Joy Paulson

Hi!  My name is Joy Paulson, and here is my story all about my valve replacement surgery, and the events leading up to it.  I am 23 years old, I was born in Rochester, MN and grew up there.  I married Kevin when I was 20, on January 15^th, 1998, and we found out that I was pregnant with our first son in April.  He reenlisted in the navy, and we moved to Silverdale, WA in June of that year.  Ian was born December 2^nd, 1998. 

After I had Ian, I got Sydenham’s Chorea(St. Vitus’ dance.), and went to the Mayo Clinic to get it checked out while I was visiting family in MN.  They thought it was brought on by the hormones, which it was.  It was also caused by rheumatic fever.  They told me not to have any more kids, and my husband had a vasectomy. 

A little over a year and a half later, we found out I was pregnant again with our second son.  In December of 2000, I drove to Bremerton Naval Hospital because I was having trouble breathing, and I was congested.  I thought I had Pneumonia.  I was sent home with a cold.  Later that night, my symptoms got severely worst.  I went back in to the naval hospital, and was admitted after they took my x-ray.  I am actually shocked that I made it there, because later the next day, I passed out due to my inability to breathe.  They rushed me to the ICU, intubated me, and put me on dopamine.  I was in a coma. 

I was rushed to MAMC, in Tacoma, where I was in the ICU, and there they found out that I had Severe Mitral Stenosis.  My valve was only opening to .66cm.  They told my husband that I must have had rheumatic fever when I was very young, like 6 years old.  I was med-evaced to the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle, WA.  On January 9^th, they did a valvuplasty on my valve.  I had severe Mitral Regurge as well.  I was taken out of the coma, and extubated the next day.  It’s weird, My baby made it through ALL that. 

On May 20^th, I had a healthy beautiful baby Boy named Erik.  As well as Erik was doing, I was still getting more and more symptomatic.  I scheduled my valve replacement surgery for the 27^th of August, 2001.  My surgeon was Dr. Edward Verrier, the chief of the Cardiac Surgery department.  I had a bovine bioprosthetic mitral valve put in.  I am only a month post op, but in a month, I will no longer have to take any pills!  Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I feel good, and I am no longer symptomatic.