 My name is Lori Neville. Like millions of other people, I was born with a heart murmur. It never gave me a reason to worry until after I turned 50 and needed my aortic valve replaced with a mechanical valve. At that time, I was working with another health system and I thought everything was great. But three years later, I started having symptoms again. Dizziness, extreme fatigue and other signs. This time, I decided to see a cardiologist at Mid-Michigan Health. I went to see Dr. William Felton. He ran some tests and he did a cardiac catheterization. The next thing I knew, I was facing another surgery. I not only needed the valve replaced, but they had discovered an aortic aneurysm that had to be repaired. I received excellent care by Dr. Felton. I'd recommend him without a second thought. He did a great job of explaining what was wrong and what needed to be done. He also suggested I have the surgery at a larger facility, so he arranged for me to see Dr. Patel at U of M in Ann Arbor. I had my second surgery on December 20, 2013. It took more than 11 hours. Dr. Patel and his staff were wonderful. My post-op recovery went very well and I was up and walking right away and was even home by Christmas. From the very beginning, I was really impressed by the way Mid-Michigan Health and the University of Michigan Health System worked together on my case. I received excellent care and the coordination care between them was outstanding. It's been more than two years since my second surgery and I'm doing great. I see Dr. Felton as often as he recommends. Eventually, I know I will need a third surgery. Valves don't last forever, but with the right care and the right coordination care, I know I can deal with it and come out feeling great.