Borderline cardiomegaly

[Christina L]

I just got a chest x-ray done at my pulmonologist's visit last Friday. I called my PCP's office just now for the results of the complete blood work I had done last Thursday. Thankfully the blood work was all normal, only a high TSH.

However, unfortunately I asked her if she had the results of my chest x-ray and she said, "I don't know how to read this." - I had a feeling that she was skirting the issue so I asked her if it said something bad and to tell me outright - she then said, it says you have "mild cardiomegaly." I asked what else and she said she would have to ask someone how to read the results and call me back and hung up.

Needless to say I had a feeling this was going to be what was going to show on my x-ray but I am pretty depressed and scared again.

Any reassurance would help. Thanks everyone.

Go figure - I get my mitral valve repaired (a perfect repair so they say) and now I have cardiomegaly. I did not have this before my surgery. What is happening?

Christina L

 

[Nancy]

Is it possible that you had this prior to surgery and it was never discussed with you? Please remember that it is "mild"

It's always best to wait until you can speak with your doc, but you know that. He may be able to put it all into a perspective for you.

I hope he will call you really soon to discuss the report. Wishing you all the best.

 

[Natanni]

Hey Christina

Maybe your doc really didn't know how to read this report, or is she even comparing it to your original figures? Boderline or mild sound too close to call sometimes to the untrained eye.

Nathan had "cardiomegally" noted on his post op notes by the surgeon. It was the first we had heard this term applied to him. I think the dementions will be different male vs female, but this time I will look them up and try and post them later tonight.

 

[Christina L]

Thank you Nancy

Thank you Nancy

and Natanni. I remember seeing my x-ray readings from around the time of my surgery (I think) and they said "normal heart size" but there again normal could be upper limits of normal and my heart could have been the same size then, I just didn't know it.

I just called the cardio on-call (they are getting soooooo tired of me I bet) - anyway, he is not my regular cardio but said that cardiomegaly diagnosed on a chest x-ray "means nothing" but an echocardiogram is the "gold standard" to show heart enlargement - funny but I have been told that an echo is a very subjective reading. Anyway, he then went on to say that the right heart is hard to measure on an echo.

He also said that cardiomegaly and cardiomyopathy are two different animals and I took it to mean from his explanation that cardiomegaly is not as serious - it is just the result of my valve disease. He did say that no one can predict the future and cardiomegaly can progress or it can't.

I won't be able to talk to my cardiologist or the pulmonologist until tomorrow regarding the precise interpretation from my x-ray. I am still worried about pulmonary hypertension. I feel the nurse was trying to avoid me, but maybe she just wanted to go home for the evening.

Again, any help to reassure me and calm me down would be helpful.

Christina L

 

[Christina L]

The borderline high TSH

The borderline high TSH

is a sign of being hypothyroid. I suspected this. I also know from my readings that hypothyroidism can cause heart enlargement and lung problems.

If anyone has any knowledge of this malady, your thoughts would help.

Christina L

 

[Georgia]

Hasn't everyone been telling you you're all heart????? Here's proof.

Hope you get some answers tomorrow.

 

[Natanni]

Hmmm! Good for you for getting a hold of a cardio to further intrepret your reports! I don't really know anything about pulmonary testing, but here are a few of Nathan's figures at the 3 month mark; It

Limited 2D Echo to reasses LV function
Mild left ventricular enlargement
Moderate decrease in left ventricular systolic function
Generalized LV hypokinesis
Estimate LV EF of 35% 40%
Estimate right ventricular systolic pressure 26mmHG
No change from 10/03/2005 (3 days post op) had occured

Borderline incrased concentric left ventricular wall thickenss, abnormal ventricular septal motion due to conduction, normal left ventricular diastolic fucntion. Right Ventricle-Normal right Vent. size, mild decrease in right systolic function. Atria-Bi-atrial enlargement (I was wrong about that before, hmmm) Cardiac valves-Triv mitrial valve regurt, normal pulmonary valve, Normal tricuspid.

Nathan has "Indication for study:AVR; Cardiomyopathy-Hypertrophic"

We were told that his heart may not improve anymore (although they are hoping), but that hopefully his new valve will prevent any further damage. Good luck with everything Christina, and please keep us posted on what you find out!

Nathan's dx of cardiomegally came from his surgeon, on his letter to Nathan's GP--"A Chest XRay revealed mild cardiomegaly"....not from an echo, and not from the surgery itself!

