My son's card appt.

[Karlynn]

First of all, I'm away from the site for a day and can't believe how much I've missed.

I took Derek to see my cardiologist yesterday. It was a very fruitful visit and just further cemented why I like her so much.

The hospital in Columbia faxed everything - but the echo report, which is why we went to my card in the first place. So she called and had them fax it to her right away. She became quite angry. She said she was just about positive it was a misread and that they were very irresponsible for putting a dx of rt. side enlargement on a record of a 21 yr. old man, without there being any other indication for the enlargement. She said that it is most often caused by ASD (Atrial Septal Defect) which he doesn't have, or PH, which he doesn't have. She said that if it stays in his record he will have a very hard time getting health insurance because they will consider anything with the heart a pre-existing condition and won't pay for anything heart related. She said that when she finds suspicious things on an echo, particularly young people, she always redoes the echo, or doesn't record it if it is something minimal, simply because of health insurance. So Derek is having a repeat echo on the 3rd to negate the first.

She also diagnosed him with asthma, and was once again quite angry that no one to date had performed a Pulmonary Function test. They had done Peak Flow tests, but she said that wouldn't have showed asthma in someone who had his athletic background. The test showed he has moderate asthma. She said that it is most likely allergy related and he needs to see an allergist, but she prescribed a twice daily inhalor and an emergency inhalor for him. She said his lungs were not working near to their cappacity, but that after 3 days of inhalor treatments he should notice the difference.

She said his episodes of SOB and dizziness were extremely dangerous and that he was lucky it didn't progress any further. She said that too many young adults die each year due to undiagnosed asthma and felt that the miss on this by the doctors in Columbia was inexcusable. She couldn't figure out why they did a lung scan, but not a pulmonary function test.

So we are very relieved to have this finally dx'd.

 

[Harrybaby666]

Cool Beans Karlynn!!!

Cool Beans Karlynn!!!

I am sooo glad that they found that Derek didnt have any heart problems....I can tell you from experience, that Asthma can be a pain in the neck as well, but not nearly as a heart problem would be..I am also on an emergency inhaler and a twice daily inhaler, and cold air and exercise triggers mine, but thankfully, it has been under great control for some time. I hope Derek is feeling better, as I know how he feels with the SOB and the tight chest, and it is no fun. Merry Christmas...Harrybaby666

 

[gijanet]

What a great Christmas present for you.......

What a great Christmas present for you.......

I am so grateful to hear that your son does not have any cardiac issues - sorry about the asthma, but it sounds like it really needed to be diagnosed and treated. This is just an affirmation as to why second opinions are so important. WEll, now all you have to do is sit back and enjoy Christmas - with peace of mind!! Hope you have a wonderful holiday. Many hugs and best wishes. P.S. How did the surprise party go?

 

[McCln]

It just goes to show you that there are some doctors are not in it be real doctors, just making money and they lie to insurance companies for money. Yes, there are some insurance companies that will not cover pre-existing conditions, including life insurance. I am glad that it is asthma. But be warned, with asthma patients, can develope heart conditions in the future. I read an article from reliable Reader Digest a few years ago. It could happen due to the stress that ashtma attacks on the body. Keep him checked on the asthma front and taking his meds regularly. Congrats and keep us updated.

 

[Mary]

Here's our story about kids and echos. Some might remember that I insisted our youngest have an echo last summer to see if he had a bicuspid valve like mine. He did, and the more I thought about it, I decided that his older brother needed to have one run over Christmas vacation. There have been a few things happen over the last several years that concerned me.

Mark had the echo run on December 22; we heard nothing from our GP so I assumed everything was normal. Mark wanted to know the results for sure, so he finally called them yesterday. The nurse apologized, and said there had been a mix up (the whole medical practice moved across town over the holiday) and she would have to call back with the report.
When she called back, she read off what it said to Mark, and he now tells me (tonight) that it was". . ..something, something normal but it should be rerun in a year's time."

Well, crying out loud. We know that's somethings not right or they wouldn't want him to have it rerun in a year. Since he is 22, the HIPPA regulations come into play, and we can't get any information. I told him that he is to go by tomorrow (he leaves to go back to school on Saturday) and get a copy of the report.
Of course I'm now worried, and I will be until I see what it says.

 

[KathyH]

Karlynn, I'm glad you got good news on your son. What a relief.

