Health update....including an emergency heart cath....

Hi everyone. Just wanted to give an update. (Some of you I am friends with on Facebook so you have seen these updates.) But Rebecca was mentioning that I hadn't written on my blog and I want to get back to writing, since it doesn't require a lot of physical energy.

So last time I wrote, I had seen my primary care doctor and she referred me to cardiology. Well, after calling multiple times and finally going through the patient advocate at the hospital, cardiology finally called me for an appointment. I was scheduled to see cardiology Friday morning at 9:30. I woke up Friday feeling like crap as I have been doing. 

Went to my appointment, where I described to the nurse what was going on, family history, etc. She mentioned she would do an EKG and then I was scheduled to see the nurse practitioner. Well,  she did the EKG on me and as soon as that was done and she looked at it she mentioned that the nurse practitioner and Dr. D would be in. Well, the nurse practitioner came in and basically said due to my family history, blood pressure and the abnormal EKG that they did, that he wanted me to have a heart catherization done ASAP. Dr. D. came in and took one look at me and said that he didn't want to wait on an echocardiogram or stress test, he wanted me to have a heart catherization THAT day. In fact, he had me wheeled down to the ER right then and there and sent the info to the catherization lab. The nurse practitioner and the cardiology nurse both stayed with me until I was in the ER. 

In the ER, I had the same doctor that I had the previous Thursday (who said it was anxiety) and he acted ticked off that cardiology was overriding him. While I was waiting, ER did an EKG and they said theirs looked fine and they didn't know why I was having a heart cath because I was so young, etc. Thankfully, cardiology had overridden the ER. 

The catherization lab came and got me from the ER and I had a heart catherization done through my wrist. Thankfully, but also frustratingly, they did not find any blockages. They found a slight blockage of 40% in one artery, but they don't intervene unless it is over 50%. After the catherization, they wheeled me to my hospital room. 

That clear bandage around my wrist is like a pressure cuff that they put on after the cath. They had to release the air in it slowly about 2.5 hours after surgery. It took 2 hours to release the air. 

About an hour after I was in the hospital room, I had an echocardiogram done on my heart. In that they found that I have a 20% myocardial bridge-- basically where part of one of the arteries goes into the heart muscle instead of laying on top of it. However, the cardiologist does not think that is causing my issues. 

Basically, as far as they can tell, or how I understand it, is that my heart muscle is irritated (Dr. D said it was angry) and this could be caused by the statins that I was on a couple weeks ago, very high cholesterol level, high stress, etc. It was basically a perfect storm. They started me on 2 new meds in the hospital. I was able to come home on Saturday afternoon with orders to rest, and take my meds. One of the most frustrating parts of all this was I wasn't home with the kids. We were able to talk on the phone but it was so hard hearing the boys cry when I couldn't be there to comfort them. I did have Ben laughing though when I told him that the doc was turning me into a Smurf with the blue sanitizer they had to use for my heart cath. 

Sunday I slept most of the day. Monday I had to call the cardiologist office again as my chest started really hurting again. Dr. D talked to the head cardiologist in the office and they started me on another med to help my blood vessels open up and hopefully stop the chest pain. So I am now on 6 different meds (3 of them I take 2 times a day).

Yesterday I didn't feel too bad. My chest really didn't hurt. I was able to take kids to school and pick them up. I was able to menu plan and spent some time sitting outside with the kids. This morning, I woke up with more chest pain and I get exhausted easily. I am frustrated at this point. 

Yesterday, I spent much of the day researching natural ways to lower cholesterol and coming up with a meal plan. I also started reading through a new book that I got that was highly recommended. 

I did go to the grocery store as I need to follow a diet to lower my cholesterol and I wanted to get some "Rachel friendly" foods. Grocery shopping itself wasn't too bad, as I could walk slow, take breaks as I was looking for food, etc. It was bringing in the groceries and putting it away that is doing me in today. I still have about 1/3 of the groceries to put away. I think that I will let Bill go next time now that I have some of the condiments and things I was looking for that I needed.  

Basically, the update then is that I am still frustrated that I am still feeling like this. I wish I had some concrete answers. I am so tired of being in pain and being tired all the time. The next step is to follow up with my primary care doctor on Monday and then with the cardiologist at the end of May. 

 

Update

 Well hello there. For those who still read my blog, I wanted to let you know that my blogging break is going to be going on a little bit longer. 

I am dealing with some health issues that have cropped up. Basically dealing with extreme fatigue, chest pains, high blood pressure, high heart rate, slight swelling etc. for the past 2 weeks. I get winded walking up the stairs. I feel like someone is pressing down on my shoulders and chest when I am brushing my hair or doing anything for more than a few minutes. I can't go walking on the bike path or anywhere really without being extremely worn out. Truth be told, I am exhausted ALL the time.

I was in the ER last Thursday with extremely high blood pressure, chest pain, rapid heart rate, etc. where the ER doc basically passed off my symptoms as "anxiety." I have had panic attacks/anxiety in the past and this is different. He said he couldn't see anything wrong in my blood work, the 2 second EKG that they did, or in the chest x-ray he ordered. So he sent me home. 

I saw my primary care doctor today and she is ticked off that the ER doc dismissed me. She was shocked that the ER doc didn't even mention cardiology given my family history (my mom had her first heart attack in her 40s, both grandmothers had multiple heart attacks, my mom's dad died of a massive heart attack in his late 40s, and my brother who is 5 years YOUNGER than me has had 2 stents placed in the last year). At today's appointment, she sent a referral to a cardiologist and is also ordering a stress test and a echocardiogram (something she says the cardiologist typically does but she wanted to get it into the system ASAP!). She also is putting me on a diuretic daily to go along with my blood pressure medicine and she wants me to start taking baby aspirin daily. She thinks there is definitely something going on with my heart. I am just sick and tired of being exhausted and having pain. My doc told me that if I don't hear from cardiology by tomorrow afternoon to call the cardiologist's office myself. 

So I am around. I have been reading the blogs that I follow on my phone however it is hard to make a post on my phone. I wanted to take a moment to give an update though. I would appreciate thoughts and prayers that my insurance will okay the echo and stress test and that I can be seen sooner rather than later. 

Hope everyone else is well!