Counting Our Blessings.

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Jersey Girl
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Re: Counting Our Blessings.

Post by Jersey Girl »

drumdude wrote:
Wed Sep 18, 2024 10:54 pm
Jersey Girl wrote:
Wed Sep 18, 2024 10:50 pm


That's very good news! Assuming she did so for heart arrhythmia. Hope whatever issue it was that this solves the problem nicely!
Yep, she’s been having a-fib episodes for a decade or so. Recently they had to give her amnio(sp?) for the first time, and I think it has lots of side effects including fatigue. So her cardiologist recommended this as a way to get off most of her arrhythmia medications and remain on blood thinners only.

That's what I have. There are different kinds. I get parasoxysmal afib with RVR...rapid ventricular response. Much to the boredom of poster friends here, I've written about it extensively. When you said "amnio" I bet you mean adenosine. Adenosine is from Satan himself. Had it with the very first episode...twice in one go. Makes you feel like you're legit dying like your soul is leaving through your head. Never had it since then. If I can't cardiovert myself at home, I go get my heart shocked. That works really well for me.

My case is likely a little different than your mom's. Ablation isn't really recommended for me.

Afib is no joke to deal with especially if you're having that high ventricular response in the 190's or thereabouts. Ablation helps so many people! I hope this is the case for your Mom! I think staying on a blood thinner is the way to go. It's preventative. Sounds like Mom is on the right road for her needs! :)
We only get stronger when we are lifting something that is heavier than what we are used to. ~ KF

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Re: Counting Our Blessings.

Post by Jersey Girl »

drumdude wrote:
Wed Sep 18, 2024 11:01 pm
Jersey Girl wrote:
Wed Sep 18, 2024 10:54 pm


If it helps anything, I've technically died well over 20 times from having electrical cardioversion--heart shock to correct heart arrhythmia I get sporadically. They put you under with propofol. Propofol is the absolute bomb!

Funny I never thought of being greeted by dead Mormon misshies. Yikes! :lol:
Did you ever have any NDE type experiences?
Nope! I do always pray for my family before they put me under. They push the propofol which is like a window closing to your brain where it shuts you off, do the shock, then back off the propofol and you wake up. It causes amnesia. Never had an NDE with the shock and never remember it. Last year though...a medical assistant told me I cracked a joke while under propofol. ;)
We only get stronger when we are lifting something that is heavier than what we are used to. ~ KF

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Re: Counting Our Blessings.

Post by drumdude »

Jersey Girl wrote:
Wed Sep 18, 2024 11:08 pm
drumdude wrote:
Wed Sep 18, 2024 10:54 pm


Yep, she’s been having a-fib episodes for a decade or so. Recently they had to give her amnio(sp?) for the first time, and I think it has lots of side effects including fatigue. So her cardiologist recommended this as a way to get off most of her arrhythmia medications and remain on blood thinners only.

That's what I have. There are different kinds. I get parasoxysmal afib with RVR...rapid ventricular response. Much to the boredom of poster friends here, I've written about it extensively. When you said "amnio" I bet you mean adenosine. Adenosine is from Satan himself. Had it with the very first episode...twice in one go. Makes you feel like you're legit dying like your soul is leaving through your head. Never had it since then. If I can't cardiovert myself at home, I go get my heart shocked. That works really well for me.

My case is likely a little different than your mom's. Ablation isn't really recommended for me.

Afib is no joke to deal with especially if you're having that high ventricular response in the 190's or thereabouts. Ablation helps so many people! I hope this is the case for your Mom! I think staying on a blood thinner is the way to go. It's preventative. Sounds like Mom is on the right road for her needs! :)
I googled it, “Amiodarone” is the drug they gave her. Both times I’ve seen her in the ER, her heart rate is around 220bpm. Really scary to see that on the monitor and hear the alarm constantly going off.

I’m not sure why but they always cardiovert her with medication rather than electric shock.
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Re: Counting Our Blessings.

Post by drumdude »

IWMP wrote:
Wed Sep 18, 2024 11:02 pm
It wasn't until I went to sit on the toilet that I realised I walked through the ward with nothing covering my bottom half. That was embarrassing. Thankfully it was the women's hospital lol.

LOL 😂

That’s another fear, saying or doing something ridiculous.
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Re: Counting Our Blessings.

Post by Jersey Girl »

drumdude wrote:
Wed Sep 18, 2024 11:13 pm
Jersey Girl wrote:
Wed Sep 18, 2024 11:08 pm



That's what I have. There are different kinds. I get parasoxysmal afib with RVR...rapid ventricular response. Much to the boredom of poster friends here, I've written about it extensively. When you said "amnio" I bet you mean adenosine. Adenosine is from Satan himself. Had it with the very first episode...twice in one go. Makes you feel like you're legit dying like your soul is leaving through your head. Never had it since then. If I can't cardiovert myself at home, I go get my heart shocked. That works really well for me.

