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jjnfc
Hi all. I just found this site yesterday and have been reading as much as I can. I was told last Thursday that I need a mitral valve replaced. I had been told I had regurgitation and that we were watching it but in my mind I was thinking possibly years down the road before I'm faced with it. Guess what?
I have been comparatively healthy all my life but in June of 2004 started experiencing light headedness and weakness and discovered I had bradycardia and had a pacemaker installed. The doctors were pretty much inconclusive as to what caused my problem, possibly at one time in my life maybe an infection. I did have a small area of sarcoidosis in one lung and took steroid treatment for 6 months. That quickly disappeared and I was never aware that it was even there until I went in with my slow heart rate. My doctor says the bottom part of my heart is stiff and doesn't flex as well as the rest of my heart does. I had taken Pondimin a few years ago when it was all the rage. My doctor says that is not my problem but it is on my list of questions to ask on the next visit (16th) as to why he is so sure that it isn't. Anyway, when we meet on the 16th we are to discuss a possible surgery and I am just like a lot of the other theads that I have seen, scared, upset, mad, actually I feel like I am in the Twilight Zone. Today is my 50th birthday and I want to be giving advice to the new ones on this site when I'm still 100. I can already see that you all are going to be a lot of support and comfort. Anyone that maybe has something similar, possibly that is sarcoid related or Pondimin use I would appreciate hearing what you have to say. Thank goodness I don't have a lot of the symptoms yet, which confused me at first because I thought I should wait until then and do something about it. Now I see that the sooner you can correct the problem the better off you will be. I do have some fatigue, lots of PVC's (I think the pacemaker adds to that). I seem to feel great one minute and then be bottomed out and then feel pretty good again a little later. So far no swelling, just a fullness, out of breath type feeling when I eat, some lightheadedness. I'm still able to get out and walk a couple of miles and do yardwork, vacuuming, etc. Any comments or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
I have been comparatively healthy all my life but in June of 2004 started experiencing light headedness and weakness and discovered I had bradycardia and had a pacemaker installed. The doctors were pretty much inconclusive as to what caused my problem, possibly at one time in my life maybe an infection. I did have a small area of sarcoidosis in one lung and took steroid treatment for 6 months. That quickly disappeared and I was never aware that it was even there until I went in with my slow heart rate. My doctor says the bottom part of my heart is stiff and doesn't flex as well as the rest of my heart does. I had taken Pondimin a few years ago when it was all the rage. My doctor says that is not my problem but it is on my list of questions to ask on the next visit (16th) as to why he is so sure that it isn't. Anyway, when we meet on the 16th we are to discuss a possible surgery and I am just like a lot of the other theads that I have seen, scared, upset, mad, actually I feel like I am in the Twilight Zone. Today is my 50th birthday and I want to be giving advice to the new ones on this site when I'm still 100. I can already see that you all are going to be a lot of support and comfort. Anyone that maybe has something similar, possibly that is sarcoid related or Pondimin use I would appreciate hearing what you have to say. Thank goodness I don't have a lot of the symptoms yet, which confused me at first because I thought I should wait until then and do something about it. Now I see that the sooner you can correct the problem the better off you will be. I do have some fatigue, lots of PVC's (I think the pacemaker adds to that). I seem to feel great one minute and then be bottomed out and then feel pretty good again a little later. So far no swelling, just a fullness, out of breath type feeling when I eat, some lightheadedness. I'm still able to get out and walk a couple of miles and do yardwork, vacuuming, etc. Any comments or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
