Trip to the ER this morning...

[weekycat]

Hi everyone,

I was trying to avoid the ER, so I went to the "walk in clinic" instead. I had been having pain in the chest area when inhaling and also when lying down, it had gone on all weekend, but was not gettting any better. I did NOT want to go to the ER, so I especially didn't go in and tell them I had CHEST PAIN. But I was sent over there anyway, (thankfully they're in the same building".

The funny thing was, they did a chest x-ray, and the technician came back and asked me if I had a hair tie or something on my person ! I told her it was probably my mitral valve ring, and she said, "Oh yup, I bet that's what it is!" Good grief, I would have thought they would have known such a thing. What did she think? I swallowed a hair tie or something

I was there for almost 4 hours, the chest x-ray was normal, (other than the hair tie), the ECG was normal, everything looked good, to make a long story short, I was diagnosed with pericarditis and/or pleurisy. I did a pericarditis search on the boards here and it looks like most people that had it, had it within a few weeks after surgery. It's been almost 16 months for me, I'm just wondering if this has happened to anyone else this late in the game.

I was given Torodol by IV and then put on Indocin, which is an anit-inflammatory drug. And I feel MUCH better this evening.

 

[Ross]

While I don't have much to offer, I've had many rounds of pleurisy and pleural effusion thanks to my all star lung disease. I know what that pain is about. It ain't no fun at all. If something is in there creating an inflamation, which who knows what, it's going to happen.

 

[LUVMyBirman]

Hi Jean,

You did not tell us how you were feeling during chat on Sunday! I am sorry.

As you may have noticed my effusion was early on. The type I had was tamponade. Usually happens within hours of surgery and is an urgent matter. Mine built up over weeks, still an urgent matter when it all came down. It has not returned. I do recall reading that some with the pericarditis....symptoms come and go over the years. I think you can take either a steroid or Vioxx to reduce fluid. You are the first I have heard with it coming on this far out post op. When was your last echo? I would insist on one regardless and inform your cardio of your visit to the ER. Bring him the X-Rays you had taken today.

Take care and keep us posted!

 

[fyrfytr]

Hey Jean,
I am sorry to hear of your problems. I Hope they get things taken of for you. Please keep us updated. You are in my prayers and thoughts.

Dave
_____________________________
Surgery: 4/21/03
Aortic Aneurysm Repair
AVR, with a St. Jude Mechanical
Heart Center of the Rockies

 

[Nancy]

Hi Jean-

I'm so sorry to hear about your trip to the ER. You'll be in my thoughts and prayers that things settle down and get on the right track asap.

Take care,

 

[EVELYN]

Now Jean.....stop that!!! No more trips, just keep feeling better!!

So glad you are feeling better and that everything is well heartwise. Remember....don't eat any more hair ties!!!

Chat with you on Sunday.

Evelyn

 

[Perrster]

Bummer!

Bummer!

Trips to the ER are certainly no fun!

One could easily feel like their "blue-light" special, especially if you're in for chest pain!

Drove myself to ER twice after surgery and both times emerged OK after a 3 hour tour.

Nevertheless, the ER personnel and docs were highly professional and treated me well. Fortunately, I always came away feeling better after they were through with me. Pericarditis and/or pleurisy was not one of my diagnoses. In fact, I can't remember why I was there, it's been so long. I pray I never have to go there again, however I wouldn't hesitate if I must!

Sorry to hear you had to go through it Jean.

 

[Mark Wagner]

Hi Jean,
I had the same thing around a year and a half after my surgery. I was treated with steroids, and the recovery was rather quick. During this time frame, I did have an INR problem, as my blood became very thin, and I ended up in Intensive Care for 3 days, and two additional days for observation. They figure it was a reaction with my coumadin and the steroids, (prednisone) Although normally there is little problem taking the two; my body went nuts. So if they put you on prednisone or the like, pay close attention to your INR.

Take care of yourself. ... Mark

 

[weekycat]

Thanks everyone!

Thanks everyone!

