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Re: Stress Test Questions
Jim, You are very welcome and I am right there ,got your back so to speak. Linda gave a great explanation about the heart failure and how it reflects edema to various parts and in various degrees. I still never have a lot of fluid problems in my lower extremities but I had a lot in my head, arms and abdomen. The swollen abdomen comes from the liver becoming engorged during the back -up. The only way I found out in the 1st place about the CHF was that I would go to the ER . They would examine me sometimes do a chest x-ray and give me an inhalant treatment tell me I had pneumonia or bronchitis , give me antibiotics and send me home. I often had relapses but fortunately always gradually recovered. I would always be stuffy in the head but per my knowledge did not have a cold or symptoms . It was not until several years went by and I was finally professionally diagnosed( by a doctor instead of myself) as having HCM that I was then always asked by the ER doc ,(" Ms. Alexson, what do you believe you have?"). I would tell them I was in failure and needed to get rid of the fluid. I'd get a Lasix drip, start peeing, and then go home. It did not take long before I decided I did not need to be giving these people $50.00 everytime it happened. So I took care of it myself. When I finally saw a pulmonary specialist he said he never saw pneumonia but CHF. BC&BS put me on their roster as a CHF patient and checked in with me and educated me via the phone . They installed a hub line on my phone and I would have to check BP, P and weight daily. If I didn't they would call. I resisted initially playing with increase or decrease in Lasix on a daily basis but finally got on board and did it well keeping me out of scary places like ER's where they say, " we are a fish out of water with patients like you." It was scary learning that I had been in CHF acutely many times before it was ever acknowledged that I had a heart problem. When we look at pictures of me from just last summer it makes me cry as I cannot believe how swollen and puffy my head, face, arms and belly were. How poor my color was. It is very different now. I can really say I thought I was going to die. You know my family now tells me the same thing . For us the myectomy had to be done. So I know you will make the best decision for you but as Lisa poignantly says" I think we have a duck." We will all stand by you as you travel this rocky path. Hang in there . Pam
Jim, You are very welcome and I am right there ,got your back so to speak. Linda gave a great explanation about the heart failure and how it reflects edema to various parts and in various degrees. I still never have a lot of fluid problems in my lower extremities but I had a lot in my head, arms and abdomen. The swollen abdomen comes from the liver becoming engorged during the back -up. The only way I found out in the 1st place about the CHF was that I would go to the ER . They would examine me sometimes do a chest x-ray and give me an inhalant treatment tell me I had pneumonia or bronchitis , give me antibiotics and send me home. I often had relapses but fortunately always gradually recovered. I would always be stuffy in the head but per my knowledge did not have a cold or symptoms . It was not until several years went by and I was finally professionally diagnosed( by a doctor instead of myself) as having HCM that I was then always asked by the ER doc ,(" Ms. Alexson, what do you believe you have?"). I would tell them I was in failure and needed to get rid of the fluid. I'd get a Lasix drip, start peeing, and then go home. It did not take long before I decided I did not need to be giving these people $50.00 everytime it happened. So I took care of it myself. When I finally saw a pulmonary specialist he said he never saw pneumonia but CHF. BC&BS put me on their roster as a CHF patient and checked in with me and educated me via the phone . They installed a hub line on my phone and I would have to check BP, P and weight daily. If I didn't they would call. I resisted initially playing with increase or decrease in Lasix on a daily basis but finally got on board and did it well keeping me out of scary places like ER's where they say, " we are a fish out of water with patients like you." It was scary learning that I had been in CHF acutely many times before it was ever acknowledged that I had a heart problem. When we look at pictures of me from just last summer it makes me cry as I cannot believe how swollen and puffy my head, face, arms and belly were. How poor my color was. It is very different now. I can really say I thought I was going to die. You know my family now tells me the same thing . For us the myectomy had to be done. So I know you will make the best decision for you but as Lisa poignantly says" I think we have a duck." We will all stand by you as you travel this rocky path. Hang in there . Pam
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