Tweet
[Recent hospital visit]
Author: Heather Irwin (65.247.157.---)
Date: 09-11-02 10:48
Hi there.......Well, I've been meaning to write and introduce myself. I know some of you and have talked to Lisa on the phone a few years ago. I've been doing relatively well and had a 6 mos. check up w/ my card. two weeks ago that went very well. She said that my measurements hadn't changed and my pulmonary pressures had dropped 10-15 points. I've been feeling great. Going to the gym everyday, except sat. and sun. I walk or ride the bike and do light free weights and circuits. Well, I was so relieved about my appt., but the other shoe dropped Sun. night. I was sitting watching the kids play, at home alone with them.....and all the sudden I could feel my heart beating irradically. I waited a minute hoping it would stop and get back into rythym. NO such luck. I had my mom take me to the ER and they hooked me up to find my heart rate going from 40 to 160, back and forth. They gave me a few doses of cardizem, a BB and I spent the night in ICU to be monitored closely. My dr. started me on a temporary dose of amiderone. Said that my heart was going back and forth from normal sinus rythym to a-fib and was trying to convert, but still hasn't to this point that I know of. I do have a stable HR now, around 70 or so, but I guess the a-fib is still there off and on. I'm going to put a call in to my card. today. She was out of town while all this was going on so we weren't able to reach her, for her opinion. I just think it's really strange for me to be doing so well and then all the sudden.........problems. They said my labs showed my magnesium level was low and that I may have been a little dehydrated, which is possible. I had only had 2 small glasses of water and then ate at a chinese buffet for lunch and had my fair share of sodas...........i know, asking for trouble, and I guess I got it.....I'm just hoping I convert soon.......I don't feel bad, but I am somewhat short of breath........I'll keep ya posted.
Heather-29 non obstructive HCM
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[Re: Recent hospital visit]
Author: Sarah B--Board Moderator (---.client.attbi.com)
Date: 09-11-02 12:21
Dear Heather,
I'm sorry that your good streak broke. I know exactly how you feel. If I don't get enough water --pop! Afib!
I take Slow-Mag, an enteric-coated magnesium, every day b/c my mag level is low, too. Regular magnesium will chew up your stomach, so this coated one protects you from the magnesium.
Oh, by the way, cardizem is a calcium channel blocker, not a beta-blocker.
Hang in there and --you don't mention coumadin. If you are in and out of rhythm, you should be on coumadin so you don't have a stroke when you go back into sinus. If they tell you that can't happen --well, I'm living proof and you can e-mail me.
take care
Sarah
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[Re: Recent hospital visit]
Author: Heather Irwin (65.247.157.---)
Date: 09-11-02 15:50
Sarah,
Thanks so much for your reply. They did put me on 75mg of Plavix, which I believe is a mild blood thinner. I have an appt. on Mon. and the dr. said if I'm still having a-fib that he'll then put me on coumadin. Are you on it all the time? Do you go in and out of a-fib? It's been a very scary experience for me, as I'm sure it would be for anyone. I'm feeling good today.
Heather
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[Re: Recent hospital visit]
Author: Sarah B--Board Moderator (---.client.attbi.com)
Date: 09-11-02 16:18
Dear Heather,
I was on Norpace for ten years and it worked great and then I had some problems and it stopped working (partly b/c I didn't take it right, probably) and then I went on Tikosyn for the last two years and it stopped working just recently. I'm probably going to try amiodarone now, but they aren't optomistic for me. Afib is very persistant in my family, so don't take my case as a guide. Most people do really well and stay controled.
It is scary, but just take it easy and take your pulse once in a while so you can learn the difference between normal and not and to make sure your heart rate is below 100.
take care
S
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: Recent hospital visit]
Author: Lisa Salberg (---.dyn.optonline.net)
Date: 09-12-02 19:41
Heather / Sarah..
You 2 have a bunch in common ...Funny you remind me of each other on the phone also!