My case is likely a little different than your mom's. Ablation isn't really recommended for me.

Afib is no joke to deal with especially if you're having that high ventricular response in the 190's or thereabouts. Ablation helps so many people! I hope this is the case for your Mom! I think staying on a blood thinner is the way to go. It's preventative. Sounds like Mom is on the right road for her needs! :)
I googled it, “Amiodarone” is the drug they gave her. Both times I’ve seen her in the ER, her heart rate is around 220bpm. Really scary to see that on the monitor and hear the alarm constantly going off.

I’m not sure why but they always cardiovert her with medication rather than electric shock.
That is scary --I've been up there before and I can tell you it is EXHAUSTING. I always tell them now to imagine yourself physically running as fast as you can for however long the episode is. I think it helps the care team to relate better. I know someone who had amiodarone several times just as you said and she, too, used ablation so it must be appropriate for Mom's case, too.

You have to try to ignore the monitors going off. Sometimes they just need to be reset. It's like they're alarming themselves. Then you've got that erratic heart rate that ticks off the monitors. I'm able to tune it all out by now. Also get comments about how remarkably calm I am the whole time. I'm used to it, I know what's going to happen, and I know it's going to help me. I did go through a period where I got post traumatic stress symptoms...from all the activity I mentioned about asking questions.

I love the electric shock. It works. There are possible risks but all in all, it's a safe procedure. The longest part of the whole thing is the intake at the ER where at least 10 people ask you the same questions repeatedly and sometimes put in their 2 cents on stuff they don't know about. That's the worst part of it for me. Otherwise the shock is quick and dirty...propofol is divine!

I really think your Mom is doing the right thing by planning to continue her anticoagulant. It's preventive against stroke...very good idea! I'll pray for her recover and good results if you don't mind and even if you do mind, I'm doing it anyway. :)
We only get stronger when we are lifting something that is heavier than what we are used to. ~ KF

Slava Ukraini!
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Re: Counting Our Blessings.

Post by drumdude »

Jersey Girl wrote:
Wed Sep 18, 2024 11:32 pm
drumdude wrote:
Wed Sep 18, 2024 11:13 pm


I googled it, “Amiodarone” is the drug they gave her. Both times I’ve seen her in the ER, her heart rate is around 220bpm. Really scary to see that on the monitor and hear the alarm constantly going off.

I’m not sure why but they always cardiovert her with medication rather than electric shock.
That is scary --I've been up there before and I can tell you it is EXHAUSTING. I always tell them now to imagine yourself physically running as fast as you can for however long the episode is. I think it helps the care team to relate better. I know someone who had amiodarone several times just as you said and she, too, used ablation so it must be appropriate for Mom's case, too.

You have to try to ignore the monitors going off. Sometimes they just need to be reset. It's like they're alarming themselves. Then you've got that erratic heart rate that ticks off the monitors. I'm able to tune it all out by now. Also get comments about how remarkably calm I am the whole time. I'm used to it, I know what's going to happen, and I know it's going to help me. I did go through a period where I got post traumatic stress symptoms...from all the activity I mentioned about asking questions.

I love the electric shock. It works. There are possible risks but all in all, it's a safe procedure. The longest part of the whole thing is the intake at the ER where at least 10 people ask you the same questions repeatedly and sometimes put in their 2 cents on stuff they don't know about. That's the worst part of it for me. Otherwise the shock is quick and dirty...propofol is divine!

I really think your Mom is doing the right thing by planning to continue her anticoagulant. It's preventive against stroke...very good idea! I'll pray for her recover and good results if you don't mind and even if you do mind, I'm doing it anyway. :)
That’s really reassuring, her doctor said a ton of people have A-fib these days so it’s nice to know how manageable a condition it can be.

I’ll take all the prayers she can get! Thank you Jersey! :)
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Re: Counting Our Blessings.

Post by Jersey Girl »

drumdude wrote:
Thu Sep 19, 2024 2:23 am
Jersey Girl wrote:
Wed Sep 18, 2024 11:32 pm


That is scary --I've been up there before and I can tell you it is EXHAUSTING. I always tell them now to imagine yourself physically running as fast as you can for however long the episode is. I think it helps the care team to relate better. I know someone who had amiodarone several times just as you said and she, too, used ablation so it must be appropriate for Mom's case, too.

You have to try to ignore the monitors going off. Sometimes they just need to be reset. It's like they're alarming themselves. Then you've got that erratic heart rate that ticks off the monitors. I'm able to tune it all out by now. Also get comments about how remarkably calm I am the whole time. I'm used to it, I know what's going to happen, and I know it's going to help me. I did go through a period where I got post traumatic stress symptoms...from all the activity I mentioned about asking questions.

