Teacher with mitral valve prolapse

[CorbynsComrade]

I’m second in department and work in a large college. While my teaching hours are reduced I still do teach.

I have mitral valve prolapse which classes as a heart condition. It’s very mild, and I have no symptoms. However, I see a cardiologist every 5 years to check everything is OK, I’m sometimes given precautionary antibiotics, and I get a flu jab annually. I also qualified for a pneumonia jab.

So should I still be working? Should I be approaching my employer about this? I really don’t know what I’m expected to do.

What really got me worried is that when I was younger (and stupid) I would put the flu jab off. This was until a nurse told me the reason I got one was because viral infections like flu could put an increased strain on my heart and that I was more prone to the valve becoming infected. She also mentioned something about not being a burden to the NHS... So WWYD?

I have severe mitral valve prolapse and should have had urgent surgery in the next two weeks, but the hospital are doing emergency surgeries and I am stable. Up until February I had been told it was mild. Then I had an echo and it had suddenly become severe without me knowing. They don’t know why or how.

I have been told to self isolate for 12 weeks and my advice to you would be to do the same.

Self isolate. Someone close to me had prolapsed mitral valve. When in hospital it got an inection on it, which caused all manner of problems from stroke to pneumonia. Obviously this person was already ill with their valve and already in hospital - but trust me - you really really really need to look after that valve and not expose it to any infection - particularly this one which seems to love attacking heart and lungs

If I were you I would self isolate.

I have ME and, if I were still teaching, I would have gone in today and epxlained that I was self isolating as of this weekend, offered to work via internet and then expected them to have responded well to it!