SOB,ChestPain,Dizziness

[RandyL]

Hello everybody.
Here I am again asking stupid questions but I guyess I can since I am a newby.

Could some of you that have had these symptoms please describe them so I know what to look for. There is various degrees of different symptoms and just want to know how some of you felt that maybe made you decide on when to get your surgery done. I feel all of these from time to time but I am also out of shape,over weight and smoked for 35 years. I never feel like any of them are severe and can't tell if they are my aorta valve or just my old out of shape body.
BTW I am 54 and my echo was .8
Thanks

 

[Phyllis]

Dick didn't have any symptoms except for one big one- he fainted on the tennis court after a couple of hours of doubles. With a .8 echo and those symptoms, I would say you are ready for surgery- sooner rather than later.

 

[tobagotwo]

It's tough to answer, because we tend to judge our own symptoms very badly. We get in our own way.

Angina is a common symptom. Here's a link to something I wrote about it, but there are plenty of other contributions about it, too. http://www.valvereplacement.com/forums/showthread.php?p=119047&highlight=angina#post119047

The search feature (on the bar at the top right) is a great way to page through data on the site.

It's also difficult to tell the difference between getting out of shape, getting a little older, and the fatigue that comes with heart issues. I can tell you that I got back about 15 years after my surgery. My heart felt lighter than a feather for a long time.

Best wishes,

 

[dcpickle]

Randy,
I also struggled with trying to decide whether I was having symptoms or not. After all, we all get out of breath if we go up a flight of stairs too fast, right?

There came a time for me when I realized that the feeling I had in my chest when I exerted myself was angina. I expected angina to be a sharp kind of pain, but this felt very much like breathing in very cold air. It was pretty uncomfortable. It subsided quickly if I stopped the exertion. I had been having it for a while, but didn't quite know what it was, so I kind of chalked it up to being out of shape. Eventually I figured out what it really was, and by this time it had grown to be fairly significant, and was my indicator that the time for surgery had come. It has completely disappeared since my surgery.

David

PS That's not a stupid question at all. In fact, I think it's actually a great question for anyone struggling with whether or not to go ahead with surgery!

 

[JohnnyV_46]

Pains in my upper chest on both sides....shoulder pain, neck and jaw pain in various degrees....never any pain in the center of my chest....sometimes my left arm ached.....Never had a feeling of elephant on my chest. I had it for about 3 mos...and then one day, it didn't really get worse, it just didn't go away. So I high Tailed it for the ER.....Got me a shot of that TPA, some nitro....and then they really started checking me out good. Thats was on Aug 16th, Aug 19th I got me a Triple bypass, a new Aortic Valve and some of that Fancy Dacron Tubing where my Aorta used to be...If in doubt, Check it out....You've had the warning from your body....listen to it...

JohnnyV

 

[Curtsmum]

Hi, your questions are not stupid,my son has been getting symptoms that i relate to his heart condition but when i ring the hospital, they say there not. Its hard to say, best of luck.

 

[TomS]

You may occasionally feel dizzy. I never new what it was or why until I had the AVR. Now I realize that it must have been the valve. Other than that, I had similar numbers to yours and never experienced any real shortness of breath, pain, etc.
Tom

 

[Nancy]

The first thing you can do for yourself and also for your doctor is to start a notebook. Put in it - the date, the time of day, what you were doing and what your symptoms are. Don'y worry about sounding silly, just write it all down. Mention also if this is something new, something you have had before while doing something similar, and how long it bothers you.

Be as precise as you can, and be as brief as you can. You want your doctor to be able to read it without feeling that he/she is reading the hugest tome ever written. That way it will get read.

There are tests for all symptoms. Some of the common tests are EKG, echo, TEE, stress test, heart cath., Holter or other monitor, ultrasound of various areas, and all kinds of bloodwork, etc. It is not up to you to find out how these test out on the severity scale, that is why we pay our doctors. They diagnose things. But you will need to give the doc some input as to what to look for.

Heart surgery is recommended according to how your test results look AND how you are feeling, so that is important to the whole equation.

Chest pain, dizziness and shortness of breath should never be ignored. All could be benign, and also all could be something serious that needs attention.

Start your notebook, and call your doctor.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

I prefer the perspective of the SURGEONS when it comes to choosing the best time for surgery. They like to operate BEFORE your heart becomes permanently damaged.

ALL of your symptoms and your 0.8 sq cm aortic valve area are triggers for surgery so what are you waiting for? Do you have a surgeon lined up? If not, I would make that your #1 priority, ASAP.

When was your last echo? Have you reported your symptoms to your Cardiologist? Your cardiologist can give you a recommendation and referal to a surgeon or you can go looking on your own.

Remember TobagoTwo's famous line:

"The worse it gets, the faster it gets worse!"

Are you dialing now?

'AL Capshaw'

 

[Marguerite53]

hmmm

hmmm

Hi Randy. You and I are similar. Young 50's and out of shape! But I don't smoke! Baaaaddd!

As Al Capshaw states, it is generally very important to operate before the heart sustains any permanent damage. Some cardiologists take a ho-hum approach to these things and some patients have suffered the consequence of waiting. Not everyone has these issues, however, so don't assume you are or aren't one of these cases. Do realize that most cardios are very quiet and don't offer much unless asked, specifically.

It is very difficult making sense of all of this. Seek out a second opinion if you do not like the amount or quality of information that your cardio is giving. Your cardio should help you discern what is significant and what isn't. .8 is certainly getting there!! My cardio says she calls in the surgeon when the aortic valve reaches .75, or, when she is listening and she no longer hears the valve click shut. Obviously, for me, I have no aneurisms or enlargements so they are only watching the stenosis variables for now. She wants me on a 12 month echo schedule, I always manage to find a way to get one out of her every 6 months!! I just feel better with more frequent visits. It's my nickel, after all!

Nancy had some great suggestions. Follow through on them. Sometimes using a fax to get messages to and from the doctor is feasable. That way they can read it at an opportune time and you won't be charged for a visit. Sometimes the nurse can give you a wealth of info. Good staff is a good indicator of the quality of your physician, too.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. The more knowledge you have, the better off you will be.

Good luck and welcome!!

Marguerite