I love the electric shock. It works. There are possible risks but all in all, it's a safe procedure. The longest part of the whole thing is the intake at the ER where at least 10 people ask you the same questions repeatedly and sometimes put in their 2 cents on stuff they don't know about. That's the worst part of it for me. Otherwise the shock is quick and dirty...propofol is divine!

I really think your Mom is doing the right thing by planning to continue her anticoagulant. It's preventive against stroke...very good idea! I'll pray for her recover and good results if you don't mind and even if you do mind, I'm doing it anyway. :)
That’s really reassuring, her doctor said a ton of people have A-fib these days so it’s nice to know how manageable a condition it can be.

I’ll take all the prayers she can get! Thank you Jersey! :)
I wonder if it's being diagnosed more? There's a couple or three varieties, maybe four. I think one is actually called silent afib that can go undetected. Been researching this stuff for about 10 years now (?) because I wanted to understand what was happening to me and why.

Joe Biden, Barry Manilow, and Kareem Abdul-Jabaar all have afib. They're all pretty old so that should give us hope. ;) Miley Cyrus has some kind of tachycardia. So there are folks we've all seen who are managing well with their conditions.

As to the prayers. Consider it done! Appealing to my God is always the best I have.
We only get stronger when we are lifting something that is heavier than what we are used to. ~ KF

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Re: Counting Our Blessings.

Post by IWMP »

Jersey Girl wrote:
Wed Sep 18, 2024 11:32 pm
drumdude wrote:
Wed Sep 18, 2024 11:13 pm


I googled it, “Amiodarone” is the drug they gave her. Both times I’ve seen her in the ER, her heart rate is around 220bpm. Really scary to see that on the monitor and hear the alarm constantly going off.

I’m not sure why but they always cardiovert her with medication rather than electric shock.
That is scary --I've been up there before and I can tell you it is EXHAUSTING. I always tell them now to imagine yourself physically running as fast as you can for however long the episode is. I think it helps the care team to relate better. I know someone who had amiodarone several times just as you said and she, too, used ablation so it must be appropriate for Mom's case, too.

You have to try to ignore the monitors going off. Sometimes they just need to be reset. It's like they're alarming themselves. Then you've got that erratic heart rate that ticks off the monitors. I'm able to tune it all out by now. Also get comments about how remarkably calm I am the whole time. I'm used to it, I know what's going to happen, and I know it's going to help me. I did go through a period where I got post traumatic stress symptoms...from all the activity I mentioned about asking questions.

I love the electric shock. It works. There are possible risks but all in all, it's a safe procedure. The longest part of the whole thing is the intake at the ER where at least 10 people ask you the same questions repeatedly and sometimes put in their 2 cents on stuff they don't know about. That's the worst part of it for me. Otherwise the shock is quick and dirty...propofol is divine!

I really think your Mom is doing the right thing by planning to continue her anticoagulant. It's preventive against stroke...very good idea! I'll pray for her recover and good results if you don't mind and even if you do mind, I'm doing it anyway. :)
You are so brave.

I have a friend who has afib and he had a stroke. He is on the mend but exhausted from all the meds. When we were at uni he ended up in hospital and he kept going to the Dr saying his HR was in the 200s but he wasn't told he had afib until after his stroke last year. so, for over a decade he was asking for help and not getting it and they were putting it down to anxiety and stress from doing a degree in his 50s. His stroke was relatively mild but He is improving. Basically his memory is affected, his speech is fine but every so often you can hear the disconnect as if he is trying to speak but something has slowed down and the words aren't quite coming out. Hard to explain.
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Re: Counting Our Blessings.

Post by Jersey Girl »

IWMP wrote:
Thu Sep 19, 2024 8:49 am
You are so brave.
I don't know what to say to that. I guess I always have a hope that I can be okay so I keep trying to find out how that can happen.The first episode I was out of my mind. I'd never needed to call paramedics for myself and I'd never been in an ambulance before except to tour them with preschoolers at the fire station. My family got wigged out. The Boy was in shock and he stalled leaving the house to follow the transport, one of my kids said she drove 85 mph down the interstate. I absolutely believe that. It had never been me who had a medical emergency. It was always them and me following the ambulance. They all showed up. It was scary for all of us and when the second episode happened I said "I can't live like this." But I have and I do and I don't call for an ambulance any more. I guess I got used to the process and if I can't self cardiovert, I know what to do. And now instead of rushing out the door, I take time to make sure I'm properly dressed, fix my hair and put a bit of make up on. If I die I don't want my kids to see their mother looking like a bum. I have to say this part. If it happens in the wee hours the Boy wakes up and is ready to go in 10 minutes. No complaints.

