Bill Schramer was raised in Wheaton, Ilinois, and moved to California in the mid-1980s. He’s an IT professional with 35 years of experience as a Systems Programmer, Systems Analyst and Business Analyst. He was married in 1988, and widowed in 1994. He married again in 2003. After his open-heart surgery in 2005, he started volunteering with Mended Hearts. He’s the past president of the Walnut Creek Mended Hearts chapter. He’s now working at Safeway as a cashier and enjoys greeting and getting to know customers he sees regularly.
Actually, this all started when I was in high school doing gymnastics, and I passed out. After coming to on the mat, I ended up seeing a cardiologist, who explained that I had a rare heart condition called a bicuspid aortic valve. Further, he explained that there was really nothing I should do until I was older.
So, in my 20s, I started visiting Dr. Sally Davis, a cardiologist. She ran me through echocardiograms and treadmill tests, all with positive results. My aortic valve was fine (for the time).
Then, many tests and 20 years later, I passed out again. This time it happened while I was on vacation visiting my mom, who still lived in the family home back in Illinois. I was taken to the local hospital, where it was explained to me by a great cardiac surgeon, Dr. Marc Gerdisch, that the valve I had been watching for 28 years was now failing.
At this point in the story, I need to bring in a little about my big sister, Jeanne. Jeanne went to college and then nursing school to become a cardiac care nurse. She happened to work at the same hospital as Dr. Gerdish.
In November 2005, Dr. Gerdisch replaced my aortic valve, and I received the best care I could have gotten anywhere by the nursing staff that worked with my sister.
I had to remain in Illinois until my chest healed enough for me to fly home. So, I had nice visits with my mom, sisters, nephews and niece. And then I flew back to San Francisco just before Christmas.
I continued to do cardiac rehab in California, at John Muir Health’s facilities. After one of the appointments with my cardiologist, she suggested that I go to a Mended Hearts meeting. My wife and I started attending monthly Mended Hearts chapter meetings in 2006. After a few years, the chapter president wanted to step down, and I was voted in as the third president of Mended Hearts chapter 309. My wife and I attended several Mended Hearts annual conventions. I had the honor of introducing Dr. Gerdisch at the convention in Indianapolis in July 2014. I attended the conference with a good friend, Harry, who had just been elected as president of our John Muir Mended Hearts.
Earlier this year (2020), several things happened. Dr. Davis retired, and I had one last set of tests done under her care, where I learned that my aortic valve was once again failing and in need of replacement. Dr. Neal White became my new cardiologist, and after viewing the test results, he concurred with Dr. Davis. We all agreed to wait for a bit because COVID-19 had just happened.
In April, the valve started showing me signs. Dr. White ordered more tests. From the CT scan of my heart, they learned that the aorta was also in need of replacement. So, a TAVR procedure, where they replace the valve by traversing an artery in my leg, was no longer an option. And now I am scheduled to have another open-heart surgery. This one will be performed by Dr. Rameesh Veeradandham. Dr. Veerdandham happened to go to cardiac surgery school with Dr. Gerdisch. And the surgery will be happening at John Muir in Concord.
It is now a few days before my scheduled surgery, and I am sheltering in place after my pre-op COVID-19 test. I’m looking forward to the results. All of my tests are complete, and I am ready for the surgery. At this point I should also add that I am very grateful for that opportunity to have my heart fixed again, and I am looking forward to 15-20 more years.
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