Heart Surgery "Aortic and Mitral Valve Repair"
Donation protected
We weren't prepared for the chain of events about to unfold.
It all started 6 months ago with a cough, it continued to be persistent and Joseph Curtis began feeling weak, chest pains/tightness and exhausted after any physical exertion. And that’s not good for a master mechanic. We made an appointment with primary care physician thinking it all was just respiratory infection and the doctor would prescribe antibiotics and Joseph would be as good as new. We weren't prepared for the chain of events about to unfold after this initial doctor visit. We were stopped dead in our tracks (no pun intended) and completely blind-sided!
On Thursday, December 6th, Joseph will be having open heart surgery to repair an aneurysm of his ascending aorta, dilated aortic root leakage as well as repair of the aortic and mitral valves. Because there are so many issues within his heart...the surgeon will have to decide the appropriate procedures to perform once he get inside the body. The anticipated treatment plan is divided into a few different procedures, each carrying with its own risks and potential complications.
Post-surgery healing — We have been told to expect a recovery period of about eight to twelve weeks following surgery. We have health insurance, of course - but even insurance can't keep up with all the unforeseen costs associated with a heart surgery and the life changes that follow. It has become difficult to manage mounting medical bills when Joseph is our primary source of income. Unfortunately, we were not mentally or financially prepared for this diagnosis out of the blue! Open heart surgery is often an urgent procedure that carries with it a lot of complications and follow-up appointments.
Taking the surgery and its recovery period into consideration, the expenses for open heart surgery are very high.
On top of everything, Joseph could be facing losing his job due to his time away which would mean losing his health insurance. He haven’t been at his job long enough to qualify for FMLA.
After a series of tests; EKG, ECG and chest X-ray where doctors confirmed aortic aneurysm. Another series of test were ordered with and without contrast: MRI, MRA, CT Scan, 2-D echo-cardiogram, EKG, Chest X-ray, and Stress Test. And his blood was tested for “bacterial endocarditis” Endocarditis, also called infective endocarditis (IE), is an inflammation of the inner lining of the heart. The most common type, bacterial endocarditis, occurs when germs enter your heart. We received some great news, the tests came back negative! No fungus or cultures detected in heart valves. Joseph and I were so relieved to get this news.
There are still many unanswered questions and consultations with specialists waiting to be scheduled. And we moved forward with additional testing, Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE) and Cardiac catheterization.
After three weeks of countless doctor appointments and testing, Joseph’s medical team diagnosed him with the following:
- Aneurysm in the Ascending Aorta
- Dilated Aortic Root
- Leaking Aortic Valve at 65%
- Leaking Mitral Valve
Aortic valve regurgitation, also called aortic valve insufficiency, occurs when the aortic valve doesn’t close properly, causing blood to flow back into the heart. This requires the heart to work harder. Over time, the condition causes the heart to stretch and enlarge and can lead to heart failure. Aortic Root Aneurysm — when an aneurysm, or bulge, occurs in the wall of the aorta at the aortic root, the aorta widens, causing the aortic valve to leak blood back into the heart. Mitral valve regurgitation, mitral insufficiency or mitral incompetence — is a condition in which your heart's mitral valve doesn't close tightly, allowing blood to flow backward in your heart.
Dental clearance before heart surgery: Prior to the surgery the cardiologist needed documentation stating that there are no identifiable sources of active infection in the oral cavity. This we did not know. Dental clearance before cardiac valve replacement surgery is necessary to check for, and eliminate, any present or potential sources of infection which may enter the bloodstream and travel to the surgery site. Many people who need surgery — heart valve replacement in particular — might have to delay the procedure for weeks, or even months, getting dental clearance for surgery may require one appointment or several trips to your dentist. Joseph received dental clearance after four trips to the dentist.
As a result of the above, Joseph has been unable to work since October 31st. He was almost immediately advised to keep stress levels at a minimum and to avoid lifting more than 5 lbs at all costs, which again, is particularly difficult for someone who's been working as ASE Master Auto Mechanic for over thirty years.
Unfortunately we can not afford all of the costs we're about to accrue. Open heart surgery is often an urgent procedure that carries with it a lot of complications and follow-up appointments. Taking the surgery and it’s recovery period into consideration, the expenses for open heart surgery are very high.
Please know, the money donated will be used to pay for medical expenses not covered by insurance and to help with daily living expenses until Joseph is able to return to work.
For those of you who have asked what you can do to help, your prayers, thoughts, well wishes, donations, meals, cards, calls, texts and grocery store gift cards have all been so appreciated. If you would like to make a donation, your support will help with current, pending and anticipated hospital bills, as well as required overnight stays, medicine and treatment.
We both thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We truly believe prayer changes things. You can make it past whatever you are going through - Amen!
THANK YOU!!
