Diseases and Ailments

[RandyL]

It seems like ever since my OHS and being on this forum I have had more medical problems then you can shake a stick at. I have been healthy and strong as a horse all my life, and now everytime I turn around it's something else. I guess it's just plain OLD AGE setting in on me.
However it seems (or maybe its just me) that all I do is read about diseases I've never even heard about and alll kinds of ailments that are bothering people on this forum. Maybe the OHS is just the catalyst that opens up the can of worms(fisherman for ever ) or like I said maybe this is how it is when you get older.
What do you all think? Please Discuss.

 

[Ross]

I often wonder if any of these ailments that others have, don't have some relation somehow to our heart problems. There has to be something so common between everyone that we just aren't seeing.

 

[bvdr]

Randy, I don't know either. I have always looked very healthy and in fact still do. When I was nursing in ER I walked very fast and worked 12 hour shifts without wearing out. But.....I was younger too. Most ER nurses have gone to other areas by the time they are around 50 so I'm sure age is a factor. Sure, I was on a blood pressure medication already in my early thirties and had had some surgical things but I always bounced right back and was "vigorous" again in no time. I had a year in high school that I remember as a bad health year. This was the year in retrospect that I had rheumatic fever, whooping cough, and what they then thought was mono. It was also the year I had radiation treatments to my chest. I recovered though and any limitations I was left with were readily compensated for and did not affect my life at all. I'm thinking that age has to be a factor now.

Now though, it seems every test I have uncovers something. I've been dealing with some double vision which makes being on a computer, reading, or driving difficult at times. I've had my lenses changed twice in the last 6 weeks and it has helped a little. Personally, I think some things I experience are side effects from medication but all I get from my docs is.."maybe, maybe not".

I know some people, and maybe even the majority, who have valve surgery recover and just pick up their lives and other than a scar and needing more frequent check-ups don't notice any other changes.

Maybe there is an underlying susceptibility in some of us that when the "can of worms" is opened sets other things in motion. Maybe it is how our bodies are reacting to stress or that some natural barrier of some sort is broken down. I'm not sure. I just know that when someone is taking a medical history on me now I have to say "yes" much more often.

It is an interesting discussion Randy. I would suspect some kind of autoimmune response is involved somewhere along the way.

 

[Nancy]

Never underestimate the BIG spyglass that all of your doctors will have you under from now on.

I remember the words of my very healthy cousin who said about doctors--when we were discussing Joe's many medical specialists and appts.--, "I hate doctors, and don't go to them much at all. If you go, they are always finding things wrong with you."

He finally went when he was in his late 60s, and rued the day he went because the doc uncovered a minor thyroid problem which was easily corrected and a small dark area on his lung (he was a two pack a day smoker), which turned out to be nothing. I think he ended up having to take two pills a day which was very difficult for him

He passed away from a massive brain bleed in his early 70s. He had had a headache for several months and was treating it with aspirin and Advil. If he had told the doc about the headache, he might have survived the bleed.

So, the moral of that story is that it is a good thing, but an annoying thing to have so many doctor appts. Things that are found early on can be treated.

Age catches up with all of us, heart patient or not.

I agree with Betty about the autoimmune problem. I am convinced that Joe had one, everything pointed to it, but no existing tests that he had diagnosed it. He had almost all of his organs involved with something or other.

 

[annie10]

I, too was healthy before my OHS. I had never been hospitalized, I had my tubes tied laparoscopically at 28--and went dancing that night!! At 40, the valve finally deteriorated enough to slow me down, then OHS at 41. Since then, thyroid surgery at 43, rectal polyp removed at 44, hysterectomy at 45, and its looking like another OHS at 48. Also since my OHS, type II diabetes and high cholesterol. I don't want to imagine what's next

 

[RandyL]

I, too was healthy before my OHS. I had never been hospitalized, I had my tubes tied laparoscopically at 28--and went dancing that night!! At 40, the valve finally deteriorated enough to slow me down, then OHS at 41. Since then, thyroid surgery at 43, rectal polyp removed at 44, hysterectomy at 45, and its looking like another OHS at 48. Also since my OHS, type II diabetes and high cholesterol. I don't want to imagine what's next

Maybe we just didn't know we had this ailments lurking until some tests were run because of our heart and they showed up unexpectedly. Before surgery I had nthing, now I take prescriptions for Diabetes 2, Thyroid problem,and in the beginnings of some kind of lung problem.

 

[Susan BAV]

I read one time that hypertensive patients lived longer than patients without hypertension BECAUSE they were more closely followed by the doctors; and other things (such as "cans of worms") were caught sooner. Now, that could have been a study funded by the high blood pressure pharmaceutical people, but it kind of made sense to me at the time.

 

[Guest]

*shrugs*

I've never been "healthy", since my heart issues were discovered shortly after I was born. Never really thought about it all that much since I've always been followed closely by my doctors ... cardiologist, PCP, etc.