 

[sylviayasgur]

hi christina,
i'm sorry to see you so worried and upset, but i can't say that i blame you. any little irregularity can throw many of us into a frenzy of anxiety.
please don't make yourself too nuts before you speak with your cardio.

joey has hypothyroidism and has been taking synthroid for the last 10 years or so. it took the doctors forever to figure this out at the time. he was lethargic and arthritic and was gaining weight. his bloods showed that his muscles were in distress and his cardio became very concerned especially knowing his history and condition (the heart being a muscle).
they were about to do a muscle biopsy when we received the call the night before from the rheumatologist/immunologist (who had examined and tested him for 3 1/2 hours a few days before). it was his thyroid.

the medication has to be closely monitored (although i have female friends who find it harder to stabilize their levels vs. men), especially with joey on even a minimal dose of amiodarone. there are meds that can affect thyroid levels.

joey's hypothyroidism has lead to so many things.... for instance, he can tell when his levels are too high because he will often go into afib as a result. when they are too low, his hands and joints start to feel stiff and achy and he gains weight.
its' a delicate balance, this thyroid thing.

i don't think i helped much, but just to let you know that you are in our thoughts and prayers.
please be sure to let us know what you learn tomorrow after talking to the cardio.
wishing you only the best.
be well, sylvia

 

[Christina L]

Thank you everyone

Thank you everyone

for your encouragement and advice.

Christina L

 

[MelissaM]

A good friend of mine often reminds me "not to pick the fly sh*t out of the pepper."

Chris - for what are you looking? You have been healed from your initial surgery and had many, many doctors confirm that you are doing "within the norms". . ..and it seems you are still looking for something. . . .not sure what.

I don't want to sound incompassionate. . .just want to make sure you stay sane in the midst of all of these "well within normal" diagnoses. Well within normal = well within normal. Mild = mild. You have gotten reassurance from numerous docs - for what are you looking that will put your mind at ease?

Wherever you go, there you are.. . . (meaning, you can continue to visit doctors, but until you figure out what you need - there you are - still w/in this place of normal, and yet still in a place of worry/consternation).

What will help you live the happy, healthy life you have earned and deserve?

 

[Christian]

I have to echo Melissa's comments. I drop in here and check on all of you Cosgrove valvers fairly often. I've read all of your posts. Your test results are better than those of 95% of the people on this website, yet you're killing yourself over them. I'm sure a lot of folks here would pay to be in your shoes -- getting a successfuly, durable Cosgrove valve repair and experiencing only "borderline" heart enlargement after decades of mitral regurgitation.

I know what it's like to worry -- I worried about my wife for years before her surgery. But now that it's over, it's OVER. I barely think about it. You need to do everything you can - a 100% effort -- to work through your anxiety issues. Because the irrational terror is going to hurt you long before your heart will.

 

[Karlynn]

Christine, you know I love you to pieces, but I also have to say I side somewhat with Melissa's and Christian's comments. This is because I've 'been there, done that'. I came to the realization a long time ago that I'm cheating myself out of living a happy life with a 1/2 empty glass. I'm now a 1/2 full glass person.

My husband was raised by a very 1/2 empty glass family. Our life has been richly blessed, but to ask him, there are always more bad things than good. I reminded him that when our first child was a baby, he thought life so tragic. Our baby had to have hernia surgery, he had partially paralyzed vocal chords and work was taxing. I remember telling him then "You need to look at all the good things, or something is going to come along that will make you look back on these times and appreciate what we have now". Sure enough, I got pregnant with our second child and 6 long years of very bad heart problems started, culminating in my replacement. Now he looks back at those first few years and thinks "Wow, what simple, joyful times." Thankfully, life has always been good for us when looking at it in a big concept. We've always had a roof over our heads (that we own), food on the table, kids in school and a little bit of money in the bank.

Sit down and make a list of all the good things in your life - then make a contract to start concentrating on enjoying them and spending more time with those thoughts.

I'm reading a book right now that I'd highly recommend. It's by John Ortberg and it's called "The Life You've Always Wanted". It's a book on spiritual disciplines. It has really hit home for me, particularly chapter 4 on Celebrating Life.

 

[Glenda]

Christine, I wish I was there to give you a hug in person and to reassure you that everything will be alright. You are in God's hands. Hugs & prayers are coming your way. Be brave.

 

[Christina L]

I'm sorry for bothering you all -

I'm sorry for bothering you all -

I know you mean well with your chastising, but all I wanted was some more reassurance and empathy from people who have been there. I am scared and I am sorry that I am - I would give anything to not be - we are in the midst of the adoption process and I am unsure if we should be doing this. This was the one place I felt I could come to to be understood. I won't bother you all any more with my irrational fears. I have obviously become a nuisance here. It is time I left for good.

Thank you Glenda - I will take your cyberhug gladly.

