Linda Taverner
HEART DISEASE
Linda Taverner unexpectedly found herself on the operating table undergoing open heart surgery in May 2021. Always a person who took care of her health, Linda knew she had mitral valve prolapse since a diagnosis in 2008. For a person who has a mitral valve prolapse, the two flaps of the mitral valve in the heart don’t close smoothly or evenly, but instead bulge upward. In most cases, it’s a harmless condition and many are unaware of it if their health isn’t affected. In Linda’s case, she was aware of the prolapse, but it didn’t impact her health outside of cardiology appointments twice a year. But that week in May, things were quite different.
Linda remembers feeling exhausted that week. She chalked it up to added activity supporting a family member recovering from surgery. But Linda also noticed she kept waking up in the middle of the night and when she awoke, she could hear her chest “gurgling.” The gurgling in her chest seemed unusual and it prompted Linda to make an appointment with her regular provider.
On the day of her appointment, the physician listened to her chest and could quickly tell something wasn’t right. He called a cardiology colleague and shared what he was hearing. Linda was asked to see the cardiologist. The cardiologist listened to her chest and promptly told Linda that she wasn’t going to be able to go home, and would need to be admitted to the hospital. It was a complete shock. Linda didn’t feel well, but this news wasn’t even on the radar. A surgeon was called in and the medical team agreed that Linda would need immediate open-heart surgery. It was scheduled for Monday and Linda spent the weekend, including Mother’s Day, in the hospital.
The day of Linda’s surgery, the surgeon performed a procedure called a mitral valve annuloplasty. She recovered in the hospital for five days and was released to the care of her family the following Friday. Linda remembers the initial recovery was hard.
“When you have open heart surgery, you can’t use your arms even to get up and down from a recliner,” she said. Linda needed to rely on her family and friends who assisted with meals and helped her through the initial days of recovery. Linda shares that her family and friends “surrounded me and lifted me up.”
After about six weeks, Linda started cardiac rehab. The experience was truly helpful, and Linda says she “doesn’t know where she would be without them.” The care team was kind and helped her build up her strength at her own pace. “At first you are walking on eggshells. You are afraid to move your arms because your chest will move and you could break open the stitches. There’s also a lot of pain.” Gradually Linda improved and regained her strength.
Today, Linda is doing well. She still has to be careful lifting heavy things, but has regained 100 percent mobility. During recovery, Linda didn’t know anyone who had open heart surgery so she found a support group for open heart surgery survivors. She enjoyed reading their stories and learning from their wisdom. Linda is sharing her story today to give back to the next person who may have to face what she has gone through.
At her most recent cardiology appointment, Linda thanked the doctor for saving her life. He remembers her as the “miracle lady” and that warms her heart. Linda shares, “Without seeking out medical attention I would have died. But if you would have looked at me at the time, you might have thought I just looked tired and pale. I wasn’t clutching my chest or falling down (yet). That’s the thing about heart failure — you can’t see it. I felt very, very fatigued, but like many women, I still kept doing what needed to be done.”
Linda wants women to “take heart disease seriously.” In cardiac rehab Linda met several women, many younger, and none of them thought heart disease would happen to them. It happened to all of them. Linda also wants women to stay on top of regular checkups and to listen to your body. “If you don’t feel right, don’t give up. Find a doctor who will listen to you and take it seriously.”