34-year-old police officer Losalini Nikuciri is looking forward to returning to work and running again after undergoing successful heart surgery at PSH Hospital in Nadi.
Nikuciri, who is originally from Oneata in Lau with maternal links to Votualailai in Nadroga, says she was scared she might not survive the operation after being warned about the risks involved.
She says her health problems began when her legs and eyes started swelling.
After visiting two major health facilities in Suva, Nikuciri says she was told that her heartbeat was fast but remained uncertain about what was wrong with her.
She later visited PSH Hospital in Walu Bay, where doctors diagnosed her with rheumatic heart disease and informed her that she needed heart surgery.
Nikuciri says she was frightened because of the warnings she had received before visiting PSH.
She says the encouragement from doctors and the care provided by nurses helped her overcome her fear.
Nikuciri has thanked the doctors who encouraged her and the nurses who looked after her, saying their smiles every day made her feel that she could make it through surgery.
She says having the surgery in Fiji allowed her family members from Nadroga and Nadi, along with her police colleagues, to visit and support her during recovery.
Meanwhile, PSH cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon Dr Sanjeev Khulbey says Nikuciri was admitted with acute shortness of breath and dangerously elevated lung pressures.
Dr Khulbey says investigations revealed severe mitral stenosis, a condition in which the heart's mitral valve becomes narrowed, restricting blood flow between the left atrium and left ventricle.
He says after nearly 10 days of stabilisation under Dr Riappi's care, doctors decided to proceed with early surgery because medication alone could not prevent further deterioration.
Dr Khulbey says the damaged mitral valve was surgically replaced, restoring the pathway for blood to flow through the heart.
He says the operation was successful, and Nikuciri is now walking independently and performing her daily activities.
He says Nikuciri is expected to be discharged within the next few days.
Nikuciri is now looking forward to returning to the Fiji Police Force and hopes to run again.
She is also urging fellow police officers and other Fijians not to ignore their health and not to be afraid to seek medical assistance.
