Don't take things for granted

[LurkerSpeaks]

I just had a medical scare which made me re-evaluate a few things..

 

Some background--

 

I am a fairly healthy guy, just 51 years old--non smoker, non drug user, and very light drinker. Other than being overweight, I am generally in good physical shape. I do have a history of heart issues in my family. Father had two bypass surgeries, mother had minor heart issues and cholesterol trouble. Three older siblings have all had heart attacks around 50 years of age..but they all were smokers, some were drug users..I am neither..

 

I had what I thought was the flu...after a few days of bed rest and no real improvement, I made a trip to urgent care. The doctor said it was a bronchial/sinus type infection and prescribed some antibiotics. During the visit, my blood pressure was running high. It could be caused by some of the over the counter meds I had been taking, but I should follow up with my regular doctor in a few days.

 

Four days later, after seeing quite an improvement from the antibiotics, I returned to my regular doctor to followup..At first, blood pressure came back very normal..then pulse was very low, but sporadic. A listen to my heart revealed irregular behavior. An EKG was taken and within minutes I had several doctors in the room telling me I had a very rapid, irregular heartbeat. I had not noticed any symptoms on my own. Doctor proceeded to tell me the "what ifs" and that I needed to go to the hospital immediately. I was not even allowed to drive myself, they had to call paramedics to transport me by ambulance.

 

Regular heartbeats should be 60-100 per minute. When I got to the hospital, mine was beating 167 times per minute. the things that kept running thru my mind is that I live alone. I have no family in the city in which I live. I have no real close friends I can count on close by. It is a scary thought to be alone under those circumstances. Yes, I have family across the country. Yes, I have good friends around the country, but no one LOCAL I can count on.

 

Long story short, I spent the night at the hospital. They put me on a couple of different meds to slow my heart and thin my blood. I arrived at the hospital around 11am, and they did not finally get my heartbeat stabilized until around 3am. And all this time, I honestly did not notice any "symptoms" that would have made me question my health.

 

I was discharged approximately 26 hours after my arrival at the hospital. I will be doing extensive followup with a cardiologist this coming week to try to determine what happened and why it happened, so we can prevent it from occuring again.

 

Don't take things for granted. We never know what the next week will bring, or the next day, or even the next hour. Don't take your health for granted. Get regular checkups. Follow your doctor's advice. Have a plan in place. What would you do IF.......?????

 

Sadly, none of us are immortal. If there is something you have been putting off doing, by all means, do it..Hate the thought of "bucket lists", but for the first time ever, I have realized what they really are..Don't take things for granted.

[instudiocity]

Hope you are better - Do what the doctors say... thanks for the concern...

[Diverdan]

Lurker... well said... and very sorry to hear about this episode. But, the good thing is that you are still with us, and now more cognizent of what your body may tell you... hope you find a close friend where you live, as that is critical to your piece of mind... stay well my friend, and thanks for sharing this with us.

DD

[seeker630]

That's a very scary story - and especially because you weren't aware that something serious was happening. One of my best friends, who's 4 years younger than me, had a heart attack about 10 years ago - and the only symptom he noted was extreme fatigue. Luckily his partner drove him to a hospital. He did have a familial hisotry of heart disease. But the experience profoundly changed his outlook on life.

 

Modern medicine can work wonders - once the problem is identified. Here's hoping they'll identify your underlying problem and cure or treat it. But I suspect the experience has & will change your perspective on some things.

 

Like you, I have no local family who could really provide support - as a matter of fact, I've just brought my 88-year-old father (who has dementia) to stay with me while he recuperates from surgery. But I do have 2 close friends in the area who could & would be of enormous help. But it's uncomfortable to look ahead and picture a lot of 'what if' scenarios, because no one lese is in a position to do much for me.

[JT Brooklyn]

Lurker...The Best of Health to You in the Future!

[healthguy]

Hi Luker,

Sorry for your scare. It's always worse when it creeps up like that. I hope I can offer a little help/perspective here. I spent about 23 years in critical care, and much of that time was spent teaching new employees arrhythmia interpretation. So, based on what you said, here is my guess. You had an episode of what was most likely Atrial Fibrillation. AF can have a wide range of heart rates. At either end of the spectrum, it can cause some difficulty. Of course the goal is to turn it back into a "normal sinus rhythm" or a regular rhythm. If not, take heart, (ha,ha). AF is probably the most common arrhythmia that cardiologist see in practice. Not to say that you are in the "senior" category, but it happens more in the elderly. The next goal, which they did with you, is control the faster rate. Why do we get AF? The heart, along with its circulation, has its own electrical circuitry. Sometimes it simply does not follow its usual pathway, or trys to choose an alternative route. IF AF is your issue, somethings I would remind myself:

1) This arrhythmia is a common one. There are a number of very successful treatments to either correct it, or keep it under control.