Cort:33swm."Mr Monte Carlo.Mr Road Trip".pig valve.pacemaker
PICS:lego.HO.model.MCinfo.RT.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort
"Tell me what you see" ... Bob Carlisle ... 'Getting Stronger'

 

[aussigal]

I started feeling like I was falling apart these last few years...I have put it all down to "Connective Tissue Disorder"...Arthritis in my spine with more bad discs than good ones, bi-lateral carpal-tunnel and epicondylitis in both elbows.
The connective-tissue-disorder was the link for me that actualy led to the finding of my aneurysm. I was thinking I was ageing more quickly than the regular population and started researching., thats when I stumbled across VR.com. and the BAV foundation.

 

[Jackie]

Before OHS I was never sick. My son would stand over my hospital bed and cry "I'm mot used to seeing my mom sick". The Stenosis took me down very fast. Went to ER, they kept me there about 12 hours zaping me and doing a CT scan, than sent me off to another hospital for a Cath. Kept me there for a week and they sent me to another hospital for the AVR OHS was fairly uneventful, a few setbacks in the hospital. Spent 2 weeks before release.

Two days after my arrival home my right hand was swollen like a glove that had be blown up, hurt like h.... and my toes felt like they were swollen and had sandpaper between them. My hand is a little better now, 9 months later ,but my feet keep getting worse. The only explanation I get is that it may be caused by the blood flow during the AVR. I can't get any answers, I would like to know if this is going to be a progressive disorder and keep getting worse, They tingle 24/7 from my toes to my knees. I can't walk like I should because my feet hurt so bad. I am on Neurontin, 900mg each night to help me sleep, but it is not working.

Other than that I am fine. My INRatio is great, keeps me away from the hospital lab.

 

[RandyL]

Before OHS I was never sick. My son would stand over my hospital bed and cry "I'm mot used to seeing my mom sick". The Stenosis took me down very fast. Went to ER, they kept me there about 12 hours zaping me and doing a CT scan, than sent me off to another hospital for a Cath. Kept me there for a week and they sent me to another hospital for the AVR OHS was fairly uneventful, a few setbacks in the hospital. Spent 2 weeks before release.

Two days after my arrival home my right hand was swollen like a glove that had be blown up, hurt like h.... and my toes felt like they were swollen and had sandpaper between them. My hand is a little better now, 9 months later ,but my feet keep getting worse. The only explanation I get is that it may be caused by the blood flow during the AVR. I can't get any answers, I would like to know if this is going to be a progressive disorder and keep getting worse, They tingle 24/7 from my toes to my knees. I can't walk like I should because my feet hurt so bad. I am on Neurontin, 900mg each night to help me sleep, but it is not working.

Other than that I am fine. My INRatio is great, keeps me away from the hospital lab.

Jackie I am so sorry for the problems your having, I think I have talked to you before about it. My feet have exactly the same problem. I am currently on a dose of 600mg of Lyrica and 10mg of oxycotin a few times a day and especially at night it takes the pain away enough for me to get some sleep. If I can be of any help please feel free to contact me here or by PM.

 

[Jackie]

Hi Randy,

You did send me a PM about your problem. I have an appointment with the Neuologist next week. I am taking the information you have given with me.
Thank you for your help.

 

[Jackie]

Randy, Forgot to tell you that my son's, 34 & 36, and 11 year old grandson love you fishing pictures

 

[Marguerite53]

Well, I wrote a response yesterday, but it got gobbled up by the computer demons somwhere....

Today is a new day! I have no idea what I wrote yesterday!! (pump head??) I'll just start fresh. Woke up this morning thinking about equiillibrium......of all things!! This is an interesting thread and somewhat in concert with Mtnbkrs thread about changing attitudes post surgery.

I guess the body is somewhat like its own little community. Some seem to be able to survive hardships with little impact to the whole, others tend to crumble under the weight. What I learned most about my body through all this was how interconnected everything is. I would expect, then, that one little tweak somewhere could certainly throw off a large system or a tiny system somewhere.

In many ways I'm better physically. In some ways I'm really not "there" yet. In some ways I'm different. It is certainly all about change. A dramatic alteration which each individual's own "community" has to recover from. And I'm certain that the age of the community makes a pretty big difference, too!

I'm sorry that you are having these troubles. How interesting that you and Jackie have been able to connect on some particulars and maybe get enough networking going to find a solution to your dilemmas. You now each have double the doctors at your disposal. I hope it truly leads to some relief.

I have found that if I actually work hard to pronounce my problem to myself (is the body listening?) it tends to lessen the impact it is having. As if facing up to it square on just puts it in a better, more manageable place.

Wishing you some comfort from these nagging conditions!

Marguerite

 

[Susan BAV]

...I have found that if I actually work hard to pronounce my problem to myself (is the body listening?) it tends to lessen the impact it is having. As if facing up to it square on just puts it in a better, more manageable place...

That's interesting. It makes me think of addictions, in that admitting the problem [to oneself] is supposed to be the first step to recovery.