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welcome
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to heart to heart. With Anna, we're continuing our spotlight on cardiac athletes. Lars Andrews, who was a guest on her talk with Anna, wrote a book called Cardiac Athletes. He is now gearing up to assemble cardiac athletes, too, featuring stories about athletes who have undergone cardiac procedures. Some of the athletes were born with congenital heart defects, and some had acquired her disease. I've been enjoying interviewing some of the athletes who will be featured in the book, and today will be meeting, Greg Bassett said. Welcome to heart to heart with an outbreak. Thank
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you, Anna.
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I'm interested to hear about your cardiac condition, Greg.
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Okay, well, I never knew I had a cardiac condition until I started into endurance sports. I was an avid cyclist, and some friends said it would be a good idea to do try up on a multi sport athletics and events, and I figured if I was going to do that, I should probably get myself to a doctor and get checked out. So I saw a new position. My older physician was two up on all the wears on what fours of endurance sports. So I saw a new doctor who was a sports medicine specialist and during a routine physical. He said, Did anybody ever tell you you have a heart murmur? And I was quite surprised I said no. Yeah, no, I never knew that. And he goes, Yeah, I got it. Sounds like a slight heart murmur. And you have a cardiologists. I said no. I was in my early forties and, like, I don't have any history of this. And why would any cardiologists? So I got myself into a cardiologists who did all the tests and what an echo cardiograms came back says yes, you have a Michael validly. I'm like, Okay, what does that mean? He goes, Well, it's gonna get worse. It's not gonna get better on its own. Eventually, you'll need to get this taken care of. I was okay. Well, so what is that? Because because it'll take time. It will monitor it. But the important thing he said is, don't stop doing what you're doing. I was training for endurance cycling events. I wasn't competing in races or anything yet. I was getting ready to do my first Iron Man triathlon about that time, and he's like, you're healthy If you have any symptoms, please let me know. But other than that, keep doing what you're doing. I'm like, Okay, so I nearly went on my way. Kind of in the back of my head. Always knew I had this thing going on, but it never had any issue. So I had no symptoms. I had no problems. Years went by and in the late summer of 2015 I was back to my position for a routine physical, and he listened to it and he said, I think that heart murmurs gotten worse. First of all, I was stunned that you can even detect that only seeing him year to year. And he probably sees 1000 patients. So physicians just just amazed me with this. I said, Okay, well, it's time to make my cardiology anyway. So went back to cardiologists, didn't echo and he called me back the next morning. Said, Yep, it's now in severely leaking. It's time to do something about it.
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Oh, so even though it was severely leaking, I guess it had happened. So gradually. You just said that. Notice it.
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I didn't. Now, between those two years, I've competed in multiple triathlons, including seven full Iron Man triathlon. So I had no symptoms whatsoever. Ah, we talked through this for the cardiologists, and he said, because you were fit because you were exercising regularly and keeping in good shape and had no other issues, your heart just was able to deal with leakage. Now, like most endurance athletes, get a bit of, Ah, large part muscles and left ventricle starts to enlarge us from endurance sports walls little thick, and he goes in that beats a little stronger. And that's just a function of endurance sports because that probably is what kept you from have any symptoms. Now, you know, I was getting a little slower and some of my races and some of my events And in talking to other folks, another specialist, they will maybe that had something to do with it. But I didn't really feel anything. I had no Radic harpies, no arrhythmias know a fib. No, nothing. That was fine. Wow. So, yeah, so I was concerned. Of course. Now they're talking Well, we have to do open heart surgery, and I'm like, that doesn't sound like a good idea. I mean, I knew that's what I had to do. What? I wasn't really thrilled about it. My stepfather had open heart surgery and had passed away from complications of it, so Wow. Yeah, I thought about about a month or so after a surgery, his aorta ruptured. And it was Yeah, it was awful. So but, you know, he was in the seventies. He was older, not fit. And so I was going over this with my cardiologists and have me go see a search and start started looking around for surgeons, dealing with all the medical insurance stuff to deal with and found a surgeon and locally at a hospital. That came highly recommended. And so I met with the surgeon and he said, I'll take a look at your echo. I'm 99% sure you've got just a leak. That is. We repaired. You don't replace the valve.
