Aortic Aneurysms – Introduce yourself & meet others

Hello, my name is Andy and I am a 53 y/o white male who just recently (this week) found out that I have a 4.7 cm Ascending Aortic Aneurysm. I am 6'2, 225 lbs and have been active all my life. I happened to find this on a routine CT screening for a Cardiac Calcium Score. The only reason why I even asked for the test to be done was for peace of mind. Well, my Calcium score was only 51 but what they did find was the aneurysm (Totally shocked). I have battled my entire life with Anxiety (Probably because I have been a nurse for more than 30 years in ER and my mind goes to the worst situations possible). Now this- How does one cope? Is this a death sentence? My Cardio Vascular Surgeon wants to watch it for 6 months and re-do the CTA to see if it has gotten worse. He stated surgery (Open Heart) is the only way to correct it and that usually is not needed until at least 5.5 or 6 cm, when the risk of not doing the corrective surgery outweighs the risk of surgery. I am sorry I am rambling, but my mind just spins in all of this yuck. Has anyone else been here? Are there people who have lived with this for a while? Can we live a normal life with just some moderation changes? Looking for positives through all of this.

Hi Bitsygirl, Thanks for the advise. I have seen so many nutritionalists and dietitians over the past 10 years. Each was referred by a specialist for one of my conditions.None of them knows how to diet for a heart condition as well as having gastroparesis- two different diets. I try to be low carb and low fat buts it’s hard. I love fresh fruits and vegetables but they aren’t good for the gastroparesis or EPI. So I do my best.Everything is done in moderation.Shaylyn4

@shaylyn4: Sorry to hear about your conditions.

I worked for a while with a dietician that focused on heart health. It was a worthwhile experience. I'd suggest you seek out a dietician or other professional for some advice. I think you have a tricky problem to solve.

I'm sure I'm making a nuisance of myself with my cardiologist because I keep sending questions through the Patient Portal. I get prompt answers from his nurse and she's very helpful and explains things. I believe it's necessary to be assertive (not aggressive) and ask questions and let your medical team know you're anxious. I make no bones about it. I have a follow-up appointment to my July CT scan in September rather than waiting for a year as I was advised to do. A year! I don't want to feel this anxiety for a year. I need some answers now. Research, this group, and messages to my doctor are helping me get a realistic assessment of my condition. Wandering in ignorance is no way to feel safe.

Hi Pamela - I agree the Docs typically only tell you the minimum. My apt back in June whilst perusing my Echocardiogram was “blood flow all ok, heart plaque diffuse enough so no issues, oh but hang on you’ve got a 4.4 root / ascending aneurysm but no issues we can review in 12 months - no issues until 5.5. Keep on with your healthy lifestyle and here is a script to double the bp med..”. I had no reaction as I didn’t understand what he was talking about. He then went onto the next patient (1 of several he had to attend to for the rest of the afternoon). I guess they know that if they talk too much at that initial stage they run the risk of needing to talk / respond to ill informed Q’s for a further 5 or 10 minutes and mucking up their schedule ☺️

Stop smoking. Do it now. I've given up wine and salt, and it's a pain in the you-know-what, but I want to be as healthy as I can. You can do this.

I had a thoracic aortic aneurysm repair surgery (open heart) 4 1/2 years ago, it went uneventfully, before surgery my surgeon gave me a >99% probability of having no complications due to my general physical fitness, among the things that he listed was the fact that I had never smoked.

Never too late to improve your physical health, exercise (cardio and strength but do not lift heavy weights), stop smoking and eat well. Find a cardiologist who is an expert in aneurysms, not all of them are, there are some that specialize in aortic aneurysms, ask a lot of questions, get comfortable with your Dr (he/she should have a plan to monitor your progress) and follow his/her advice, and at the top is controlling your BP.

Exercise and a healthy lifetyle will not only improve your fitness for surgery if/when needed, but will help control your BP and axiety about the aneurysm.

All the best to you!!!!

Stop smoking Now!, See a very good cardiologist. I was told that at 5 I would need open heart surgery. I’m 78 and by the time it’s 5 I could be 88 and then not a candidate for surgery. You have a choice. I never smoked or drank. I inherited this from mother. Both my brothers have already had open heart surgery. They didn’t have a healthy lifestyle .
Shaylyn4

Hi.My name is Diane and I’m 781/2 years. I have had an aortic aneurysm for the past 20 or so years. It started at 2cm and then about 10 years later it was 4cm where it’s stayed.
In 2009 I had a cardiac event - Takusubo Cardiomyopathy and I was dead for 71/2 minutes. Now I have CAD and atherosclerosis. I’m supposed to be on a heart healthy diet ( whivh I love) but I also have EPI and Gastroparesis so a heart healthy diet is not good for them.Does anyone have any suggestions or recommendations on how I can have a healthy diet for all my medical conditions ?
I go by Shaylyn4

I was diagnosed with an aneurismArota by accident mine is 4.5 five should I be worried I am a smoker they want me to quit smoking I don’t know I worry every day what should I do?