Ascending Aortic Aneurysm

Guess I'll start a new thread on this, since it's so popular here.

In April I found out through a "Keep the Beat Screening" at the Arkansas Heart Hospital that I have a thoracic ascending aortic aneurysm measuring 4.6 cm. My doctor got me on bp medication, HCTZ, which has had a profound effect. My systolic has dropped from around 140-160, sometimes up to 200, down into the 110-125 range in a month. He also referred me to a thoracic surgeon who sent me for an echo cardiogram and stress test to rule out valve problems or heart failure. The tests were fine, no problems except the aneurysm. He then sent me for a pulmonary study because I had experienced a couple of episodes of shortness of breath. I get the results of that tomorrow, but just from what the technician said I don't expect any problems there either. I think my shortness of breath may have stemmed from an upper respiratory infection I had just gotten over. Now I get to start the waiting game. Three months and a ct scan to see if the time bomb in my chest has grown. My surgeon wants me to avoid lifting, sudden physical stresses and generally anything that might cause a sudden increase in bp. It's hard to treat myself as fragile when I have no symptoms.
I can keep my mind off of it for the most part during the daytime hours, but at night it gets to me. I got a prescription for Xanax a couple of weeks ago and had only taken two. Tonight I had to take another.

The waiting is probably the worst part, but the restrictions really only preclude intense activities. There is a series of Pulitzer Prize winning articles by a journalist living with an aneurysm. In one of the articles he talks about completing a race (triathlon) and accomplishing his goal of doing so SLOWER than he has in the past. A different take on competition.
http://www.mhsec.com/downloads/KahleWSJarticle.pdf

I was lucky in that I didn't have to live with it too long. Went from diagnosis to surgery in under 2 months, now recovering.

There was a lot of good info in the prior thread now closed, so I'll add a link to it here:
https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=42&m=1906319

The article that I was thinking of was not included with the other articles above, it is here:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204047504574384973660445730.html
Titled Older, Slower, Wiser, it's specifically about slowing down ... but not stopping!

Yes, my surgery went well, thanks. Been home almost 2 weeks now and walking about a mile a day and otherwise taking it easy.

I can start driving at 3.5 weeks. I'm not real clear on the path from where I am now to where I used to be. For now I am not pushing myself. I am to start cardiac rehab in a few weeks so that should help clarify. I was told that swimming for exercise would have to wait until about 3 months.

To AZ Don:
Glad you are doing so well and thanks for the links. Normalization really helps.

Hello all! I am a new member here. I'm glad I found this forum after googling a long time.
I am a 49 year-old male and I have a bicuspid aortic valve that was successfully repaired 4 years ago here in Finland.
A month ago I had my yearly ultrasound check done and the results showed that the valve is working well.
But they also told me that I have an ascending aortic aneurysm. The size is now 45 mm (it was about 40-41 mm during my operation 4 years ago). I will have next ultrasound check next year.
My blood pressure is at good level and I exercise regularly (walking, skiing, cycling, gym).
I was just wondering, if there is a chance that the aneurysm would not enlarge any more. Or should I mentally start preparing myself for an operation to come ...

Post Edited (Timo) : 6/12/2013 2:27:49 AM (GMT-6)

Thank you for your reply. Although I'm not a fatalist, I kind of thought the same.
Nevertheless, I'll keep on living a normal life while waiting the result to come.

Lex, Although my valve is bicuspid it has been functioning well so I had valve sparing surgery. Except for a bout of afib which sent me back to the hospital for a few hours, my recovery is progressing well. I am getting around well enough and starting cardiac rehab next week. I was told it would be 3 months before I could swim for exercise so it will be awhile before I get to try any serious exercise. There is a thread on my recovery here:
http://www.valvereplacement.org/forums/showthread.php?41644-Good-to-be-back-home

Although it is difficult to go in for serious surgery without symptoms (I had none), you do what you have to do. I don't feel particularly lucky in having had an aortic aneurysm, but I certainly wanted to take advantage of the fact that I was lucky enough to find out about it.

Last Banana,

Thank you so much for starting this thread; awesome info being shared here with each other.

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Ralele,
Much of the key info (to me at least) about aneurysms from the book is also contained in this article:
http://content.onlinejacc.org/article.aspx?articleid=1140497

There is also a lot of good information on valvereplacement.org and the Cleveland Clinic webchats:
http://my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/webchat/default.aspx
There is a section on Aorta disease and another for valve disease.

I understand. At times I feel that way too. I am trying to let it take a back seat though, at least as much as I can. Right now we're on vacation, on the road to the Painted Desert. I've decided I am less likely to die from this now than I was a year ago because I'm informed and I have a plan. I also have decided I cannot stop living just to stay alive. Hang in there. It gets better if you let it.

I am meeting with cardiologist tomorrow, but have heard echo results from my primary doc. I'm confused now and thought some of you with more experience with this situation might provide me with focus for my questions (and a frame for my anxiety). Thanks to the great suggestions by members, I feel like I have a pretty good understanding of the surgery and the issues of measurement and comparisions of risk of rupture to the surgery, including an appreciation that it is hard to get a clear measurement.
I have no symptoms, I am female, normal weight, have Rheumatoid Arthritis and I am 64 years old. The Chest CT which originally showed the Ascending AA measured it at 4.8x4.9. I was referred to a cardiologist. He immediately put me on lisinopril to lower blood pressure to a 100-110 range. He indicated he would also want work to drop my LDLs to below 70. He ordered an echo to check out the valves and the echo measured the aneurysm at 4.6 and indicated that the Aortic Valve is normal and in good shape. When I last saw him, he said he would want me to see the surgeon, even if surgery wasn't immediately warranted, to get his evaluation.
I have read that the CT measurement (if made correctly) is a better measurement than the echo, but I don't know exactly what to ask. I certainly would like to safely postpone the surgery, I guess one question is does delay put my aortic valve or heart function in jeopardy? When I try to think it through I get really anxious!

Nightinggale57: Good luck with your surgical consult. It must be very hard to rev up to go through it again. I'm sitting here anxious about 'not knowing how to evaluate' and I can see that 'knowing' doesn't necessarily help at all!

Last Banana: I just reread your first post and I feel like I could have written it---even to the part about lung problems during the last year from a rash of colds turing into bronchitis, sinusitis and pneumonia. I admire your attitude and spirit. Hang in there.

AZ Don: Great references, thanks. I hope you are doing well and feeling better and better.