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Wow, that's yeah. Yes,
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Yes, that was That was very good news. It was encouraging. So this would been about August of 2015 and I talked to the surgeon. I said, Listen, I'm signed up for this Iron Man race in July. Do you think I should go ahead? Just get my medical forms together and cancel the race. I get my money back. He looks me goes well, How many of these have you done? I said, Well, I've done seven. Says we might. Eighth race, he goes, And you not having any symptoms? Any issues? Now I know he goes. We need to start training for that race. Well, January's when normally when I start picking up for the race, the race is in July. He is Oh, you'll be fine and just kind
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of how you will be fine. I
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like Okay, you're gonna so my chest and stop my heart and fix it and put it all back together again and tell me I'll be fine to start treating for this race in January. You're the boss. Wow. I'm like, Okay, let's give it a shot. And I figured, you know, if you got the January and I wasn't doing well or something happened and he was giving all the disclaimers, you know, anything can happen. We could get in their houses all along, and I we made replace the vows. We talked about which kind of valve I'd want to replace it with and whether mechanical or ah, pig valve. We went through all the motions, but he was very confident and that made me feel better that I was in good hands. I was in a good cardiac center here in New Jersey and it was as comfort building experiences I probably could have gone through. So I make all the arrangements and he said the same thing. He said, Don't stop what you're doing, Keep exercising. I said, You have to cut anything back. There's no just keep doing what you're doing. You're healthy of no other issues. Don't stop whatever you're doing It's working for you. Keep doing it. I had an angiogram scheduled for the Thursday so the week before that I don't Grand Fondo bike ride and had no problems on that. His words were We'll do an angiogram just here. There's no blockage or anything else in there, so we can fix it while we have the hood open. Okay,
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I love the way these doctor stocks lives by them being that I won't say lax, but you know, familiar about it. It kind of takes away some of the scariness it does
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when it's going through this whole process as amazing as it is to think about what they're actually doing, it's become almost routine. And of course I did. What everybody says you shouldn't do is I Googled about the surgery, and I looked at videos of this, started jerky and looked at all. Yeah, the videos of the surgery got about 1/3 of the way through it and stop. It's okay. I don't really see any more of that. Yeah, all the information I was reading about it and all the studies stepped. It was a very high chance of success, a very high survival rate. It's almost like it's routine, even though it's probably one of the most invasive things you could do to a human body. It really is almost routine. And it's not that the medical staff treats it that way, but they're used to it. It's routine and the fact that they can address any issues as they appear. They know exactly what to do. Take care of it. A very strict protocol for the surgery, the recovery bits and it's all very well organized.
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All right.
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I had the angiogram, it came back clear and the next morning they have you prepped and ready for surgery. I think it was on the heart lung machine, he said. About three and 1/2 for four hours. Everything came out just about as expected. What they thought they were gonna do it is coming from the side to a less invasive surgery between my ribs because they wanted to get me back up right and training as quickly as possible. And that was one of the things that was so amazing about the medical staff. Once they realized that I wanted to get back to my sports, they were all in about getting
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back. I love that
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it was It was amazing. I'd heard in poorer stories from other folks who were told all you ever do that again, you'll be stuck to a couch or cardiac cripple. That wasn't my experience in the least. Wow, everyone was on board on the team, said, If we're going to get you up, we need to move on to get you back to training. You're gonna be just fine. And so they thought we'd come in through the side and they had me under that a trans echo e k G, and saw that I had a minor league. Still in my aortic valve.
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Uh, wow. So you actually have two valves with problems?
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Yeah, although that one apparently is not an issue, and it should never progress. And we're still monitoring that, but it should never get any worse. Still a very small leak. So he said, You know, while they had me understand, instead of coming in from the side and should something go wrong, then they'd have to stop to the stern economy under emergency conditions. He said, Let's just do this start economy. And so when he came out of surgery and was talking my family, he said we had to come in through a strong economy. He's gonna be upset. It's gonna put it about two weeks late of training. What'd you find? You know, if that's the worst thing that happens with this whole time, I'm fine with that,
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right? Right. Exactly. Another two weeks of recovery time. That's okay. Just if you could fix it. So were they able to repair the valve? Or did they are having to replace it?
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Yes, they were. They were able to repair the valve. They did the normal valve repair. They sniff the peace out that was broken and closed it up with the annular ring and let me back up. You know, I came to in the cardiac care unit and they got me back to my room a few hours later and I was good to go. It was not something I want to do again. Certainly the nursing staff was wonderful. They had me off meds as fast as they could, and everything kind of progressed from there. Fairly normally had the surgery on Friday. I was home Tuesday afternoon.