2) You were controlled in about 24 hrs!

3) I'm sure you cardiologist will chat with you about blood pressure, and weight.

4) Stress plays an important part in arrhythmia control as well. So ask questions,(write them down), stay informed, and TRY not to stress out over what seems to be s stressful situation.

5) It sounds like you are right on to getting it straightened out.

As a personal side note. My mother had a diagnosis of AF more than 20years before she died at 81. My sister is well into her 70's, with AF. I have a very close friend who was diagnosed at 53 with AF, doing great. Unfortunately for him, he had to give up his glass (or 2) of daily wine. This was the impetus that would start is AF.

Any other question? PM me and I'll try to help. Take care, Rand

[LurkerSpeaks]

oops.. was supposed to be a pvt message.. sorry

[gallahadesquire]

oops.. was supposed to be a pvt message.. sorry

 

Perhaps a Freudian slip. Health guy is right on with his Advice. I second it heartily!

 

Best wishes and Good Health!

[LurkerSpeaks]

As a followup.. I saw the cardiologist on Monday, and everything looked normal. Had a nuclear stress test this morning, then a followup with the cardiologist. Everything again looks normal with the exception of me being fat and out of shape. (DUH).. Have sleep apnea test scheduled for Friday night. Good news is I lost 4 lbs since Monday..

[leigh.bess.toad]

Lurker -- it is good to hear that news. As the guy who started the "3 things to be thankful for" thread, I think you certainly have something to be thankful for now.

 

Good luck and as ISC said, do what the doctors suggest.

[gallahadesquire]

BUMP

 

This is the most recent thread I can find regarding atrial fibrillation. I went into it in September 2014 and was successfully cardioverted (heart shocked, like with ventricular fibrillation). The same thing happened a week ago Saturday (Thanksgiving weekend), and I was again cardioverted. I'm back into it again, and a call to our arrhythmia clinic is pending.

 

Anyone else been going through this kind of issue? Any support will be helpful. I'm out of physician-mode at the moment.

[+ quoththeraven]

BUMP

 

This is the most recent thread I can find regarding atrial fibrillation. I went into it in September 2014 and was successfully cardioverted (heart shocked, like with ventricular fibrillation). The same thing happened a week ago Saturday (Thanksgiving weekend), and I was again cardioverted. I'm back into it again, and a call to our arrhythmia clinic is pending.

 

Anyone else been going through this kind of issue? Any support will be helpful. I'm out of physician-mode at the moment.

 

No advice to give, but I'm sorry you're having health/heart troubles. Let us know how you make out.

[jjkrkwood]

BUMP

 

This is the most recent thread I can find regarding atrial fibrillation. I went into it in September 2014 and was successfully cardioverted (heart shocked, like with ventricular fibrillation). The same thing happened a week ago Saturday (Thanksgiving weekend), and I was again cardioverted. I'm back into it again, and a call to our arrhythmia clinic is pending.

 

Anyone else been going through this kind of issue? Any support will be helpful. I'm out of physician-mode at the moment.

 

 

Tis must be the season Gall. I am so sorry to hear about your ongoing issues. The only advice I can reluctantly give is to follow doctors orders. I say reluctantly because I have been dealing with my own medical issues for a few years now, and it only seems I am bounced for specialist to specialist, and getting nowhere. I am scheduled for cardiac catheterization on Jan 5th to correct my heart problem. I wish you the best of luck and God speed.

[Rudynate]

My very best to both posters. I hope everything goes well and you never have to deal with this again.

BUMP

 

This is the most recent thread I can find regarding atrial fibrillation. I went into it in September 2014 and was successfully cardioverted (heart shocked, like with ventricular fibrillation). The same thing happened a week ago Saturday (Thanksgiving weekend), and I was again cardioverted. I'm back into it again, and a call to our arrhythmia clinic is pending.

