Life is crazy! MVP and Syncope and or fainting?

[LUVMyBirman]

Trying to make this as short as possible. Question, prior to valve surgery is it common to just pass out? This was not my experiance.

My sister, whom we believe has a valve disorder as well. (Refuses to have an echo). Passed out in the shower at my mother's house. She somehow made it out and crawled to the door. Go to find out they did not call 911! This happened yesterday. She was in an accident last year and an EKG suggested that her left atrium was enlarged. The same chamber that was enlarged on myself prior to my mitral valve replacement. Point in matter....I am fearful something is very wrong and she's not addressing it. Stated she would rather go in peace than go have surgery. Which is crazy!

She's a very successful 34 year old business owner under a lot of stress. Maybe she will read this post and see my concern is real. Do I make an appointment and drag her there or what?

Thanks for the ear!

 

[Ross]

Yes it's quite possible to faint. I didn't either, but some of the people I was in the hospital with did.

There is no easy answer. You can lead that horse to the water, but you cannot force it to drink. She'll have to decide to go on her own. All you can do is make her understand that she's flirting with danger.

 

[bvdr]

that's a tough one

that's a tough one

The summer I was 14 my younger sister was 12. She was severely underweight and had a heart murmur. She was diagnosed with probable rheumatic fever. She had months of anti-biotics and severely curtailed activities as well as a tonsillectomy for repeated episodes of tonsillitis. Following the tonsillectomy she gained weight and eventually the diagnosis of rheumatic fever was abandoned. This seems so strange because I believe she probably had it. The last time she was here from Michigan (in April) I made her sit down so I could listen to her heart. She still has a murmur and has promised me that she will ask her medical doctor about an echo at her next check-up. She works out regularily and kick boxes. Her body looks like she's in her 20s instead of 50s but I am very concerned about her.

I guess all you can do is tell her how much you care and that you only want her to be well and happy.

 

[Nancy]

Joe had several faints and near faints. During three of them I was right there and saw them. I could not detect a pulse, in his wrist, neck or anywhere. His eyes were rolled back in his head. I called 911 all three times, and his heart rate was very low. This was prior to his mitral surgeries. He had a pacemaker put in for bradycardia. He dislocated his jaw once, just missed the sharp corner of the table another time, and took out the TV which almost took out the picture window. Another time he fell on the intermittant sprinkler head and had an enormous hematoma.
It is my feeling that during one of those falls he tore lose some stitching in his newly operated on mitral valve causing the need for a leak repair. So the potential of hurting yourself is great.

He was not allowed to drive during that period of time, and he was OK with that because he didn't want to cause an accident or hurt anyone.

He's fine now after surgery and the pacemaker.

There are other conditions which can cause faints.

This is not something that should be disregarded. It could mean something is wrong. It is not normal to faint. She should see a doctor asap.

Have her visit this site. We'll all help her over the fears.

 

[sylviayasgur]

hi gina!
i'm sorry to hear about your sister and that she does not want to be checked out.
you must feel like your hands are tied! how awful.
is she married? kids? if so, doesn't she feel she owes any of this to her family?
please let us know what happens.
be well, sylvia

 

[Granbonny]

Gina

Gina

What reasons does she give for not wanting surgery? Her business going bad? If she is not there?I hope you can talk her into joining vr.. or at least just reading all the threads. It cannot be the surgery itself. She must be smart enough to realize it is a safe surgery. I wish her good health. Bonnie

 

[LUVMyBirman]

Hi Sylvia,

My sister is getting married sometime in the next year. No children. Though, she has 90 on a daily basis as she owns and operates a early childhood learning center. She did tell me about palpations a few years ago. All of her symptoms come on under stress. For instance.....few days ago a semi backed into the infant area in her center. Thankfully it was 6AM and the children were not in! In a nutshell, she could be having anxiety.

The only thing that makes me feel it's her heart is the indication of palpations and the EKG suggesting one of her chambers may be enlarged. Oh, and let's not forget family history.

