I’m surprised that all of you seem to have a “let it be” attitude. I recently had a cat scan for my artificial mechanical aortic heart valve and a 3cm aneurysm showed up in my abdomen by using contrast dye.

I was at one hospital ER for something unrelated when the usually normal CT scan came back revealing the aneurysm in my aortic artery near the celiac vessel.

The doctor came back to the exam room and said “we are going to have you transferred to a trauma hospital for emergency surgery”. I asked why and he said I had that confirmed aneurysm “but it has a tear in it” . I said ok and off I went.

When I was examined at the trauma hospital. Their cardiovascular surgeon said “you’re going to have to come back to the hospital but right now it isn’t bleeding so the team feels you’re stable enough to be discharged”. Then he said that I should see my own cardiovascular surgeon ASAP.

I made a phone call to my surgeon and asked to be seen as instructed by the trauma hospital’s ASAP instruction but he said All hospitals say ASAP and laughed.
I told him that I needed to see him soon. He said that tomorow would be fine but “you know we have an appointment in 2 months”

I said it’s important for me to see you sooner and the office made an appointment for me the next day. When I arrived there I was greeted by a smug secretary. “You need to wear a mask and pointed to a mask holder near the door.

I sat in the lobby by myself as nobody but me was there Finally his radiologist came to get me and he did a sonogram or cardiogram ( I’m not sure).
After he was done he showed me to an exam room. He started talking to me like I was bothering him and he was clearly annoyed with me and he took it lightly and was in a rush.

He said “I didn’t find anything
( but 2 other cardiovascular surgeons did??) as he was rushing out the door I said “could it burst?” He turned around and said as a matter of fact it could but we have ways of treating that” (when?) “while I lay on the grass after jogging?”
People would think that I’m having a heart attack when I wasn’t. A burst aneurysm is usually fatal isn’t it? Anyway he just said “it could” and was taking it lightly before he closed the door.

Staff person came to take me out of the exam room and pointed to the way out to the secretary (who was still rude).
He said “ see you next year!” I know he had to get back to seeing other patients who had appointments but he basicallly blew me off.

I knew it was only 3cm but it’s torn! Now. I’m thinking of getting another opinion. What should I do?

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