Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Good News

I visited my cardiologist yesterday.  I got bunches of good news.
  • The blood clots in my leg are gone.  Thank you, Coumadin!
  • I do not have hyper-something something something, which is a genetic condition that causes you to form blood clots very easily.  Thank you, mom and dad!
  • I do not have a-fib.  Apparently, I have oddball heart rhythm that when a normal cardiology-trained doctor or nurse practitioner looks at my ekg, I seem to have a-fib.  But when an expert in heart rhythm looks, he can see that I do not.  I went through this same sort-of thing when my SVT was first diagnosed.  The staff saw my heart monitor readings and thought I was dying.  Like seriously, call 911, dying!  But then the rhythm specialist saw it and told them I was not:)
What does all that mean?  I get to stop taking Coumadin!!  Hooray!!  No more fear of bleeding like crazy.  No more weekly trips to the doctor to have blood drawn to check my levels.  No more hair falling out. (Hair loss is a side effect of the medicine)

I also got to stop taking the beta-blockers!  This is huge because beta-blockers make me feel horrible!  They zap every last drop of energy in my body.  I am so ready to feel normal again.

But there is still a little something not quite right with my ticker so I am going on a 14-day event monitor.  The doctor said it was one of 3 things:
  • PVCs or skipped beats - Everyone feels these on occasion.  Either from stress or too much caffeine or hormones...a myriad of things can cause them.
  • The nerve that caused my SVT is still trying to fire.  It gets no results but that doesn't stop it from trying.
  • The bad pathway that was ablated during my surgery in November has regenerated.
 My feeling is that it is probably the second one.  PVCs usually just happen on occasion.  My flutter is regular and it happens for a long time.  I don't think the pathway has regenerated since I haven't gone into a full-blown attack.  And trust me, I KNOW when I go into a SVT attack.  It is hard to miss a pulse of 350bpm!

I think it is the nerve that caused my SVT trying to fire.  The feeling that I get is the feeling that I used to get as my heart was headed into a full-blown attack.  Why has it suddenly started back up again?  I don't know but hopefully the monitor will give us some answers.

11 comments:

Lisa said...

You have the patience of a Saint to deal with all this...bless your heart. I hope this issue improves soon!

George said...

Thanks for sharing your good news with us. I'm very happy to hear it.

George said...

Thanks for sharing your good news with us. I'm very happy to hear it.

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Great news, Woody... I am so happy for you... Hope you continue to feel better and better....

Hugs,
Betsy

Desert Survivor said...

Glad the doctors are making progress. Good luck figuring it all out!

Tammy said...

Going off medication is very good news! Especially when they make you feel crappy! Hope they figure that irregular heart stuff out, it can be stressful not knowing. Hang in there!

Mental P Mama said...

Well, it is progress...hope you get an all-clear soon!

Lisa @ Two Bears Farm said...

Hooray! Glad you get to go off meds. Hope the 14 day test goes well. I had to wear a heart monitor for 3 days last summer (due to PVCs) and I had a reaction to the sensors - I got itchy welts that lasted for 6 weeks afterwards! I'm sure they use better quality equipment for a 14 day one - so may your 2 weeks be quiet and itch free!!

Busy Bee Suz said...

Progress indeed. Glad you are off the stuff that made you feel so bad and could have possibly made you bleed TOO much!
14 days is a long time with that monitor; it better give them some a pinpoint reason!!
Take care,
Suz

Susan said...

I'm so happy to hear your good news! I have been thinking about you lots lately! I hope you start to feel the lessening of the drug effects quickly!

Snooty Primadona said...

Thank goodness no more beta blockers!!!! And whatever the ticker is doing, I hope you find out soon.

You know, I only drink one cup of coffee a couple of days a week now because it didn't make me feel good anymore & I found that green tea actually does make me feel good. Especially when I add a teaspoon of honey.

So... where are we going on our trip (after the docs figure your ticker out)?

;-)