....beginning to develop Symptoms???

[BillB]

Hello Everyone....I haven't posted for quite a bit but I assure you, I've been following all the postings on a very regular basis...VR.com is a very important part of my daily life...THANKS!!!!

As a refresher, I'm a 56 Y.O male with BAV and a 4.5 ascending anuerysm and until a few weeks ago I "think" I have been nearly completely asymptomatic. My only physical symptom that seemed rather odd is when carrying a shoulder-type computer carry-on bag for rather short periods of time, I'd get a strange, but not overwhelming tightness in my upper chest. The carry-on might only weigh 5-10 pounds...no pain, but again just a strange tight feeling. When describing this to my cardio 6 months ago, he felt that it was probably not a sympton related to my condition.

In the last few weeks though, there have days whereas a feel as though I just "want to crawl outa my skin......" feeling a bit nervous and outa sorts. Some afternoons, I am feel exhausted (no SOB), feeling as if my arms weight a ton. I've had 2 mini-occasions this week where I couldn't focus my eyes for aproximately 10-15 seconds...then everything returned to normal. Lastly, I am really sensitive to temperature extremes. If I get a bit warm (e.g. wearing a sweatshirt in a warm room) I tend to feel a bit nausous. Needless to say clothes are going on and off quickly depending on room temperature.

Could any or all of these things be the beginning of symtoms, or might this just be mental things predicated with just being in the "waiting room" too long.

As a side note.....last November (05), my surgeon recommended that I have my OHS within 6-12 months. In September, my wife and I went to visit the surgeon to schedule the procedure...I was (an still am) mentally prepared to get the procedure done. After an echo and CT, the surgeon stated that the aneurysm is stabile at 4.5, and the valve has degraded a bit. He flip-flopped and suggested that I "could" hold off a bit on the procedure...(although if I preferred, it could be done anytime!) The mental roller coaster has been especially tough after one long year of mental preparation!

Has anyone on VR.com experienced any of the above, and might they be considered SYMPTOMS?? Or could they be stress related symptoms from waiting...and waiting...and waiting?!?!

Anyway...thanks for reading my ramblings....

BillB

 

[jbrown413]

great questions bill...

great questions bill...

[hi bill -- i will be in these [] things thru-out your message...]

Hello Everyone....I haven't posted for quite a bit but I assure you, I've been following all the postings on a very regular basis...VR.com is a very important part of my daily life...THANKS!!!!

[like here...]

As a refresher, I'm a 56 Y.O male with BAV and a 4.5 ascending anuerysm and until a few weeks ago I "think" I have been nearly completely asymtomatic.

[and i am 51 yo, had a bicuspid aorta replacement in 1995, and just discovered a 5.8 cm ascending aortic aneurysm within the past week or so.]

My only physical symptom that seemed rather odd is when carrying a shoulder-type computer carry-on bag for rather short periods of time, I'd get a strange, but not overwhelming tightness in my upper chest. The carry-on might only weigh 5-10 pounds...no pain, but again just a strange tight feeling. When describing this to my cardio 6 months ago, he felt that it was probably not a sympton related to my condition.

In the last few weeks though, there have days whereas a feel as though I just "want to crawl outa my skin......" feeling a bit nervous and outa sorts. Some afternoons, I am feel exhausted (no SOB), feeling as if my arms weight a ton. I've had 2 mini-occasions this week where I couldn't focus my eyes for aprowimately 10-15 seconds...then everything returned to normal. Lastly, I am really sensitive to temperature extremes. If I get a bit warm (e.g. wearing a sweatshirt in a warm room) I tend to very quickly feel a bit nausous.

Could any or all of these things be the beginning of symtoms, or might this just be mental things predicated with just being in the "waiting room" too long.

[of course i can not tell if what you are experiencing are symptoms. they sound very much like what i have been experiencing. but i have only been experiencing these since being told of my condition. hence, for myself, i tend to attribute them to anxiety. i know alot about anxiety as i am a behavioral psychologist who specializes in treating anxiety. i certainly know that anyone, myself included, would naturally become more hyper-vigilant about physical symptoms after being told they had an aneurysm. and i know i have been doing that. so maybe you are too? if you go to the thread about my situation here on the forum, (use advanced search for user name jbrown413) you can read of others experiences with actual dissections, and most of them report sharp, strong pains, certainly not the little sensations i have been noticing.]

As a side note.....last November (05), my surgeon recommended that I have my OHS within 6-12 months. In September, my wife and I went to visit the surgeon to schedule the procedure...I was (an still am) mentally prepared to get the procedure done. After an echo and CT, the surgeon stated that the aneurysm is stabile at 4.5, and the valve has degraded a bit. He flip-flopped and suggested that I "could" hold off a bit on the procedure...(although if I wanted, I could have it done anytime!) The mental roller coaster has been especially tough after one long year of mental preparation!

[ i, for one, want to do this asap, but i also think i am in a much worse place aneurysm-wise, being a bicuspid person with an aneurysm larger than 5.0. i also had no choice to make when the valve was replaced, as i had developed congestive heart failure it was so deteriorated. luckily for me, both the surgeries will be done over the winter so as not to interfere with golfing. so if you happen to be a golfer, go for it now, and youll be back on the links by april. hope this was helpful. -- joe]

Has anyone on VR.com experienced any of the above, and might they be considered SYMPTOMS?? Or might it just stress related symptoms of waiting...and waiting...and waiting!

Anyway...thanks for reading my ramblings....

BillB

 

[Oslo73]

Eyes

Eyes

Hi BillB!

I have experienced the same thing with the eyes coming out of focus.
Once in July and the other a month later. It lasted about 10-30 seconds.
I found it very frightening.
This happened before my appointment with the cardiologist.
I told him what had happened, but he didn`t say if it was my aortic valve
that caused it or not. I think he was more conserned with the fainting when I
stood up peeing.

What I do know is that I have AVR on Thursday this week.
I have not had such an experience with my eyes earlier.

I guess it has something to do with my valve, but I could be wrong.

Other people have probably had similar experience without a heart issue.

 

[MrP]

Prior to surgery for an ascending aortic aneurysm , my chest pain was sharp or knifelike lasting typically a few seconds and never more than 30 seconds. The chest pain became more frequent and was not positional or necessarily preceeded by exercise. I was told this pain was most likely due to stretching of the aortic media. I also sometimes had back pain just below my left shoulderblade...but this was rare. In the month prior to surgery, I also had an intermittent cough without a sore throat...this was a single, quick hack or cough "out of the blue" and occurred less than 10 times a day.

I also had BAV with moderate to moderately severe regurgitation, most likely worsened over the years due to the aortic aneurysmal dilatation. I would feel fatigued at times.

Your symptoms may be attributed to anxiety. On the other hand, the "strange tight feeling" in your chest when carrying weight may be from aortic pain...this is really hard to know for sure. Your SOB and fatigue may be from your valve degrading. The concern of course is the potential for damage to your left ventricle if you wait too long for surgery. The left ventricle cannot be replaced or repaired. Risk of something bad in surgery is probably 2-3% with an experienced surgeon or less than 5-6% in an aortic center, so you must weigh this risk against the risk of putting surgery off and causing permanent damage to your left ventricle (not to mention the risk of rupture of your 4.5cm aortic aneursym...probability for rupture or dissection or death is probably 4.5 to 6% for an aneursym 4.5 cm...see Yale article regarding timing of surgery). Keep in mind you will eventually have surgery, and therefore, the risk of surgery will exist nevertheless....you simply delay this risk. The risk of something bad happening before surgery will increase the longer you wait.

http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache...+valve+aneurysm+yale&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=9

Hope this helps.
MrP