Mary, I would be concerned too, but wait until you get the report before you get too worked up over it. Of course, I know, that is easy of me to say - he is not my son. (Those Hibba laws are alittle too much. I brought my 21 year old's glasses to have new lenses put in, and I was told I couldn't do that. I apparently had no right to change the lenses in her glasses since she was 21.) I hope everything is ok with your son, it must be nerve racking to even think about your child going thru all this heart stuff.
Kathy H

 

[McCln]

Just be patient till you get the report. Just when they say to see you in a year is nothing to really worry about. I have to go to cardio every six months, and have been like that for over three years since bypass. So, calm down, read the report, then talk it over with the doctor. Your son will be alright. Just take a breathe and relax. One year is a good sign. Take care and let us know what the report says. Stay calm.

 

[Karlynn]

Mary, I was wondering how Mark's appointment went. Darn kids anyway! If they only knew how much we worry about them. I just love it! A Dx of Something Something! We're we that way at their age? I'd like to think not, but I'm sure we were.

Hang in there Mom!

 

[Mary]

Well what do we think?

Well what do we think?

I have the echo report from test run on Mark Dec. 22 but it is just the dictated one and not the numbers, so I'm not sure what to think.
On the parasternal long axis view the left atrium is showing borderline enlargement. There is atrial and tricuspid regugitation. The short axis shows no definite abnormality.
The final impression shows borderline left atrial enlargement. The aortic valve appears normal, so it's not a bicuspid like either I or our other son have. They recommend having it redone in a year.
He's had symptoms of extreme fatigue the past six months with several instances of losing consciousness. He has run long distance since the age of 11 and ran competitively all four years of college. He's definitely in great shape, but he is concerned about the way he's feeling.
Any thoughts about taking further action or should we let it ride awhile?
Mary

 

[Karlynn]

I would try to ferret out answers. Maybe his fatigue and loss of consciousness are due to something else? Allergies, asthma, etc.? I think his symptoms are disturbing enough to just not let it go and see what happens. A doctor may look at him and think "Here's a young man in great shape. He can't have anything too serious." and then not be able to see the forest for the trees.

 

[Nancy]

Extreme fatigue and loss of conciousness are things that need to be investigated. Don't wait the year. Insist that the doctor get to the bottom of things.

It's just not normal.

Plus with loss of conciousness, if he is old enough to be driving, he shouldn't be until there is a clear picture of things, and they are corrected for his safety and also for other's safety. AND he could seriously injure himself. Think of what could happen. Suppose he fainted while going down a flight of stair, or out somewhere without others around, or crossing a busy street, or swimming.

 

[tobagotwo]

Mary,

I agree that the lungs shouldn't be ruled out here, and that you should strongly consider looking into that with a pulmonary specialist. We tend to look at the heart as causitive, because of our own issues, but it can also be reactive.

Fainting spells are just not normal, especially for an atheletic young person. I wouldn't want to wait a year to look into other possibilities.

It must be hard on your son to have to deal wth this as a liability and frailty in his life, and for you to have yet more to worry about. I hope you are able to find the problem soon.

Best wishes,

 

[Mary]

I should have mentioned that Mark is asthmatic, but it is controlled.
He was hospitalized several times as a child due to its severity, but he has managed to compensate and have a very successful running career. He only uses an inhaler PRN, and it is infrequent.
He runs with several physicians when he's home, and they have told him the heart enlargement goes with his running. I tend to believe that, but I 'm still not sure that he does.
Is there a definitive test for Marfan's? Anyone know? He sure has the physical characterisitics associated with it, but the one physician who examined him didn't think so.

 

[Karlynn]

Just a thought: Maybe he should get his asthma checked out again. (And not with just the Peak Flow test, that didn't Dx Derek) With Derek's new Dx of asthma he was presribed Flovent to use twice a day, regarless of whether he feels SOB and then Ventolin, which he is to use when he begins to feel short of breath. It's his emergency inhalor. His lung function test showed that he was only oxygenating at 50% and he wasn't feeling SOB when he had it done. The Dr. said that the daily use of the Flovent was to reduce the inflamation on a daily basis and keep it down. (She also thinks his asthma is allergy related and we need to get him in to see an allergist when he's home on Spring Break)

Just seeing if there's some way we can help you dig around.