UPDATE; The appointment yesterday did not, unfortunately, inspire much confidence in me. Asides from the fact he reviewed my blood tests, declared them ok, and then looked again and said "Hmmm, except the ones in red. Those are quite abnormal. Interesting..." He seemed to be completely out of his depth in what all my medications were for, and thought it would be good to come off them all and see what symptoms I had left that may be able to explain the abnormal blood tests. Reminds me of an episode of Good idea, Bad idea....
May is my month of specialist visits and follow-ups. Beginning yesterday with my Cardiologist, whom has increased my dose of Beta Blocker (Which works to slow the heart rate and relax blood vessels) to the maximum to try and get my arrythmias (rapid and uneven heart beat) under control. Today I see my General Specialist. He's the poor guy that got given my case after three other specialists couldn't figure it out and kept referring. I feel quite sorry for him.
I also feel a little mean. I think he thought he'd figured it out. I'm quite sure he expected me to come back in and tell him I was feeling much better, and my bloods would be back to normal. Unfortunately my latest bloods to check inflammation in my body are even higher, and I've been getting severe muscle aches even more often. Now I'm the one that will find it interesting as to what he has to suggest. Probably a different specialist since my body isn't cooperating.
Then I have my gynae follow-up to see if the giant cyst needs sugical removal. Tricky stuff with my heart condition and arrythmias. The onto the Endo to talk PCOS and pre-diabetes. Much fun.
But maybe, May will be the month I learn so much more. May might be the month my arrythmias come under control. I certainly am hoping for it!
Showing posts with label Heart condition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Heart condition. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Dilated Cardiomyopathy
So I'm sitting on my bed feeling a little unwell (A little, which is actually quite good) looking at a giant blown up T-Rex which belongs to Baby B, and I realize all his teeth are covered in toothpaste (T-Rex's, not Baby B's). Obviously when I gave the twins their toothbrushes this morning and asked them to bursh their teeth, they took it to mean to brush the dinosaurs teeth. Which is fine, oral hygiene is important. Anyway.
I thought it's time I did another profile on another one of my medical conditions. I think sometimes people don't want to ask, or feel uncomfortable asking, what it is I have. So far I have talked about on of my diagnoses in this post. This is number two. There'll be about five or so in all.
OK, so onto Dilated Cardiomyopathy. This is the condition I was diagnosed with 18 months after the twins were born. I'd been feeling extremely unwell since their birth. I was swollen, was short of breath. I couldn't sleep lying flat because it made me feel as though I was drowning. My heart rate was constantly rapid and irregular. I had lost all my pregnancy weight once I got home from hospital, and proceeded to gain it all back over the next few months, even though I was following a healthy diet and exercise.
The doctors told me it was because I had gained back that weight. It was also suggested I was depressed, and had very little idea of what it actually involved to have twins and therefore my expectations of myself were too high leading to anxiety. It didn't matter that I explained my heart rate was always fast, and got so fast when exercising that I felt as though I would pass out.
So I stopped going to my doctor. I sat at home struggling to do basic things for my children, feeling like a failure as a mother, as a person. I started to think I was crazy, and began to push myself to do all the things I wanted to, despite feeling so unwell.
It was ultimately this which led to my diagnosis. I was doing Tae Bo one morning, and my heart rate went into the 190's. It didn't go back down again. By this point I had serious trust issues with my doctor, and so left it until the next day to make an appointment. At this point, my heart rate had come down. I now had a resting heart rate of 160bpm. Normal is 60-80bpm.
To make a long story short, I was sent to a cardiologist whom conducted an echo and it was discovered I had Dilated Cardiomyopathy. I was also in heart failure.
So that also explained the abnormal liver function tests I'd been having.
The function of the heart is looked at by estimating the EF, or Ejection Fraction. A normal healthy person has an EF around 55-75%. My Cardiologist felt in someone my age a normal EF would be 65%. My Ejection Fraction was 30%. My heart was enlarged and I had fluid accumulated in my lungs.
I was put on a very powerful combination of drugs and was able to come home.
This post has turned into more of a personal story then the informative encyclopedia post I intended! I might leave it at this for now and tell part two of this story later.
I thought it's time I did another profile on another one of my medical conditions. I think sometimes people don't want to ask, or feel uncomfortable asking, what it is I have. So far I have talked about on of my diagnoses in this post. This is number two. There'll be about five or so in all.
OK, so onto Dilated Cardiomyopathy. This is the condition I was diagnosed with 18 months after the twins were born. I'd been feeling extremely unwell since their birth. I was swollen, was short of breath. I couldn't sleep lying flat because it made me feel as though I was drowning. My heart rate was constantly rapid and irregular. I had lost all my pregnancy weight once I got home from hospital, and proceeded to gain it all back over the next few months, even though I was following a healthy diet and exercise.
The doctors told me it was because I had gained back that weight. It was also suggested I was depressed, and had very little idea of what it actually involved to have twins and therefore my expectations of myself were too high leading to anxiety. It didn't matter that I explained my heart rate was always fast, and got so fast when exercising that I felt as though I would pass out.