Yes, I do feel like my hands are tied and it's scary. If someone does not want to help themselves, what can you do? My mother said, oh she does not want to get into anything now because she's busy at work and with the wedding. I laughed at that comment and said if she does not take care of herself there may not be a business or wedding! If I have learned one thing....your health does not wait for you to get your life on track. IN the meantime here my sister called and states she has not been eating so that is why she "passed out". Don't know what to think.

Thank you everyone for listening. Don't know what I would do without you!

 

[LUVMyBirman]

PS. Bonnie. I was not the poster child for valve replacement. Serious complications and my sister was at my side and witnessed everything! I do understand her fears, but she owes it to herself and the family to get checked. It may be nothing serious. At least she will have the information and not find herself in an emergency situation!

 

[Bill Hall]

Gina - Sorry to hear your sister will not have surgery. The first step is to get her to have that echo. Maybe things are not so bad. I think it should be your entire family helping you push her in that direction. Fear can be a strong emotion, if that is the reason. How about the husband to be? He must care and could be the leverage you need.

 

[LUVMyBirman]

Thank you Bill. We found out her husband to be has no idea! She's in denial and hiding it from him. Your right, it may not be as bad as we think it is. Hope and pray it to be so. With her symptoms yesterday and in the past....... I have a feeling there is a little something going on. Difficult situation for sure. It seems our family moves from one "soap opera" to the next.

 

[Peggy in Alaska]

Gina:

You need to get her into see someone. I have a brother who smokes like a fiend, has been told there is something "funny" on a recent chest x-ray, but he won't go in for a CT scan because he is currently uninsured and can't afford to pay for it.

If I could, I'd fly to Wisconsin and drag him in and pay for it. But he is bigger than me! Maybe your family can all join together and get her to do an echo.

My husband had a funny spot in his lungs once, the docs even put the "C" word in his notes. Had a CT scan and it turned out to be nothing.

So encourage her to get in there and find out what it is. Can the family get together and buy her an echo for an upcoming event, like an early wedding present? I've been thinking about doing that for my brother.

 

[Nan]

Hi Gina, I am so sorry to hear how frightened your sister is of even knowing if she has a problem. And yes, fainting is sometimes a symptom of valve problems, I had "near-syncope" or almost, but not quite passed out. Although there are certainly many other reasons why someone might faint, and not eating is one of them!! (low blood sugar)

Someone else suggested that if she visited this site it might be helpful , I second that.

You might try pointing out to her that checking it out doesn't mean she has to do anything, all decisions are still in her control unless it becomes an emergency, and then she might lose control. She might rather control what is happening?

Good luck to her and to you.

 

[hensylee]

Personal story:

I have not been ok this year. In April my daughter wanted me to go to Sarasota with her and her little granddaughter, join my son and his wife and we would all end up in Orlando at Disney and Universal. I had not told my children I was not ok. I pulled it all together and went, hoping they wouldn't see. As it turned out, my daughter-in-law's best friend joined us. She is an RN and knows my history. When we got to Universal, she took me aside and said "why are you short of breath and what is wrong with you" - well, one thing led to another and everything was revealed to the children. I promised them I would see my doctor when I got home. As it turned out, I have had several things fixed, repaired, altered since then and am still working on some of it - all because someone other than my immediate family took me aside and said 'you have people who love you. You must go see about yourself, if only for them. You owe them this'. Gina, is there someone outside the family who has her confidence and has some influence. Perhaps it may be the fiance who loves her very much. Or if she has a best friend? It may be that she's just going to have to find out for herself that she needs to have it looked into. Nearly always, something occurs to cause an ill person to end up with help. We pray that this will happen with your sister.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Gina,

Passing Out is a BIG RED FLAG to get evaluated ASAP.

It could be valve related or heart rate related or low blood pressure related. In any event, there are ways to cure all of those conditions IF they are detected and treated early enough. Things will only get WORSE by ignoring those symptoms.
SUDDEN DEATH is a real possibility if a valve shuts off completely.

I hope someone will drag your sister to her doctor and insist on a cardiac evaluation.

'AL'