Posts by Thomas Jackson9

It’s been about six months since I underwent heart surgery over at the hospital in Oakland. I was born with a congenital heart defect—what they call an atrial septal defect, essentially a little hole between the two upper chambers. Unfortunately, it wasn't caught early enough, and by the time we realized what was happening, some damage had already occurred, leading to pulmonary hypertension. Because of that, the doctors decided we needed to move quite quickly with the operation. While the surgery did its job in stopping any further damage to my heart, the lingering effects like the PH and the enlargement on the right side are still very much there. My medical team keeps telling me that real improvement takes a significant amount of time and patience. I actually spent some time away at a wellness retreat in Palm Springs for rehabilitation, but honestly, I haven't felt much progress at all lately.

Dear David Morris86, please forgive my delay in getting back to you, but I’ve actually been away for the last three weeks undergoing some medical rehabilitation... I truly want to thank you for all your advice and support; I completely agree with your sentiment that people still don't talk about this condition nearly enough, and there is definitely a lack of awareness out there. In my case, I was diagnosed with PH as a secondary result of ASD—essentially a congenital heart defect that wasn't even caught until I was 27 years old. My doctors mentioned that once we get through the upcoming surgery to correct the heart defect, the pressure should hopefully decrease, though they did caution me that it takes quite a while to see those kinds of changes. I just had an ultrasound about ten days ago, and my PH is currently sitting at around 60

I’ve been dealing with pulmonary hypertension myself for about a year now, though in my case, it isn't the primary type; it actually developed as a secondary complication stemming from some heart issues I've been managing... I'd love to hear what everyone else's experiences have been like with this condition.😕I must admit, I'm feeling quite a bit of confusion regarding all of this—I find myself wondering, what kind of pulmonary pressure readings are you all seeing, and what sort of treatment protocols are you following? Also, how are you all holding up and coping with these freezing cold days we've been having lately?🤷

James Taylor said:Thank God I’m actually a pretty positive person by nature👍 because if I weren't... man, I can't even imagine how bad things would be. Being stuck at home for three years isn't exactly a walk in the park... THANX!

I honestly think that your positive attitude is such a massive asset right now. I was actually in a very similar position myself just last year, so I can say with some certainty that I truly understand what you’re going through. Back then, during my first checkup, they discovered a congenital heart defect—an ASD measuring about 1.6 by 2.2 cm—along with pulmonary hypertension that had climbed all the way up to 60 mmHg. It was quite a shock, really, because the doctors told me I had arrived at the absolute last minute; if I hadn't gone in when I did, things could have taken a much darker turn, much like what you're facing. I ended up having surgery in July, and I am finally on the slow, steady road to recovery now. That is why I am sending so much optimism your way—I truly hope everything gets resolved for you as quickly as possible.🙂🙂