Lisa
Author: Heather Irwin (65.247.157.---)
Date: 09-11-02 10:48
Hi there.......Well, I've been meaning to write and introduce myself. I know some of you and have talked to Lisa on the phone a few years ago. I've been doing relatively well and had a 6 mos. check up w/ my card. two weeks ago that went very well. She said that my measurements hadn't changed and my pulmonary pressures had dropped 10-15 points. I've been feeling great. Going to the gym everyday, except sat. and sun. I walk or ride the bike and do light free weights and circuits. Well, I was so relieved about my appt., but the other shoe dropped Sun. night. I was sitting watching the kids play, at home alone with them.....and all the sudden I could feel my heart beating irradically. I waited a minute hoping it would stop and get back into rythym. NO such luck. I had my mom take me to the ER and they hooked me up to find my heart rate going from 40 to 160, back and forth. They gave me a few doses of cardizem, a BB and I spent the night in ICU to be monitored closely. My dr. started me on a temporary dose of amiderone. Said that my heart was going back and forth from normal sinus rythym to a-fib and was trying to convert, but still hasn't to this point that I know of. I do have a stable HR now, around 70 or so, but I guess the a-fib is still there off and on. I'm going to put a call in to my card. today. She was out of town while all this was going on so we weren't able to reach her, for her opinion. I just think it's really strange for me to be doing so well and then all the sudden.........problems. They said my labs showed my magnesium level was low and that I may have been a little dehydrated, which is possible. I had only had 2 small glasses of water and then ate at a chinese buffet for lunch and had my fair share of sodas...........i know, asking for trouble, and I guess I got it.....I'm just hoping I convert soon.......I don't feel bad, but I am somewhat short of breath........I'll keep ya posted.
Heather-29 non obstructive HCM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: Recent hospital visit]
Author: Sarah B--Board Moderator (---.client.attbi.com)
Date: 09-11-02 12:21
Dear Heather,
I'm sorry that your good streak broke. I know exactly how you feel. If I don't get enough water --pop! Afib!
I take Slow-Mag, an enteric-coated magnesium, every day b/c my mag level is low, too. Regular magnesium will chew up your stomach, so this coated one protects you from the magnesium.
Oh, by the way, cardizem is a calcium channel blocker, not a beta-blocker.
Hang in there and --you don't mention coumadin. If you are in and out of rhythm, you should be on coumadin so you don't have a stroke when you go back into sinus. If they tell you that can't happen --well, I'm living proof and you can e-mail me.
take care
Sarah
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: Recent hospital visit]
Author: Heather Irwin (65.247.157.---)
Date: 09-11-02 15:50
Sarah,
Thanks so much for your reply. They did put me on 75mg of Plavix, which I believe is a mild blood thinner. I have an appt. on Mon. and the dr. said if I'm still having a-fib that he'll then put me on coumadin. Are you on it all the time? Do you go in and out of a-fib? It's been a very scary experience for me, as I'm sure it would be for anyone. I'm feeling good today.
Heather
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: Recent hospital visit]
Author: Sarah B--Board Moderator (---.client.attbi.com)
Date: 09-11-02 16:18
Dear Heather,
I was on Norpace for ten years and it worked great and then I had some problems and it stopped working (partly b/c I didn't take it right, probably) and then I went on Tikosyn for the last two years and it stopped working just recently. I'm probably going to try amiodarone now, but they aren't optomistic for me. Afib is very persistant in my family, so don't take my case as a guide. Most people do really well and stay controled.
It is scary, but just take it easy and take your pulse once in a while so you can learn the difference between normal and not and to make sure your heart rate is below 100.
take care
S
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Re: Recent hospital visit]
Author: Lisa Salberg (---.dyn.optonline.net)
Date: 09-12-02 19:41
Heather / Sarah..
You 2 have a bunch in common ...Funny you remind me of each other on the phone also!
Lisa