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If you
smile at the bad times the good times feel amazing.
(Troy's saying) Hi my
name is Troy Croker, I am a heart baby.
I was born on 30/01/80. I was
a very unemotional baby I’d just lay there no smiles no
giggles not very often I’d cry either I was just lifeless.
When feeding from a bottle I’d have beads of sweat running
off me. At 4mnths I was taken to the Ipswich General
Hospital where I was transferred to the Prince Charles
Hospital, Chermside. Once there I was taken under the wing
of Dr Dorothy Radford (cardiologist) and Dr Greg Stafford
(cardiac surgeon). After many ECG’s, Echo’s and an
angiogram My heart was found to be1½ times normal size and
I had aortic stenosis. I can’t remember any of this as I was
4 months old at the time so I can only tell you what I can
remember being told. I had an aortic valvotomy.
The operation was a success. I needed no
medication. As the years past and I started school, my mum
could never stress enough to me the importance of looking
after myself (thanks mum).
I never actually felt like I was different
to the other kids, just that I wasn’t allowed to go on some
of the rides at Dreamworld. Although there were a
couple of school camps I missed out on because they had real
long bush walks on them. I was around 10 years old when I
started to get migraines and my energy levels were dropping.
During this whole time I was having check-up after check-up
at the Prince Charles with Dr Radford and Dr Stafford
keeping a watchful eye on my progress. We were told I’d need
another operation. A donor Aortic valve Transplant. I was
put on the waiting list and my list of not to do’s just kept
growing. It was frustrating at times but I always felt
safe. At 11 years of age I went under the knife again with
Radford and Stafford again taking charge. I received my
first donor aortic valve, Thank you. Recovery time, this one
I do remember and It wasn’t to bad. I remember tubes coming
out of my arms tummy and chest and remember being so happy
when I opened my eyes afterwards and I was alive. I
recovered in amazing time I think I was in and out of
hospital in less then 8 days, off all meds within a couple
of weeks. When I got home I found that my class from school
had put together scrap books for me and this helped my
spirit immensely. After a few weeks, I started going back to
school half days at first then a couple of weeks later I
returned full time. I was alive. |
