sure to bring those in. If anyone my age has this, I would love to hear if it impacted their lives. I am a single mom and very active so it is something I want to educate myself on as much as possible! I don't know if there are any studies that I could get involved with? From what I've read this is usually found around age 60 so it is so concerning they found this by accident while looking at a CT of my lungs.

@jend I wouldn't worry about it to much it wont shorten your life I had dilated to 5.5 over years from Marfan syndrome just keep up with doctor appts only thing it might change is maybe you work out routine to less high impact exercises to aerobic where you not raising your heart rate so high . .At age 39 I had what they call a valve sparing aortic ascending root replacement almost four years ago after recovery from surgery I have been fine just have to change my work out routine a little. I am open to go more in depth with my experience

I am a runner and work out every day. I eat right and in good shape. I just found out I have a 4.0 cm ascending aorta. I found out by accident through a CT scan for something else and then had an echo and confirmed this. I am a single mom and only 45 and scared to death of how this will shorten and change my
life . Any feedback would be great.