Aortic Valve Stenosis

 R C S  Posts, health: Its about the heart and circulation

                "Aortic Valve Stenosis," at first look seems to be no diagnosis at all. However, when compared to a great many other diagnoses, an aortic valve stenosis seems more precise and useful than do many. It is an unhealthy narrowing of that valve opening. It says nothing about preventing it, curing it, or living with it. It does point out an unhealthy state.

                Aortic, refers to the aorta. The aorta is an artery. A artery is a blood vessel which carries blood away from the heart an so carries oxygen and nutrients to the tissues of one's body. It is considered to be the main artery of the human body. It may be said to originate in the left ventricle of one's heart. A ventricle of the heart is one of the two large chambers toward the bottom of the heart.  The ventricles collect and expel blood received from an atrium.Their are two atria in the human heart. The left atrium receives blood from the lungs.That blood has been oxygenated in the lungs.

                The two atria are the smaller, upper, thin-walled chambers through which blood enters the ventricles.

                There is a lot of somewhat unusual vocabulary used when the human circulatory system is spoken of. Pictures help. I need help doing pictures. There are lots of useful visual aids available online. Its mostly free. If you find something particularly good, please tells us about it in the "comments" widow below this post.

                It looks to me like freshly oxygenated blood from the lungs arrives at the left atrium from largish vessels, one from each lung. From the left atrium, the blood passes through the mitral valve to the left ventricle. Blood from that left ventricle is moved though the aortic valve to the entire body, toes and brain.      

                The mitral valve is opened and closed through two flaps. It lies between the left atrium and left ventricle. As do all heart valves, it allows blood to flow in one direction only. A poorly functioning mitral valve can often lead to heart damage and death.

                Back to stenosis of the aortic valve. An aortic valve which fails to fully close or open fully or not at all cause problems. If not at all the problem is short due to  prompt death. For me the problem seems to be lack of oxygen reaching cells and then of nutrients not arriving too. Right now it feels as though even my heart is feeling that lack a lot. The more blockage the less life until no life at all.

                So, the aortic valve controls the blood flow between the left ventricle and the aorta. Remember that the aorta is the large important artery through which blood with its oxygen an nutrients are delivered to the entire body from toes of feet to brain complete. The aortic valve controls this delivery and prevents back flow. If the valve stays closed one dies, brain, body, and all. If it stays open the heart heart fails and one dies, body, brain, and. When it stays partly open or closed one partly dies.

                I have this in mind because I have recently been assured that aortic valve stenosis has been add to my spinal cord stenosis. It now seems my aortic stenosis is likely to kill me long before my spinal cord stenosis can do enough damage to kill me.

                 The following continues to be a bit about me. I am told that this process of narrowing of is common and probably not the first in me. I knew that because I have been diagnosed with what has been called a progressive spinal stenosis. And I have also been told that I have a sort of general atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis and that is a sort of narrowing. And then I have been told that I have collapsed moribund capillaries in the brain and that is sort of extreme narrowing. And now I am reminded of being called narrow minded.

                I am pretty sure that my aortic valve can realistically be called A key valve in my circulatory system. I have been privileged to see my valve failing to open and close fully in full motion black and white. And at the same time have seen the acumulations of calcium there that I have been told were showing up on my x-rays.

                I have been experiencing lacks of energy these days with less recuperation. I am told that it is probably do to my diminished blood flow. That sounds reasonable. I now have to rest during showering and must take breaks during dressing. I awaken exhausted. I find more energy at times nearly every day. I can eat at the dinning room table, watch TV, and do this, but not all at the same time. 

                I had feelings and episodes that now suggest blood circulation problems. My more recent experience of fatigue, exhaustion, and lack of energy came on suddenly just before the pandemic. That appears to be belated to obstruction of flow at the valve. Awakening exhausted must be related to something.

                So far I have been unable to consult a cardiologist, but believe I have and appointment for this month of January of 2022! 

                I continue to adjust my exercise program to my actual abilities.

               Thanks for reading.

               As always comments about content are appreciated.     

 

                                                            RCS        

 

 

 

 

 

 

         

A Book: Writing Without Teachers, an Elbow Work

  Peter Elbow, on editing, assertions, inspiration, and a way to better writing.             

                 Some notes of mine from a book by Peter Elbow about learning to write without teachers I am rediscovering that he seems to be a very good teacher and writer. I am learning from these old notes. Maybe you can learn from them too. I intend to publish some posts dealing with them. This particular post is about editing one's writing.

                Mr. Elbow's book was published by Oxford University Press in the early 1970s. It is entitled: Writing Without Teachers. You may want to find a copy for yourself.

                From my earlier reading and from my present notes I have come so familiar with Peter Elbow I feel I can call him Peter.

                    According to Peter, you may come to a point when you say, "I see what I have been driving at; I see what I have been stumbling around trying to say."

                When you agree with Elbow, ah, Peter, that editing means figuring out what you really want to say, getting it clear in your head, getting it unified into an organized structure, and then getting it into your best words, and throwing away the rest; at that point you are ready for some editing That seems a bit much and not completely clear. Maybe you ought to read Peter's book.

                Time to struggle for the exact phrase, cut out he dead wood. If you find yourself in trouble, it may finally be time to write out an outline.

                A useful outline is a list of full assertions - one for each paragraph. Assertions are complete sentences pointing to a real configuration. The list of assertions logically progress to a single assertion. Having done this you have worked your way up to a point at which you can work down through your editing.

                When you are interested in improving your writing or just a little inspiration for your writing go to Write With RCS at URL address: https://wwrcs.blogspot.com

               



                                                                                                                by Richard Sheehan