Joseph & Delores Curtis and Family members,
It all started 6 months ago with a cough, it continued to be persistent and Joseph Curtis began feeling weak, chest pains/tightness and exhausted after any physical exertion. And that’s not good for a master mechanic. We made an appointment with primary care physician thinking it all was just respiratory infection and the doctor would prescribe antibiotics and Joseph would be as good as new. We weren't prepared for the chain of events about to unfold after this initial doctor visit. We were stopped dead in our tracks (no pun intended) and completely blind-sided!
On Thursday, December 6th, Joseph will be having open heart surgery to repair an aneurysm of his ascending aorta, dilated aortic root leakage as well as repair of the aortic and mitral valves. Because there are so many issues within his heart...the surgeon will have to decide the appropriate procedures to perform once he get inside the body. The anticipated treatment plan is divided into a few different procedures, each carrying with its own risks and potential complications.
Post-surgery healing — We have been told to expect a recovery period of about eight to twelve weeks following surgery. We have health insurance, of course - but even insurance can't keep up with all the unforeseen costs associated with a heart surgery and the life changes that follow. It has become difficult to manage mounting medical bills when Joseph is our primary source of income. Unfortunately, we were not mentally or financially prepared for this diagnosis out of the blue! Open heart surgery is often an urgent procedure that carries with it a lot of complications and follow-up appointments.
Taking the surgery and its recovery period into consideration, the expenses for open heart surgery are very high.
On top of everything, Joseph could be facing losing his job due to his time away which would mean losing his health insurance. He haven’t been at his job long enough to qualify for FMLA.
After a series of tests; EKG, ECG and chest X-ray where doctors confirmed aortic aneurysm. Another series of test were ordered with and without contrast: MRI, MRA, CT Scan, 2-D echo-cardiogram, EKG, Chest X-ray, and Stress Test. And his blood was tested for “bacterial endocarditis” Endocarditis, also called infective endocarditis (IE), is an inflammation of the inner lining of the heart. The most common type, bacterial endocarditis, occurs when germs enter your heart. We received some great news, the tests came back negative! No fungus or cultures detected in heart valves. Joseph and I were so relieved to get this news.
There are still many unanswered questions and consultations with specialists waiting to be scheduled. And we moved forward with additional testing, Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE) and Cardiac catheterization.
After three weeks of countless doctor appointments and testing, Joseph’s medical team diagnosed him with the following:
- Aneurysm in the Ascending Aorta
- Dilated Aortic Root
- Leaking Aortic Valve at 65%
- Leaking Mitral Valve
Aortic valve regurgitation, also called aortic valve insufficiency, occurs when the aortic valve doesn’t close properly, causing blood to flow back into the heart. This requires the heart to work harder. Over time, the condition causes the heart to stretch and enlarge and can lead to heart failure. Aortic Root Aneurysm — when an aneurysm, or bulge, occurs in the wall of the aorta at the aortic root, the aorta widens, causing the aortic valve to leak blood back into the heart. Mitral valve regurgitation, mitral insufficiency or mitral incompetence — is a condition in which your heart's mitral valve doesn't close tightly, allowing blood to flow backward in your heart.
Dental clearance before heart surgery: Prior to the surgery the cardiologist needed documentation stating that there are no identifiable sources of active infection in the oral cavity. This we did not know. Dental clearance before cardiac valve replacement surgery is necessary to check for, and eliminate, any present or potential sources of infection which may enter the bloodstream and travel to the surgery site. Many people who need surgery — heart valve replacement in particular — might have to delay the procedure for weeks, or even months, getting dental clearance for surgery may require one appointment or several trips to your dentist. Joseph received dental clearance after four trips to the dentist.
As a result of the above, Joseph has been unable to work since October 31st. He was almost immediately advised to keep stress levels at a minimum and to avoid lifting more than 5 lbs at all costs, which again, is particularly difficult for someone who's been working as ASE Master Auto Mechanic for over thirty years.
Unfortunately we can not afford all of the costs we're about to accrue. Open heart surgery is often an urgent procedure that carries with it a lot of complications and follow-up appointments. Taking the surgery and it’s recovery period into consideration, the expenses for open heart surgery are very high.
Please know, the money donated will be used to pay for medical expenses not covered by insurance and to help with daily living expenses until Joseph is able to return to work.
For those of you who have asked what you can do to help, your prayers, thoughts, well wishes, donations, meals, cards, calls, texts and grocery store gift cards have all been so appreciated. If you would like to make a donation, your support will help with current, pending and anticipated hospital bills, as well as required overnight stays, medicine and treatment.
We both thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We truly believe prayer changes things. You can make it past whatever you are going through - Amen!
THANK YOU!!
Joseph & Delores Curtis and Family members,
Organizer
Delores Curtis
Organizer
Waldorf, MD
