Thank you, Teresa. This was my second opinion. I had gone to a cardiologist in my town who did not instill confidence in me. I then went to Mayo Clinic, and that is where I had the catheterization. I was told that the stroke could have been caused by some calcium deposits in the aorta that broke away and went to my brain. After I was treated, the neurologist said that there were just three tiny spots of brain damage, and I am grateful that there are no residual effects. If the stroke had happened at the heart/vascular center where I would have been if I’d stayed with my original cardiologist, I don’t know if I would have had the same outcome. I spent the 24 hours on the Neurology floor at Mayo with excellent care.

I will be having a CT cardiac angiogram at Mayo next week. After that, I’ll talk to the surgeon and get more questions answered. This is such a hard decision. If I have another stroke, my life as I know it could be over. I might not even survive the TAVR procedure. I’ll know more next week. Hardest decision I’ve ever had to make.