Protimenow Update

[Eva]

So sorry to hear all that you went through recently. Hope this ends soon. Real scary mainly at these times.
Prayers!

 

[Duffey]

Sorry to hear of all you’ve been put through.

 

[Sheenas7]

I wish you a fast recovery too. How scary. Stay well.
I once was doing a prep for colonoscopy and my heart rate went way down. My cardiologist said I was experiencing bygeminal rhythms (don’t know spelling) from the dehydration. I have the mechanical heart valve and a pacemaker but my pulse was low. It was scary.

 

[Protimenow]

It's funny. It WAS an ordeal that lasted for two weeks.

But compared to the extensive, and often rather terrible things that others on this site have gone through, this is pracically nothing. They didn't crack my chest open, they didn't do surgery on my aorta or aortic root, they didn't replace my valve, etc., etc., so it wasn't THAT bad. True, I was probably at risk of dying, probably twice, but managing these episodes involved a stent and proper choice of medications.

At least this barely qualifies me for entrance into the 'complications club.'

Thanks to everyone for your good wishes and kind thoughts.

 

[epstns]

Protimenow said,
"At least this barely qualifies me for entrance into the 'complications club.' "

Yeah - ANOTHER club nobody wanted to join. . . but as long as you're officially here, welcome!

 

[Protimenow]

Well, I'm not finished with this journey yet. There may be a few more bumps, better quaifications for membershop to a club that, as epstens described as 'ANOTHER clube nobody wanted to join.'

After persistent dizziness and lack of energy ever since leaving the hospital, I got to visit the electrophysiolgist who I saw in the hospital. Of course, my HMO doesn't have a way to include him YET, but we're still trying to get him authorized so he can treat me. I paid out of pocket to keep this appointment that MY HMO MADE FOR ME.

I complained about the persistent dizziness and lack of energy - told him what my PCP thought about the dizziness (vertigo), and he blamed the dizziness on the Verapamil Extended Release, and the lack of energy on the fact that my heart skips a beat after every normal heartbeat. I'm probably not getting enough oxygenated blood circulating through my body to maintain much activity. If I remember correctly, this is now MUCH WORSE than the symptoms I was having before my AVR.

He changed my Verapamil dosage from 180 mg ER to 80 mg, twice a day and, if that works, I may have to take only 1 a day.

If my HMO finally authorizes him to care for me, he'll do an EP scan (which I assume means Electrophysiology or something similar). My cardiologist is having a 24 hour holdter next week, ahd the electrophysiologist wants a copy.

It's possible - maybe even likely - that he'll do an ablation above the prosthetic aortic valve - threading a device up my femoral artery, THROUGH the septum in my heart, and at a funny angle, will ablate two triggers in the heart that control heartbeat. I trust him to do this.

After the ablation, he said, I'll feel like a new man. (I have a few friends named Newman, so I'll ask them how they feel).

I think that, if I don't start feeling stronger, I may have to get these ablations.

If/when I do this; if I survive, I'll probably update this.
If not, well, you'll see that I didn't.

 

[Astro]

Best wishes Protimenow. Sounds like you are surrounded by a team of experts who are going to sort this out.

 

[user 16827]

good luck mate

 

[Seaton]

Best of health to you @Protimenow.
Hope this gets positively sorted soon.

 

[Agian]

You'll romp through it.

 

[Sheenas7]

Good luck! They know so much now. I’ll be looking for your update.

 

[KatherineA]

I’ll be watching for your update too. I wish you all the best.

 

[Superbob]

Oh man, I've been remiss, AWOL -- just catching up with this. Sorry you've been through such an ordeal. Wishing you all the best, and hoping for some more positive updates. Stay strong!

 

[user 15848]

All the best,

 

[gerrychuck]

Will be thinking of you, Protime.

 

[Protimenow]

Thanks to everyone. The one who's been through the ordeal is my wife. She didn't know what's going on when I was in the hospital. She wasn't eating - and I had no way to convince her TO eat.
Now, she sees me walking around as if I was extremely dizzy (I often am) and sees me tired from small outings -- she's the one going through this ordeal.

They've changed my dose of Verapamil from a large, extended release capsule, to two smaller rapid release pills. So far, it seems to help a bit -- once the extended release pill is completely out of my system, I'll see how much better I become.

I get a holter monitor on Monday. I might get a pulse oximeter from the hospital on Monday. I'm hoping that my HMO allows me to see the electrophysiologist. At that point, we'll pursue this further, if necessary.

