Kathy Howes has always prided herself on being active, and upon her retirement in 2021 was looking forward to walking more on the Trans Canada Trail near her Chemainus home on Vancouver Island. But then she was plagued by unfamiliar symptoms such as dizziness, fainting, anxiety, fatigue and a racing heartbeat — she just didn’t feel like herself.
To her surprise a test revealed she needed heart valve surgery.
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