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Wow, that's remarkable. So did they put you in a cardiac rehab program, or did they figure that you would have your own training program?
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That's funny, because I was, you know, in this cardiac care ward and they had all these other folks in there from all different walks of life was really interesting hearing some of their stories. If they had them in there for bypasses, stance and valve repairs, what not and all of them were talking about. When can I start on cardiac rehab, right? Construct cardiac rehab and I heard nothing for me. They just seem like Okay, what am I going to do here? and this is all new. I had no idea what I'm gonna do. I'm a triathlon coach as well. And so I figured I was kind of scale back. One of my programmers maybe do it myself. And so I finally meet with my cardiologists about a week after the surgery, and he says, You know, if it looks good, you came through okay and ask me, I'm not feeling all the stuff. I finally get the question When I said when you any cardiac rehab, he goes, Did I say anything about cardiac rehab? Looks amigos. You're gonna find it boring because there's no reason for you to have it. They're gonna go in there and have you do less than you were doing before you got the surgery. You know you can do it. I'll prescribe it if you want it. But I think you know what to do, and you can get it. I can do it yourself and just go by how you feel.
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Wow. And you're not the only athlete who has told me that there have been a couple of other athletes also, who really didn't have to go through cardiac rehab. They just went back to their own program. However, a couple of them did tell me that they ended up talking. Thio a coach kind of like would use the jury already a coach. You already know the routine, but to go back to a lower level and then build back up that they couldn't go back exactly where they were, they had to go back a level or two and then slowly built up.
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Yeah, I think for me I had to go back. I felt like I was going back almost a scratch because literally they, you know, they said, get up, get moving walks every day several times a day, just down to the end of blocking back. And sometimes it was like that. And so it was very much like starting from scratch as far as my aerobic fitness. After the 14 days or 18 days they had me off from doing the lifting, that was just letting the bone Hell, that was the biggest worry. And then they said, start up that so I started back to the strength training at the gym. I belong to it the time and that really helped and then a week or so. After that, I started swimming again. Assuming is my sport as a triathlete? That's the one thing I could do fairly well. The biking a fair to middling in the running, Not so much, but get back or swimming again. And that felt really good at the time. Most remember the really supportive Masters Swim Group, and they were all good to see me backwards. Walking into the gym the first time into the pool for the first time, you know, in a bathing suit with this huge scar opened my chest. It was a little intimidating at first, but everyone was very welcoming. You walk the locker room and all you see these. I start widening when they see this bright red badge. Familiar chest. But everyone's very welcoming about it. Very supportive. So I got in the pool and started swimming again, and just getting back into regular training really, really helped. And so my training progress just fine and didn't have any particular setbacks at all. I mean, I was probably a textbook case. Forest surgery goes. I had no complications that they have me on blood pressure meds for a while, for just preventative and finally I asked him if can you please take me off? This stuff was having dizzy spells from irritably stood up. My blood pressure dropped. I get busy and I said, I just don't need that They monitored and they said, Yeah, your blood pressure's a little high and it had all my life to run high. I have a family history that they said will monitor it. And actually, since then it's been almost two years. A little
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over two years now, my blood pressure has got lower. So perhaps that would side there,
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right? Yeah, maybe so,
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huh? Tonight, Forever by the Baby Blues Sound collective. I think what I love so much about this D is that some of the songs were inspired by the patient's many listeners will understand many of the different songs and what they've been inspired. Our new album will be available on iTunes amazon dot com. Spotify. I love the fact that the proceeds find this CD are actually going to help those with congenital heart defects. Enjoy music Home Tonight forever, huh?
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The most common theme here is why she always needed a lot of attention. She had strokes, even though it's a natural inclination to withdraw from the CHD community. I think being a part of it, help me be part of the solution. Heart to heart With Michael Please join us every Thursday at noon. Eastern. I'm Michael even on I'll be your host is we talked with people from around the world who have experienced the most difficult moments
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you are listening to heart to heart with AMA. If you have a question or comment that you would like to address our show, please send an email to Anna Dworsky at Anna at heart to heart with anna dot com. That's Anna at heart to heart with anna dot com Now back to heart, to heart with them. Tell
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me what being a cardiac athlete means to you.