I'm not even sure if this was related to my surgery at all, the doctor said it's usually a viral thing, he said there was a guy in just before me that had it, but he had more viral symptoms. I hadn't even had a cold or anything, so that made me wonder where it came from. I know that Lupus can cause both pericarditis and pleurisy, and mentioned it to the ER doctor, but he just said, "Don't go chasing Lupus after 3 days". I told him that was not the only reason I was looking into Lupus, (I have a few other symptoms), but he wasn't paying any attention.

Does anyone know if Lupus can cause the same type of damage to a mitral valve as rheumatic fever?? It seems like I've read that somewhere. They never did determine what caused my valve to get as bad as it did, and I was asked at the time if I'd ever had rheumatic fever or if I'd ever taken phen-fen. The answer was no to both questions, so they'd just figured it was something I was born predisposed to. Now I'm wondering. I'm going to bring it up to my PCP next time I see him.

Mark, it is interesting to know that it happened to you at a year and a half, so maybe it was surgery related?? I don't have to worry about the INR thing though, I haven't been on Coumadin for over a year.

Thanks for all of your positive thoughts and prayers-they're working- I feel much better today!

 

[nadi]

Hope you are feeling better!

Hope you are feeling better!

Sorry you ae having this problem. Lung pain is no fun. Will keep you in my prayers and thoughts.

Take care,

 

[Gisele]

Jean

Jean

Hope by now you are starting to feel better. I think we all avoid the ER like the plague but fortunately it is there when we do need it.

Get some rest and take care.

 

[LUVMyBirman]

Hi Jean,

Hope you are feeling better today. Lupus is an autoimmune disorder like Marfans. It can attack the vital organs. If I were to be a betting type of gal....I would guess you do not have Lupus.

There is a very simple blood test called a SED (sedimentation rate). That can detect inflammation in the body. Which I bet they already did in the ER. Also an RF rheumatoid factor could be drawn. The RF would put up a red flag to check for an autoimmune disorder.
Take care and keep us posted.

 

[bvdr]

Hi Jean,

I understand why you are thinking about Lupus. I think there is alot of overlap of symptoms with many of the auto-immune diseases. About 20+ years ago, shortly after we moved to North Carolina from Florida, I was actually diagnosed as having Lupus. I was having problems with facial rashes, vasoconstriction in my fingers, toes, and even my nose. I was having kidney problems and alot of problems with arthritis. My doctor sent me to UNC up in Chapel Hill to see a nephrologist. He told me I looked much too healthy to have kidney problems. They ended up loosing my bloodwork and urine somehow in their system and the visit was worthless and I was quite disgusted. I didn't go back. My local doctor did more tests and decided it was more likely rheumatoid arthritis or a mixed disorder. I was put on steroids and improved dramatically. When my rheumatic heart disease was diagnosed my doctor told me that he thought that somehow everything connected.

Sometimes I wonder if I had a bout of R-fever at that time but who knows. All I know is that all these auto-immune things can get very very confusing. When my mitral valve was replaced Dr.Glower said it was a very typical rheumatic valve. Remember I had no recollection of ever having RF. Jean, you just might never really know. I just hope you keep feeling well!

 

[LUVMyBirman]

Bettty has a great point. Autoimmune disorders can be very complex. I was diagnoised with rheumatoid arthritis one year after surgery. There is a family history. Do find it interesting that some of us have autoimmune concerns. It boils down to connective tissue, which is what are valves are made of. Makes you wonder.

Hope you come to the bottom of your issues soon!

Take care.

 

[Mark Wagner]

Hi Jean,
Yes mine was surgery related. The cardiologist said it normally happens within a few months after surgery, but there are cases such as mine where it happens quite some time after.

Mark

 

[sylviayasgur]

hi jean!
sorry you are dealing with this so late in the game.... hope it clears up real soon and you feel better.
(joey had pleurisy after his surgery, but as you mentioned, it came several weeks post-op and i think they gave him prednisone and it cleared up a few weeks later).
we're thinking about you. please feel better, sylvia

 

[Ross]

Well my son who hasn't had any heart surgery has joined you in this case. Seems to be the same diagnosis. We shall see.