Electrophisiologist today

[Gnusgal]

Today is my appt. with my electrophysiologist. At least, I hope so. No one called to confirm it (I just realized this as I wrote that last sentence). I've had such a hard time getting in, it's rediculous. But now the day has finally arrived and if they don't see me, I think I may have to kick the door down!

Anyway, I should be having a pacer check as well as talking to the EP about putting in an ICD. I know that my cardiologist mentioned it to her already, so at least it shouldn't be a brand new subject. I'm hoping she will be ready to go ahead and start scheduling it, because I know exactly what date I'd like (if it's available). Of course this is all contengant on whether or not she figured out how to convince insurance that I need one so they'll pay for it. If they won't pay, this is all moot. I just hope and pray that today's visit is productive and I don't end up coming away no closer to the surgery than I am right now.

I also have pulminary function tests scheduled for today. My cardiologist is wanting to see if there might be something lung-related that is causing some of my shortness of breath, rather than just my heart. She thinks that I might have asthma. I did when I was a kid, but it was illness induced, not activity induced. Oh, well. We shall see.

Yesterday was my students' play. It's FINALLY over! The day was the most stressful of the year, but at least it's done and I can go back to ending my day at 4:30 instead of 7. My heart spent the entire day in and out of flutter, just about. I'd just get it settled down, then I'd have to walk or do something, and it would start up again. The problem was, things were so tight I couldn't just walk at my (now) usual slow pace, I had to rush. And that's what would trigger the flutter. My heart was going 120-160 all day long, practically. I am so glad that I will never have to do that again. I kept telling myself over and over again that this time next year I'll be in a library and won't have to direct any more plays... I know I'll miss it some, but I'll just have to keep reminding myself what it does to my heart.

Anyway, I'll report back with news from the EP office this afternoon/evening. Hopefully I'll have a surgery date in hand (boy, how many people say that?!).

 

[Marguerite53]

Good Luck!

Good Luck!

Good Luck, Good Luck! I'm sure there are many of us waiting to hear of the outcome today. I'm glad to hear that your life can become more calm now. And congratulations on what I'm sure must have been a wonderful experience for your students and their families.

Keep us posted

Marguerite

 

[bvdr]

Niki, I hope your appointment goes well for you today and you aren't disappointed with the outcome. I hope the play went well at your school and that you now enjoy the lighter schedule. I understand what you mean about how things change when you have to march along with someone else's pace. I think we so often we adapt and adjust to accomplish what we must and all feels more or less normal to us and appears normal to others.....until as you say, you can't go at your own pace.

Please let us know as soon as you can how the appointment went.

 

[ericaj]

Niki!

Niki!

Hi Niki,

I am anxiously awaiting your news from your appt!! I am practically fallin out of my chair in anticipation! They better have done something for you otherwise I'll come down there and make them do something for you. .

Anyways hope to catch you on yahoo mess. today/tonight. Also have some minor new things to tell you.

Love lots,

Erica

 

[Gnusgal]

Well, nothing really all that new to report. The EP doc said she was going to have to talk with my other cardiologists to figure out what they will say to insurance (why couldn't she have done this in the month between my card telling her and my actually getting in to see her?!), decide where we were going to do the surgery, and work out some other details before we could set up a surgery date. But she said not to worry, we should be able to set it all up for my Christmas Break. She even said she should be getting back to me before Thanksgiving. So, again I wait...

Oh, and she decided to reprogram my pacer to give me more energy (or so she says). She turned on the "rate responsive" feature (this is essentially a motion detector that "senses" when you are active and increases the heart rate. Only it doesn't know the difference between running and driving on a bumpy road.). When she said she was turning this on I said "I've had that turned on before and I hated it." She asked me why and I told her it was because I hated driving on bumpy roads and having my heart race. She told me she would set it on a lower sensitivity and we could "see how that works." I'm not so sure I'm going to like it. My dog jumped up on my chest to greet me when I got home (she's a 7 lb. chihuahua) and my heart started picking up speed... Well, at least if I get the ICD I can make sure they don't turn it on then!

As for the pulminary function tests, the guy who did those said I did fine. He said that I was functioning at about 80-90% of "normal" for my weight and height. I don't know if these results will tell my cardiologist what she was wanting to know or not. I haven't talked to her about the results yet. I guess I will try to call her tomorrow and see what she says about them.

 

[gijanet]

Well.............

Well.............

darn it! I was wanting some real answers. Fishing for something good here..........it does sound like your pulmonary function is good, so that IS definitely good news! I just wish you had gotten some more productive answers. Please do call tomorrow and do please let us know what you find out. Yes, I know I am nosy , but it is just because I care so much! I hope and pray that your new pacer setting does give you more energy, but not overly so.

P.S. I am grateful, but not at all surprised, that your students' play was a success! I know who their teacher is! Just wish I could have seen it.

Now start memorizing that Dewey Decimal system.

Love, hugs, and prayers.

 

[Jean]

Asthma

Asthma

Just wanted to put in my two cents worth about the asthma.

I had mild asthma all my life. I'd go visit my friend with horses and not even go into the barn and get sick. Lots of other things bothered me too. After surgery, I started noticing things just didn't bother me anymore. Now almost 5 years later, I even help my daughter groom her horse with no effects. I have not had an asthma attack since surgery.

My cardio just smiles and shakes his head. My family doctor said maybe I was so close to the edge, any little think triggered fluid in my lungs and mimicked an asthma attack.

Might not be your problem, but thought I'd relate what I had. Good luck.

 

[Karlynn]

Niki, one thing we've all had to become good at is The Waiting Game. Sorry to hear it's more waiting for you. But then I guess if things were really bad, they'd be moving quickly (one would hope). I'm hoping that somewhere there's a Doctor's Hell where they're just made to sit in the waiting room, while being told by a really annoying receptionist all the excuses we hear.

 

[Harrybaby666]

Hi Niki,

Hi Niki,

I just wanted to add support to what Jean was saying..I too have asthma (amongst all the other lung problems I have-to become the disease known as COPD), and I think that alot of what asthma is about is not just treating the triggers that can and do set it off, but also any of the illnesses that one has, because I have also noticed that since I have been being treated for my heart and other medical problems, my asthma attacks have also become less and less bothersome-this is not to say that I still don't have trouble-I do...I cannot go out in the cold or hot weather, especially when there is extreme weather changes-temperature changes to be specific. I hope that if they do find that the asthma has come back (of which I certainly do not), I hope that gets put under control and you find that you feel alot better. Let me know how you made out...OK? Sending you all kinds of hugs....Harrybaby666

 

[Gnusgal]

ARG! I just got off the phone with my card's office. (I'm not mad at her at all.) They haven't received the results of my PFTs yet. The guy who did the test said he'd be sending them over yesterday afternoon! Here it is, more than 24 hours later, and they STILL don't have them?! Do these people not realize how annoying they are when they do this to us?

Sorry, had to vent.

Thanks all for the words of support. The tech did say there was one number that did look like it could be indicative of asthma, but he didn't seem worried about it. He said all of my other numbers looked really good. We'll see what my card says... If she ever gets the results!

 

[Abbanabba]

Isn't it SOOOOOOOOOO frustrating when you do all these tests and they're either inconclusive or they can't find anything in them to explain why you feel like you do! Hopefully there is something in the results you're waiting on to offer an explanation.

Meanwhile - now you're play is done you might be able to get a bit more rest, which I'm sure will help. Glad to hear it went off OK.

All the best
Anna : )