So I stopped going to my doctor. I sat at home struggling to do basic things for my children, feeling like a failure as a mother, as a person. I started to think I was crazy, and began to push myself to do all the things I wanted to, despite feeling so unwell.
It was ultimately this which led to my diagnosis. I was doing Tae Bo one morning, and my heart rate went into the 190's. It didn't go back down again. By this point I had serious trust issues with my doctor, and so left it until the next day to make an appointment. At this point, my heart rate had come down. I now had a resting heart rate of 160bpm. Normal is 60-80bpm.
To make a long story short, I was sent to a cardiologist whom conducted an echo and it was discovered I had Dilated Cardiomyopathy. I was also in heart failure.
"Dilated cardiomyopathy is a condition in which the heart becomes weakened and
enlarged, and cannot pump blood efficiently. The decreased heart function
can affect the lungs, liver, and other body systems."
So that also explained the abnormal liver function tests I'd been having.
The function of the heart is looked at by estimating the EF, or Ejection Fraction. A normal healthy person has an EF around 55-75%. My Cardiologist felt in someone my age a normal EF would be 65%. My Ejection Fraction was 30%. My heart was enlarged and I had fluid accumulated in my lungs.
I was put on a very powerful combination of drugs and was able to come home.
This post has turned into more of a personal story then the informative encyclopedia post I intended! I might leave it at this for now and tell part two of this story later.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Monitoring Events
I was feeling irritated today. Everytime I moved, when I tried to help the boys get dressed, when I got breakfast, when I myself got dressed my heart was racing. I decided that this is enough. I made a doctors appointment (Well, Craig did. I hate making phone calls) and decided I am going to go down there until something more productive comes of it then "Let's increase your meds!"
Wow. It only took this one appointment! Colour me surprised, since it took 18 months for me to be referred to a Cardiologist when I was in heart failure. And showing all the classic signs.
Tomorrow I get my very own event monitor! I get to wear it for two whole weeks. Then they'll know whether an ablation would be good, different meds, a pacemaker, basically it'll just give a much better idea of what all these arrythmias are and whether/how they can be treated.
I really hate wearing these. Well, I've had two holter monitors in the past, not exactly the same I hope as those are HUGE. Guess I'll find out tomorrow!
Wow. It only took this one appointment! Colour me surprised, since it took 18 months for me to be referred to a Cardiologist when I was in heart failure. And showing all the classic signs.
Tomorrow I get my very own event monitor! I get to wear it for two whole weeks. Then they'll know whether an ablation would be good, different meds, a pacemaker, basically it'll just give a much better idea of what all these arrythmias are and whether/how they can be treated.
I really hate wearing these. Well, I've had two holter monitors in the past, not exactly the same I hope as those are HUGE. Guess I'll find out tomorrow!
Friday, April 3, 2009
SVT
So my next update was going to be non-medical related. But I left it too long obviously, because now I have an all new diagnosis for another condition! Although this has been ongoing, I'd had no symptoms for some time and so it hadn't been followed up any further. Then out of the blue, it hits. SVT
Supraventricular tachycardia. Out of no where my heart flips into this rhythm. Tuesday I was sitting on the couch. My heart rate went from 86bpm to 170 in a split second. It was quite scary. I tried to wait it out, but unlike the other times it wouldn't go away. It went for a total of one hour this time. During this time I headed down to the Doctors, where it was officially diagnosed. In the past my episodes of SVT were short and not caught by an ECG or doctor, but it's come back with a vengence.So over the last few days my heart has been flipping in and out of this rhythm. Luckily it resolves itself. The worrying thing is it's lasting longer than it used to before flipping itself back into sinus rhythm.
I'm already on all the meds recommended for this arrythmia so there's not a lot else to do to prevent them. Now I just have to wait and hope they don't get bad enough to end me up in the hospital. Or down the path of needing an ICD.Time will tell. Like all things with me, time will be either a healer or a giant flashing arrow that more needs to be done. You'll know when I know
Supraventricular tachycardia. Out of no where my heart flips into this rhythm. Tuesday I was sitting on the couch. My heart rate went from 86bpm to 170 in a split second. It was quite scary. I tried to wait it out, but unlike the other times it wouldn't go away. It went for a total of one hour this time. During this time I headed down to the Doctors, where it was officially diagnosed. In the past my episodes of SVT were short and not caught by an ECG or doctor, but it's come back with a vengence.So over the last few days my heart has been flipping in and out of this rhythm. Luckily it resolves itself. The worrying thing is it's lasting longer than it used to before flipping itself back into sinus rhythm.
I'm already on all the meds recommended for this arrythmia so there's not a lot else to do to prevent them. Now I just have to wait and hope they don't get bad enough to end me up in the hospital. Or down the path of needing an ICD.Time will tell. Like all things with me, time will be either a healer or a giant flashing arrow that more needs to be done. You'll know when I know
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