Endocartitis - My Journey

From 2020 to 2021 Julie Day had an unknown serious illness involving weight loss, muscle pain and tiredness. Despite various tests and scans, no one seemed to know what was wrong. Until a blood test in 2021 revealed an infection in the blood which was life threatening. But where? Following advice Julie admitted herself to her local hospital. After an echocardiogram it was discovered, her heart had been affected and she was transferred to King's College Hospital, London. There Julie had another procedure that revealed she had endocarditis, an infection of the inner lining of the heart and/or valve, and it had so severely damaged her aortic valve that it needed replacing. She was then transferred to St Thomas's Hospital under their Adult Congenital Heart Disease team. Follow Julie's journey from the symptoms, tests, then hospital stays that included surgery and a pacemaker being fitted, to recovering both in hospital and at home. All during a pandemic. Julie has included tips on how to cope with the symptoms, being in hospital and recovering from home, which can be used for any serious illness.