 

Anyone else been going through this kind of issue? Any support will be helpful. I'm out of physician-mode at the moment.

 

 

A-fib can be a persistent problem. I have known several people who've had to deal with it. I hope everything goes well for you.

[+ honcho]

Any support will be helpful. I'm out of physician-mode at the moment.

 

I'm sorry to learn of this and will keep you in my thoughts for a positive outcome.

[+ bashful]

A friend of mine was diagnosed with A-fib (mid 50s). A sleep study revealed he also had sleep apnea, and now uses a cpap. He seems to think the A-fib has not reoccurred since using the cpap, but he says doctors have not taken him off all the A-fib meds. Good luck.

[+ friendofsheila]

I agree that seeing a doctor regularly is a good way to stay ahead of these kinds of scares. Especially past "a certain age."

[gallahadesquire]

BUMP or update:

 

CArdioverted 11/30; reverted12/4. Cardioverted 12/5; Recurred 12/6. I'm being admitted this evening to start Tikosyn, which can cause a nasty arrhythmia and ventricular fibrillation so I need to be monitored for three days. I'm taking in several books; headphones; iPad; iPhone; as well as necessities.

 

Wish me luck!

[escortrod]

BUMP or update:

 

CArdioverted 11/30; reverted12/4. Cardioverted 12/5; Recurred 12/6. I'm being admitted this evening to start Tikosyn, which can cause a nasty arrhythmia and ventricular fibrillation so I need to be monitored for three days. I'm taking in several books; headphones; iPad; iPhone; as well as necessities.

 

Wish me luck!

Good luck!

[+ WmClarke]

BUMP or update:

 

CArdioverted 11/30; reverted12/4. Cardioverted 12/5; Recurred 12/6. I'm being admitted this evening to start Tikosyn, which can cause a nasty arrhythmia and ventricular fibrillation so I need to be monitored for three days. I'm taking in several books; headphones; iPad; iPhone; as well as necessities.

 

Wish me luck!

Good luck!!!!

[BabyBoomer]

 

Wish me luck!

 

Did you notify the Abbot?

 

~Boomer ~

[gallahadesquire]

Did you notify the Abbot?

 

~Boomer ~

Not yet. He's a hard one to find sometimes. I'll shoot a message up to God, and maybe the Abbot will get it on the rebound.

[BabyBoomer]

Good luck. Keep us posted on your progress.

 

~ Boomer~

[seaboy4hire]

Lurker, I am right there with you. Between getting the bejeebus scared out of me with the Cancer and heart issues (fluid around the heart) in Aug I learned real quick not to take life, my s/o and sometimes strangers for granted. They're all connected and without one I can't have the other. I hope that you are doing better.

 

Hugs,

Greg

[+ purplekow]

The atrial contraction only supplies about 10% of the blood moving into the ventricle and then out to the body. As a result, in atrial fibrillation when the atrial are quivering rather than beating, if the rate is controlled, you actually lose a very small amount of cardiac output and if you are otherwise healthy, you may not have any symptoms or may only have symptoms with exertion. When the heart rate is not controlled, then the decreased amount of time for transit of blood from the atrium to the ventricle may result in decreased cardiac output which along with the fast rate may produce symptoms at rest or with minimal exertion.

 

Atrial fibrillation is dangerous in that the quivering of the atrium may lead to blood clots forming in the atria and eventually these clots may get out into the circulation and there is a resultant possibility of a stroke.

 

Therapy for atrial fibrillation centers on controlling the rate and preventing the throwing of clots. The rate may be controlled by drugs, which may slow the rate or even change the fibrillation back to a normal rhythm. The rate may also be controlled by electrically converting the rhythm back to regular rhythm.

 

Preventing clots from forming and traveling is usually accomplished by the use of "blood thinners" or the used of anti platelet drugs.

The decision as to which drug to use to try and avoid strokes is aided by the use of the CHADS scale. More recently the CHAD2S2 scale has been used. These scales use risks such as congestive heart failure, hypertension, age, Diabetes, and previous stroke as well as sex to determine stroke risk. Lower CHAD scores may be treated with aspirin or in some cases with no medication at all. With higher scores, long term anticoagulation is usually recommended if a regular rhythm cannot be accomplished.

 

Good luck with your treatment. Atrial fibrillation does have its risks, but if you are able to tolerate the medications used, you should be able to return to your life with little change in activity.