*sigh* can't get my husband's primary to take him seriously

[Nancy]

Well, not every doctor graduates at the top of their class. Some graduate at the bottom.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

"Too young to have Heart Disease"???

IF your husband ever sees her again, he might want to ask her if she has ever heard of Congenital Heart Disease(s).

Definitely RUN to another PCP. An Internist would be a good choice if you can find one who will take new patients.

I second the idea of going straight to the ER IF/When your husband exhibits any more symptoms.

Don't get me started on HMO's...

 

[Maryka]

Re going to the ER: It sounds like a good idea, but a lot of ERs have young and inexperienced doctors staffing them. I have met person after person who had Marfan syndrome who were turned away from ERs even though their aortas were dissecting. The guy who wrote the musical Rent had that problem and his dissection was only discovered on autopsy. (Those of us in the know can just look at his photo and see he had Marfan Syndrome.) And what about the actor John Ritter? He did not look Marfan, yet he died of an aortic dissection. The National Marfan Foundation has been supporting efforts from members to go to ERs and run educational programs and leave literature about recognizing aortic dissections.

 

[delvalle6]

I called and changed his primary care physician to an internal med physician today. Tomorrow I will call and make him an appt. Maybe that doc can look at the ekg that was performed and at least give us some kind of an opinion. I can't believe that doctor never even called to say she looked at the ekg or what she thought-- not even an email-- nothing. If something happens to my husband in the interum I'll be all over filing complaints and finding attorneys.

 

[Luana]

I'm glad you got an internal medicine doc for his new PCP; however, I wouldn't hold much hope in the EKG revealing anything too significant, and hope he/she can refer your husband to a cardiologist.

 

[hensylee]

a new doctor needed. My S T wave has changed over time (I had quad bypass, not valve replacement) and that's not a good thing for me. and trouble in that spot is probly not a good thing for your husband, either. Lots of doctors out there who might take you seriously.

 

[francie12]

Hi Samantha,
Sorry I didn't see this sooner, but sounds like you have it all covered. Our son's pediatric cardio ordered echos for the whole rest of the family (dilated aortas turned up in two of us). For anyone reading this with a similar prob, you might try asking him/her to do the ordering.
All the very best, Jane (aka francie12)

 

[vtbecca]

Wow crazy! Too young? Your child has a heart problem. My son was diagnosed w/ his CHD at one week and had surgery at 2 weeks. There is no such thing as too young. I also have a very close friend who had a heart attack a week after her daughter was born- She is 31. Thankfully doing well but has 3 stents and had many coronary artery dissections. There is NO such thing as too young. Would it be possible for the ped. cardiologist to call the family doc and encourage them for the referral, or would they be willing to do it given the circumstance? I have no doubt that my son's PC would find a way to make that happen, especially with very worrisome symptoms. Good luck, update when you can. I am just shocked that the doctor is so naive about the whole thing!

Becca

 

[Dale 1]

Sounds like a complaint to the appropriate medical society is in order! This doctor sounds dangerous.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

It is my understanding that one's Primary Care Physician can order an EchoCardiogram (that will be read by a Cardiologist) without the necessity of actually becoming the patient of that (or any) Cardiologist, at least in the USA (and probably an insurance plan that allows such orders).

I second the comment(s) to the effect that the EKG won't tell you much of anything about the condition of his Valves and Aorta. An EKG is a graph of the Heart's Electrical Behavior which determines Heart Rate and Rhythm.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Luana]

It is my understanding that one's Primary Care Physician can order an EchoCardiogram (that will be read by a Cardiologist) without the necessity of actually becoming the patient of that (or any) Cardiologist, at least in the USA (and probably an insurance plan that allows such orders).

I second the comment(s) to the effect that the EKG won't tell you much of anything about the condition of his Valves and Aorta. An EKG is a graph of the Heart's Electrical Behavior which determines Heart Rate and Rhythm.

'AL Capshaw'

Not with most HMO plans. When I asked my PCP for an echo last summer, she had to refer me to a cardiologist. Fortunately, I was able to see him soon and has the echo done about a week later. A few years earlier on a different HMO, the specialist I was seeing (endocrinologist) ordered an echo without a referral to a cardiologist, but he wasn't the gatekeeper like the PCPs are.

 

[Equusz]

Samantha:

I see you're in Vancouver. If you have $250 to spare, take him up to Swedish in Seattle. They do the EBT scan with no referral needed. Appointments are easy to get with almost no wait time. The EBT will get him a look at his coronary arteries for any plaque that might be causing the symptoms, and you'll also get a measurement of the thoracic aorta, and if there's any LVH related to a valve problem. That'll cover most angles of immediate threat. They give you a full radiologist's report and can send the report and images to whatever doctor you want, as well.

This is how I found my aortic dilation, and was able to go from there regarding the valve. Just thought, "hey that sounds cool I'll go see how my heart's doing," on a whim. Glad I did. Here's more info:

http://www.swedish.org/Services/Hea...ces/Diagnostic-Services/Coronary-Calcium-Scan

Good luck!

Equusz