Thank you, thank you
Thank you, thank you
everyone for your kind encouraging posts. You have no idea how much it means to me to read these posts. Maybe I am getting way ahead of myself with the heart enlargement thing, but I know that before my surgery no one said anything about right heart enlargement. When I got a second opinion after the echo last November, another cardio in the group told me that I had always had upper limits of normal size of my chambers. My main cardiologist made a statement in a letter that my left atrial size hadn't changed appreciably since my surgery (even though I think it has - gone from 4.2 to 3.6 (3.6 is the average upper limits of normal left atrial size) - isn't that a big jump?) - but he said something in this letter to another doctor that he was concerned about how big my atria (left and right) were in relation to the rest of my heart. Now I have dug up that can of worms and been diagnosed with hypothyroidism and sleep apnea - so all the pieces do fit together - is it a coincidence? I certainly hope so.
Yaps you say you are in heart failure - was this diagnosed before or after your surgery? I am beginning to think that I waited too long to have my surgery - it was not purposeful - I just let my cardio care go by the wayside all through my 30s and then in my early 40s had the chest pain and started being watched. Why does your husband have heart failure - blocked arteries or does he have valve disease also? I am concerned as you say that you have sleep apnea also. I think that is what is concerning my cardio - and that is why he wants me to get the BNP blood test. I hope Yaps that the doctors will get medications regulated for you that will fix you up so you will have a better quality of life - you seem to be such a positive person to me and I enjoy your posts on VR.com a lot.
Nancy - I am up to 60 mg of Armour Thyroid and will go no further with it until I find a good endo who can watch over me. I know there is a doctor in Denver who is supposed to be a wonderful physician when it comes to hypothyroidism so I hope to get an appointment with him. I was started on 15 mg of Armour Thyroid by my family physician - he was wary of starting me on a higher dose because of my heart - I know what too much thyroid can do to a heart as well as too little thyroid hormone - it s a delicate balancing act.
I want you all to know your comments about us adopting and me being a good mommy - well they made me cry - in a good way AND I want you all to know that we went to our adoption agency's (CCAI) annual picnic in Denver today to talk with other adoptive parents and see the beautiful (TRULY) little Chinese girls - there were dozens of them - if not hundreds and every one of them was adorable. I was thinking of not going to the picnic as I didn't want to get my hopes up and be so sad if we decide not to adopt because of my health, but all of your encouragement pushed me to Denver today.
AND while we were there I was having such a wonderful joyous time watching the little adopted Chinese gals dance, etc., that I felt great and didn't even think of my heart - all I could think about was "our" little girl. We bought a stuffed panda bear for her room and some books on adoption - one called "The Lost Daughters of China" which is supposed to be an excellent book explaining the economical reasons that mothers and fathers give up their little girls in China, etc. It is big business now in China - to adopt out these children - it brings millions of dollars into their country every year.
The one thing I couldn't bring myself to buy was the children's books - they had a table full of them - that is one of the things I am looking forward to the most - reading books to Emma. Next year, God willing, Wayne and I and Emma will be at the picnic together and believe me, we will purchase so many books....
Anyway, I will keep you all posted. I cannot get in to see my new cardiologist for three more weeks but I see the pulmonologist next week. I hope he can reassure me in some way. I am pretty much a wreck again - trying to stay positive and all of you have helped in that regard tremendously.
Well, off to walk the dog - it is a beautiful night and Wayne and I are going out for a stroll.
Tom - send me a PM when you get close to visiting Estes Park and we will round up Melissa and head out for coffee again. We are having a gorgeous warm summer here in Estes, although the mountains do need rain.
P.S. Regarding my oxygen sats in the mountains versus lower elevations - my average oxygen sat at night here in the mountains at 7800 feet is 89-90% and down at 4800 feet it was 93-94% (during my sleep study). I do wear oxygen at night now, but am unsure what the doc will prescribe for my sleep apnea.
Christina L