Again - thanks for all your good wishes. I'll update this when there's something to update.

 

[Protimenow]

Well, it's time for another update.

Since leaving the hospital, I've been feeling weak, dizzy, unlike my old self. I mentioned this to my cardiologist, who didn't seem to have an answer.

I saw my elecrophysiologist who thought it may be due to too high a dose of Verapamil. He cut the dose to a more tolerable dose, twice a day. It didn't help much.

Yesterday, after some small shopping trips (actually, one trip to two stores), I felt awful. I now have a pulse oximeter (for quick checks of pulse, not oxygen levels), and for quite a while - ten or fifteen minutes - it was around 180. I suspect tht it was that high while I was driving home. After many deep breaths, the rate went to 130, and after a while longer, it dropped to around 100 - and stayed there.

I was at least able to get up and get around.

I decided to go to the pharmacy to pick up some medications, but by the time that I got to the car outside, the SVTs picked up and I again felt awful. I called the electrophysiologist. They suggested that I come in for an EKG. They said that I can walk down the hall a few times to get my heartrate up - but this wasn't necessary -- a 'resting' rate of arund 130, with SVTs that couldn't be resolved was enough for them. They would have charged me $300 to do an electric 'fix' of my rhythm, or I could go to the E.R. where thay could probably fix it.

I chose to drive to the hospital. They were uncomfortable with that choice and asked me to call once I got there.

I got to the ER, with the electrophysiologist's EKG in hand. After an hour or so, on my doctor's advice, I was given 12 ml of adenosine. There was a crash cart next to me, and big electrodes were stuck onto my chest and back. The adenosine did the trick - SVTs stopped, I had a normal rhythm.

The electrophysiologist checked on me before I was discharged. He told me that I should probably get the ablations that should fix my heart rhythms. I'll let him review a copy of my 24 hour holter from last week, and work on getting the ablation scheduled in the next week or two.. First, I have to update all my documents, add my wife to my bank accounts that aren't joint, get power of attorney for her, probably a living trust, and THEN feel comfortable getting the ablation.

This has been SO MUCH FUN.

 

[Agian]

I'm sorry to hear about your ongoing troubles matey. You're in my thoughts.

 

[Sheenas7]

Well, it's time for another update.

Since leaving the hospital, I've been feeling weak, dizzy, unlike my old self. I mentioned this to my cardiologist, who didn't seem to have an answer.

I saw my elecrophysiologist who thought it may be due to too high a dose of Verapamil. He cut the dose to a more tolerable dose, twice a day. It didn't help much.

Yesterday, after some small shopping trips (actually, one trip to two stores), I felt awful. I now have a pulse oximeter (for quick checks of pulse, not oxygen levels), and for quite a while - ten or fifteen minutes - it was around 180. I suspect tht it was that high while I was driving home. After many deep breaths, the rate went to 130, and after a while longer, it dropped to around 100 - and stayed there.

I was at least able to get up and get around.

I decided to go to the pharmacy to pick up some medications, but by the time that I got to the car outside, the SVTs picked up and I again felt awful. I called the electrophysiologist. They suggested that I come in for an EKG. They said that I can walk down the hall a few times to get my heartrate up - but this wasn't necessary -- a 'resting' rate of arund 130, with SVTs that couldn't be resolved was enough for them. They would have charged me $300 to do an electric 'fix' of my rhythm, or I could go to the E.R. where thay could probably fix it.

I chose to drive to the hospital. They were uncomfortable with that choice and asked me to call once I got there.

I got to the ER, with the electrophysiologist's EKG in hand. After an hour or so, on my doctor's advice, I was given 12 ml of adenosine. There was a crash cart next to me, and big electrodes were stuck onto my chest and back. The adenosine did the trick - SVTs stopped, I had a normal rhythm.

The electrophysiologist checked on me before I was discharged. He told me that I should probably get the ablations that should fix my heart rhythms. I'll let him review a copy of my 24 hour holter from last week, and work on getting the ablation scheduled in the next week or two.. First, I have to update all my documents, add my wife to my bank accounts that aren't joint, get power of attorney for her, probably a living trust, and THEN feel comfortable getting the ablation.

This has been SO MUCH FUN.

Dear Protimenow
I know an ablation will fix the problem and you will be feeling much much better. The electrophysiologists are great at this. Best of luck.

 

[bizinsider]

Sorry to see the continued challenges. You could be any one of us. Cheering you on.