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Aortic Aneurysms – Introduce yourself & meet others
Welcome to the Aortic Aneurysms group on Mayo Clinic Connect.
An aortic aneurysm is a bulge in the wall of the aorta. The aorta begins deep in the heart as it emerges from the powerful left ventricle, gently arching over the heart, descending into the chest, and finally into the abdomen. Some aortic aneurysms can be harmless; others can lead to catastrophic problems. I invite you to follow this group and connect with others, share experiences, exchange useful information, and learn about aortic aneurysms.
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Hi. I am a 57 year old male from Canada. I led a very active lifestyle that included exercising daily and mountain climbing. Routine physical two years ago, my Dr. said I had a heart murmur and referred me to a cardiologist. At first I was diagnosed with a bicuspid valve and then after an echo it was determined I had a 4.5cm thoracic aneurysm. One year later after a follow up it was 4.6cm. I also found out my sister also has a bicuspid valve. Probably the hardest part I am dealing with is the emotional part. Its the thinking game that wears on me. I have a very hard time taking my bp everyday as it gets me very anxious. I know I should do it but I know before I do it it will be high, and it is high. No bp meds as of today. White coat syndrome? I continue to exercise daily and the hard part for me is to not lift heavy objects. I feel strong, probably in the best shape of my life, but my Dr told me nothing over 10lbs. I am not use to this. Anyways, that's my story. It's hard to talk to someone about this because they are not living in my shoes. Glad to have found this group.
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1 ReactionBest of luck to you and yours.
Sending u prayers. Try to think positive thoughts.
Thanks for the info!!’
My Dr. told me the same thing that i had no restrictions until it got bigger. Makes no sense to me though. I work at a firehouse too.
You got this. You will do amazingly well. Keep the faith. Sending healing prayers 🙏💕💕
Hi - my thoracic ascending aortic Aneurysm was found following my first AFib incident. Meds, monitor, scan, and daily BP for a year and a half. Ascending Aneurysm has now grown to 5. Preop tomorrow at Seattle Heart Institute at the University of Washington Medical Center, with surgery scheduled for June 5th. The surgeon and cardiologist agree with the need for surgery. At 76, I'm generally in good health. Walking daily, eating well...mostly, retired from a high-stress job, hoping I can enjoy a mostly normal life following the surgery. At the moment, however, I'm suffering from high anxiety over what could go wrong and a protracted, painful recovery.
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1 ReactionHi I can only speak for what I learned as I have gone through this journey with excellent Drs. As far as i understand the limit on weight lifting has more to do with controlling your BP, high BP is the worst enemy of Aneurysms. Exerting while lifting sometimes drives people to hold their breath to tighten the core to support the weight, it is very common when weight lifting (bench press, etc) for example. If the weight is relatively heavy the effort is even stronger while holding breath, at that moment BP can rise significantly for a short period and that is dangerous when having an aneurysm. Think about the effort that you exert while lifting those weights at work and whether you hold your breath and have to push yourself. That varies so much that in general Drs just say limit weight lifting to 30 lbs or so to be safe.
Again, I’m not a Dr but workout frequently and asked a lot of questions to my Cardiologist and Surgeon, to ensure I was doing it safely. Before surgery I limited weight and intensity of workouts, After my surgery 4 yrs ago i restarted working out and today I’m pretty much back to normal, I’m still careful though. You should ask your cardiologist based on your specific situation at work
I work at a fire house running on the medic. Lots of lifting and carrying people. With your aneurysms do you have a weight limit that you can pick up? I’ve read where ppl have weight limits on what they can pick up. My Dr. says I don’t need any restrictions unless it grows bigger.
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1 ReactionIt is very important to know for sure if you have a bicuspid valve or not, I am amazed they are even doubting or contradicting each other, any good cardiologist should be able to tell you without doubts (cardiology 101). Usually an echocardiogram would tell them. Having a bicuspid valve greatly raises the possibilty of developing an aneurysm, and bicuspid valves are subject to deterioration and needing replacement later in life.
I had both and AAA and bicuspid valve, the AAA was fixed (open heart surgery) the bicuspid valve although slightly deteriorated was left in place as it still could last 10 years+, but I need to monitor it every year with an echo, it will have to be replaced at some point. There are also measures I need to take to protect it and extend its life, like taking antibiotics when going to the dentist as they are very vulnerable to infections.
It is important you see the right specialist that not only gives you the right info about your aneurysm but the health of your heart and valves.
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