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Wow, it's kind of amazing experience. So when I was going through this, I was also coaching a master's group of swimming, and when I was telling them what I had to go through, what I was gonna have to be out for several weeks, they put me in touch with Laura Fujii, who's also a cardiac at least member, and Laura got ahold of me and told me all about the cardiac athletes group, and I merely got on their Facebook group. I'm a big social media guy and really, that was kind of opened my eyes to all the people who have gone through this and we're able to get back to where we work. That was my biggest fear is I wasn't gonna be able to get back to do the racing again. I really wasn't concerned, you know, It was a middle of the Packer best. I never really was ever on a podium, but I really enjoyed the spirit. I really enjoy the camaraderie, really enjoyed the training and just a fitness benefits. I like being able to get on my bike and ride over five or six hours like you gotta run for three or four hours. I wanted to. I just felt that was a big part of my life. I made it a big part of my life, and my lifestyle kind of revolved around that, and I wanted to get back to that. Whatever capacity I had. I didn't want to be left sitting on the sidelines, watching folks do what I enjoy doing and so became a member of that group was really eye opening. It really gave me the confidence to get back and really go after my training. And this part is I wanted to and get back to the racing again. And then I wanted also participate in Maur the Form. So I got in there was telling my story about my recovery and what I was doing for my training and how things were going well when things weren't going well and was able to share that. Think I held some other folks out. Becoming part of that community was a big, big part of my recovery. Being able to give back to the group was helpful as well.
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I love that I love that well. Would you be taking part in Lars is new book?
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Yes, I will. I told him that I would love to be part of that book, and I'm slowly tapping away at the keyboard riding up the story, and hopefully we'll have a draft text over to him in the next few weeks.
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That's fabulous. So if any of you listeners are interested, Larsen's book is available on amazon dot com, and I will have a link so you can check out the link. I think this is really going to be an interesting book. I've already interviewed quite a few of the athletes who are contributing to the book, and there's a wide variety of cardiac conditions that will be described in this book.
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Yeah, that's great. It was eye opening for me or right after I got home surgery. When I got the book and read, it was eye opening to me. How many different people got through this? All these different cardiac issues and how they really came through much, much worse situations. Like I said, mine was pretty textbook, but the other folks were having just horrific secondary conditions and medical histories and all sorts of multiple cardiac procedures. And they're all persevering. And for me kind of exemplify off rays that I had all the time called relentless forward progress. You folks put their mind to a goal to get back to the racing or even start their endurance sports careers and were just dead set on getting to that goal. And it was through that relentless forward progress that got them to where they wanted to be got that recovery got him to where they progress in their sport. And that was just a key for me. So it was a fascinating, fascinating read. I'm so proud to be part of the next book.
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Yeah, that sounds great. And I love what you said because to me, that shows the mind body connection and how you can if you set your mind to do something, you can persevere even in spite of your body. Not doing what you wanted, Thio.
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Exactly right
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with you at a plea to have fine tuned your body's so much. It must be even more frustrating when you can't do what you used to be able to dear. So I admire the fact that not only are you guys going through this and working so hard to get back, but you're all lifting each other up is you're doing it. And to me, I find that just so inspiring.
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It really is. It's been an amazing group, and I've just been so blessed to be able to have a group of family and friends and a tribe of folks from cardiac athletes supporting me the whole time. It's just been a wonderful experience. We felt like you're being held up by this big group.
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Well, I love it. Thank you so much for coming on the program today, Greg.
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Thank you, Anna. It's been great.
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Thanks for listening today. France. Please come back next week when we'll be featuring another cardiac athlete. And until then, my friends, remember, you are not alone.
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Thank you again for joining us this week Way Hope you have been inspired on Empowered to become an advocate for the congenital heart defects community Heart to heart with Anna with your hose down into or ski can be heard every Tuesday at 12 noon Eastern time.
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Tthe heart to heart with Anna is a presentation of hearts unite the globe and is part of the hug Podcast Network hearts unite The Globe is a nonprofit organization devoted to providing resource is to the congenital heart defect community To uplift and power, enrich the lives of our community members if you would like access to free resource is pretending to the CHD community Please visit our website at www congenital heart defects dot com for information about CHD the hospitals that treat Children with CHD summer camps for CHD survivors and much, much more
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