My first day of testing at Cleveland Clinic was such a surprise because the echo results were sooo different from my local cardio's who said I have a 3+ to 4, severe mitral regurgitation. At CCF it was a 1-2!! Well, that was indeed a surprise since my cardio has been after me for months to go there. The cardio at the clinic said, let's just wait til you have the heart cath. tomorrow and see how that goes. That seems to be another story and he said I do need surgery (coronary arteries are perfect so that's good). Let's do a TEE tomorrow. You all had me prepared for the very worst! It wasn't pleasant but it wasn't the worst thing I've been put through. (I have refused to drink that horrible gallon of prep for the colonoscopy ever again!)
After lots of waiting we got in to meet the surgeon and I was amazed that he could sit at his desk and bring my actual heart cath. up on his computer! I need to see what my daughter remembers about our conversation when she comes because I had had so much medication in those three days I'm sure I missed a lot. Because I am allergic to contrast dye the cardio prescribed 4 prednisone and 2 Benadryl at midnight and the same dosage in the morning. I always have a secondary reaction to Benadryl; it makes me feel like climbing the walls. During the cath. a male nurse kept telling me to keep my legs still; he might as well have told a bird to stop flapping it's wings and still fly! I told them I would need some Valium because I have restless leg syndrome but I didn't get any relief until I was able to get my daughter to get a valium out of my purse and slip it to me. Rule # 1 in my book is "listen to your patient: he/she knows his/her own body."
I have copies of all my blood work, x-rays, etc but did not have time to get copies of the cath and TEE but will try to this week. Every time they went to do a test they asked me if I were on O2 at home, seems my reading was 83 and they kept telling me to breathe deeply through my nose. Funny, I thought I was breathing.
End of the story is cardio and surgeon feel I DO need the surgery and the Maze procedure but felt they needed to get me anticoagulated better (INR was down to 1.2!) so it has been postponed til Aug 5th. I am on the calendar for July 25th but for the life of me I can't figure how to change it. Would one of you nice folks do that for me? Thanks, Barb
After lots of waiting we got in to meet the surgeon and I was amazed that he could sit at his desk and bring my actual heart cath. up on his computer! I need to see what my daughter remembers about our conversation when she comes because I had had so much medication in those three days I'm sure I missed a lot. Because I am allergic to contrast dye the cardio prescribed 4 prednisone and 2 Benadryl at midnight and the same dosage in the morning. I always have a secondary reaction to Benadryl; it makes me feel like climbing the walls. During the cath. a male nurse kept telling me to keep my legs still; he might as well have told a bird to stop flapping it's wings and still fly! I told them I would need some Valium because I have restless leg syndrome but I didn't get any relief until I was able to get my daughter to get a valium out of my purse and slip it to me. Rule # 1 in my book is "listen to your patient: he/she knows his/her own body."
I have copies of all my blood work, x-rays, etc but did not have time to get copies of the cath and TEE but will try to this week. Every time they went to do a test they asked me if I were on O2 at home, seems my reading was 83 and they kept telling me to breathe deeply through my nose. Funny, I thought I was breathing.
End of the story is cardio and surgeon feel I DO need the surgery and the Maze procedure but felt they needed to get me anticoagulated better (INR was down to 1.2!) so it has been postponed til Aug 5th. I am on the calendar for July 25th but for the life of me I can't figure how to change it. Would one of you nice folks do that for me? Thanks, Barb
Best wishes to you.