Christina L

 

[Nancy]

Christina-

For sure all of these things are scary to the max. I've been scared out of my mind for Joe on many, many occasions. And sometimes, even his doctors act, well, not scared, but extremely nervous about his conditions. We've even heard the "end of life" lectures from time to time, or "there's nothing more we can do" lectures.

But, you know what, there's usually something more that can be done, and even as bad as his problems are, someone is always pulling his fat out of the fire.

So I want you to know that I sympathize with you. One minute you are OK, and then BAM, you have surgery, and then BAM, something different is showing up in your reports, and you don't feel like your old self.

Please remember, if you remember nothing else, that there are fixes for most everything. If something is mild, then it can go on for a long, long, long time with minimal treatment, and you will have a near normal quality of life. Then IF it worsens, there are wonderful medications that can help and keep your quality of life near normal. Then IF things get a little more than mild, there's more medication and possible other treatments that will help give you a near normal life.

It is only when things get severe that it gets dicey. Anything short of that is fair game for getting you back in fine shape. And even if it gets severe, you still never give up. Never giving up is what has kept Joe in this world. He's not a worrier. That's my job, I guess.

So, you have mild things going on. Stay the course, do what your docs tell you, take your meds. Steer your little boat through these mildly turbulent waters into calmer straits. Don't project what will happen in the future, it may NEVER happen. Live for today and tomorrow. Do some fun things, and keep going with your adoption process. You will be living a long life.

 

[Karlynn]

Christina,
I hope my comments didn't upset you too much. I just think I've been in a similar place that you are in now and I know first hand how it can overwhelm you and scare you and deprive you of the very reason we are alive to begin with - to enjoy life. I hate to see you go through a similar thing.

I was borderline agoraphobic because I was so afraid that doing anything would hurt me, or send me on a downward spiral, or cause me to be out somewhere and feel badly and not be able to get help. I did nothing much. But then I realized that my children were along for that dismal ride, so I had to put that behind me

My heart was not in good shape when I had my valve replacement surgery lo those many years ago. To read all my echos and x-ray reports and stress tests, you would think that I should be someone who would be living a less than active life with lots of medical concerns. My heart was and remains mildly enlarged. A few years ago, the ventricals were getting a big bigger, exercise stopped that. I had to force myself to not dwell on it too much. I read reports, get questions answered and then ask myself a few simple questions: Is the way I'm physically feeling now stopping me from doing the things I want. (No) Is there anything I like to do in my everyday life that will make these things worse. (No) Thoughts of what if... when it gets.... what will I feel like then... are just too heavy and to life-depriving for me to think about. I really have to take the Scarlet O'Hara approach - I'll think about that tomorrow.

As far as adoption goes - if you stop the process now because your heart is borderline enlarged, then you are saying that you are keeping yourself from a joy because of something that may never ever get any worse, and if it does, it will take years and years and you will probably be a grandma before you have to deal with anything more related to the enlargement.

 

[Nancy]

I want to add one more thing that I thought of while grocery shopping.

Any doctor who can't tune you up to feel really good with mild problems, should leave the profession. There are just too many darned good fixes for the mild stuff, if it needs treating at all.

So you don't give in to your fears. You face that fear down and forge ahead, there is time being wasted, and time when you could be having a nice time instead of stewing.

Insist on the VERY best care you can get and leave the driving to them, but you also keep your eye on the road.

 

[Christina L]

Okay blame Ross - he

Okay blame Ross - he

let me back in to VR.com!!

I'm not staying long - I want to first say that I have been touched by the number of PMs that were waiting for me. I can't thank you all enough for your sweet words and your understanding.

I wanted to come back on Vr.com as I read the recent posts - all so very wonderful - and I had to reply.

Karlynn - you have always been there to help me - I just think the world of you and don't want you to think that you had anything to do with upsetting me. I just am a basketcase right now and need to step back and regroup, which I am going to do (take a break AGAIN from VR.com).

Nancy - again, such a great woman. Thank you.

I WILL get through this - hearing the news of Dana Reeves losing her fight with cancer today after ALL she has been through in her life - she had such courage and dignity. My Mother was the same way - dealing with life's adversities with such strength and faith.

A friend sent me this quote today and ironically I already had it on our refrigerator, but it says it all.

"Life is not the way it's supposed to be. It's the way it is. The way you cope with it is what makes the difference."

Gotta go - but you all are in my thoughts and prayers and I hope you will keep me in your prayers - that is what VR.com is all about - we are family - I hope we can all be there for each other, no matter how many times a person cries out for help here on the board.

Christina L

 

[Mary]

I'll keep you close in my prayers, Christina.
Mary

 

[Blanche]

Chris:
Seeing your last post made me so happy.....I could just spit!!!!

Hooray,
Blanche