newly diagnosed with Thoracic Aorta Aneurysm

HI Derek, thank you so much for your reply. It really does help to connect with people who understand the condition and the emotions which go with it. I have had moments of panic and thought the worst at the slightest heart flutter. I am sure that I will settle down once I get my head around it and I have my next scan in 6 months time. I will discuss with my doctor why beta blockers and not statins. I go on holiday at the end of next week and so I am going to wait until I come back before I start any medication. You made me smile with the work comment    Wishing you well with your condition.

Are you going abroad? Travel insurance companies do not like aortic aneurysms no matter how small. One qouted me £2000 for a month in America. How much if I go to Cuba I asked and she replied £1000. I just asked my usual travel insurance company to exclude it from the policy from then on.

I told the person doing my next scan about it. Ridiculous she said. If it bursts it will only cost them for the ambulance to take you to the mortuary:-)

I know a now retired elderly racehorse trainer whose aneurysm burst during the night and he was rushed to hospital and his life saved. He was back training and riding his Hack not that long afterwards.  

You are never to old for the operation if otherwise fit. I spoke to a man recently who was nearly 90. He had discovered his own massive aneurysm from a large swelling in his stomach. He went to jhis doctor and was operated on within three weks. 

 

Oh gosh, I had not thought of travel insurance. I think I am covered through my bank account but I had better check. For next week's trip though, I should  be OK as I am going to Malta which is in the EU and which is where I was born. Have a good evening.    

The bank ones are rather basic and will probably not cover pre-existing medical conditions.You should tell them of your change in health. Though as you say you are covered with your E111.

When I moaned about insurance diffculties to my cardiologist he said you can go to NZ as they have a reciprocal agreement with us.

I told him that I did not want to go there again but that I wanted to go back to OZ who do not have a reciprial agreement. Most people take a chance on insurance.

 

Thank you for your reply. As Derek said in his post, at 4.2, mine must have been growing for quite a while and maybe it is not such a bad thing to have been blissfully unaware of it. It is not as if I would have changed anyhting about my lifestyle because I lead a fairly healthy life anyway. I am now under the care of Mr Yap, a cardio surgeon at the Heart hospial in London and who operated on my sister. As you said, no surgeon will consider surgery before it reaches 5 at least. I have 6 siblings in total and they are all having echos and getting CT scans booked. We do not suffer from Marfan disease and so it must be some other genetic condition. My mother always said that our grandma had died suddenly at the age of 57 and in those days they probably would not have known if it was aneurysm. I have not told my mother about my condition as she had become very upset when she found out about my sister's. Ironically, my mother is 81, overweight, has high blood pressure  yet no aneurysm!  My sister is my inspiration and her post surgery recovery has been amazing. My work is not physical but I will see how I get once I am calmer and more accepting about the situation. All the best to you too.

Hi Larry, thank you for your comments. How encouraging to hear that yours has stayed the same size for so long. I am so hoping that mine will also show up as not having grown by the time I have my next CT scan in December. From what I have read, for familial conditions and also for Marfan disease sufferers, the growth could be a bit faster. My sister who had the surgery back in February has continued to make excellent progress and is nearly back to normal. She told me this week that she has started her Pilates classes again. Our other 5 siblings have all had clear CT scan results and so my sister and I are the 'special' ones. I have read that TAA is less common than AAA and that both types show up more in men than women. I have been put on 2.5mg of Bisoprolol which do make me a bit light headed at times and my blood pressure is now around 105/68.  One positive side effect is that I feel more chilled out which has been noticed especially by my work colleagues. There are now more and more days when I don't think about it so much but then I get back on the internet for more research and the anxiety kicks in again. It is good to hear that you have continued to be active and that you have such a positive attidude. Thank you for your advice and hope that you will continue to enjoy a full life.