New Lease on Life

Diagnosis and Repair of a Torn Mitral Valve Changed Rebecca Beasley’s Life
By Phoebe Warren

Take a deep breath. Exhale. Feeling your lungs expand and sink in your chest is something that many of us take for granted. For Texarkana local Rebecca Beasley, however, a deep breath of air is something that inspires endless gratitude.

Breathing issues were a constant, unwanted companion to Rebecca from childhood. She became accustomed to “spending days and weeks in the hospital,” as a result of what her care providers believed to be asthma.

In 2011, at age 37, Rebecca knew that something was truly wrong. She struggled to recover from walking pneumonia, which can be fatal if left untreated. “For days, I would get up and have shortness of breath so bad I could barely make it to my restroom,” she explained. “It took almost five minutes to get there, which seemed like an eternity.” Rebecca decided to consult her doctor, Dr. John Nix of Family Medical Group, and x-rays were taken of her heart at the beginning and end of a week. The short interval of time revealed that her heart had enlarged. Her doctor sent her to the hospital, and after weeks of in-patient testing and care, Rebecca was diagnosed with a torn mitral valve. Rebecca was then referred to Baylor Heart Hospital for a second opinion, where the diagnosis was confirmed. 

After a lifetime of suffering and uncertainty, Rebecca finally had an answer as to what was compromising her health. She knew a big surgery in her near future was inevitable, and the thought was nerve-wracking. “Knowing I had to have surgery immediately sent my anxiety through the roof,” she recalled. “I also knew that, without it, I would not live long at all. My ejection fraction was 11%, meaning my heart was pumping my blood at a very low percentage rate.” (A normal ejection fraction is 50% or higher.)

The mitral valve repair surgery took place on November 7th, 2011, at Baylor Heart Hospital. The surgeon performing the operation was Dr. Thomas Hoang, who now continues his work as a cardiothoracic surgery specialist at CHRISTUS St. Michael Hospital here in Texarkana. Rebecca felt that she was in great hands, calling Dr. Hoang “the best surgeon ever.” She was placed on a ventilator for three days post-op to help her weakened heart pump. She describes the three-day period as being transcendental, detailing a “beautiful place” she saw. “Long story short, this changed me as a human,” she said. “I see things in a different light.” 

Today, Rebecca is a creative and confident community member. She runs a home-baking business called “Becci Beez” and excitedly describes her day-to-day experiences as “a new lease on life.”  She admits that she constantly reminds herself she isn’t as young as she feels. “I have more energy now than I did growing up; as a child I always felt tired,” she explained. “I [now] have energy through the roof. I feel great.”