Nicky, one time I drove myself to the ER.
I have a friend who has afib and he had a stroke. He is on the mend but exhausted from all the meds. When we were at uni he ended up in hospital and he kept going to the Dr saying his HR was in the 200s but he wasn't told he had afib until after his stroke last year. so, for over a decade he was asking for help and not getting it and they were putting it down to anxiety and stress from doing a degree in his 50s. His stroke was relatively mild but He is improving. Basically his memory is affected, his speech is fine but every so often you can hear the disconnect as if he is trying to speak but something has slowed down and the words aren't quite coming out. Hard to explain.
This makes me want to cry! Stroke is the biggest risk with afib and I feel like it could have been prevented. Why didn't the doc pursue the afib right away? He must've had more episodes of it? When you say he was exhausted from the meds I wonder if they put him on a beta blocker which seems to be routine. They weigh you down like you've never felt in your life. Like walking with concrete blocks on your feet.

It makes me feel SO sad for your friend. Anxiety and stress, my eye! It causes anxiety and stress! If there's anything I've learned in the past 10 years it's that every case is different, it should never be treated lightly, what helps one person doesn't help the other, and some doctors should get out of the profession. They should always listen to their patients. Patients have all the pieces of the diagnosis that the doctors don't have unless they are willing to listen.

Look at what happened to me...by the third episode I knew it was triggered by digestion and at first, I didn't know why. From the start I told every medical person who saw me that I had just eaten a meal. It was me who did the work and not any doctor. It shouldn't be that way. I found Roemheld syndrome.

Here's a portion of his wiki.
Roemheld syndrome (RS), or gastrocardiac syndrome,[1][2][3][4][5] or gastric cardiac syndrome[6] or Roemheld–Techlenburg–Ceconi syndrome[7] or gastric-cardia,[7] was a medical syndrome first coined by Ludwig von Roemheld (1871–1938) describing a cluster of cardiovascular symptoms stimulated by gastrointestinal changes. Although it is currently considered an obsolete medical diagnosis, recent studies have described similar clinical presentations and highlighted potential underlying mechanisms.[3][8][9][5]

Symptoms and signs

Relative position of the heart and stomach in the human body
Symptoms can be as follows.[10][11] They are periodic, and occur only during an "episode", usually after eating.

Sinus bradycardia
Difficulty inhaling
Angina pectoris
Left ventricular discomfort
Premature heart beats (PVC / PAC)
Tachycardia
Fatigue
Anxiety
Uncomfortable breathing
Poor perfusion
Muscle pain (crampiness)
Burst or sustained vertigo or dizziness
Sleep disturbance (particularly when sleeping within a few hours of eating, or lying on the left side)
Hot flashes

Mechanical
Mechanically induced Roemheld syndrome is characterized by pressure in the epigastric and left hypochondriac region. Often the pressure is in the fundus of the stomach, the esophagus or distention of the bowel. It is believed this leads to elevation of the diaphragm, and secondary displacement of the heart. This reduces the ability of the heart to fill and increases the contractility of the heart to maintain homeostasis.

Neurological

Gastric nerve connections to the spinal cord and brain medulla oblongata, which regulate the movements of the stomach
The cranium dysfunction mechanical changes in the gut can compress the vagus nerve at any number of locations along the vagus, slowing the heart. As the heart slows, autonomic reflexes are triggered to increase blood pressure and heart rate.

This is complemented by gastro-coronary reflexes[12] whereby the coronary arteries constrict with "functional cardiovascular symptoms" similar to chest-pain on the left side and radiation to the left shoulder, dyspnea, sweating, up to angina pectoris-like attacks with extrasystoles, drop of blood pressure, and tachycardia (high heart rate) or sinus bradycardia (heart rate below 60 bpm). Typically, there are no changes/abnormalities related in the EKG detected. This can actually trigger a heart attack in people with cardiac structural abnormalities i.e. coronary bridge, missing coronary, and atherosclerosis.
I am living proof that this diagnosis is NOT obsolete and there are plenty of studies on the NHS and now...the NIH that confirm that. I know I go on and on about it but if there's a reader out there that this "clicks" for I will have been able to help someone else.

I pray your friend will continue to recover his memory. I honestly feel like his stroke should have never happened. There but for the grace of God, go I.

<3
We only get stronger when we are lifting something that is heavier than what we are used to. ~ KF

Slava Ukraini!
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IWMP
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Re: Counting Our Blessings.

Post by IWMP »

Jersey Girl wrote:
Thu Sep 19, 2024 9:06 pm
IWMP wrote:
Thu Sep 19, 2024 8:49 am
You are so brave.
I don't know what to say to that. I guess I always have a hope that I can be okay so I keep trying to find out how that can happen.The first episode I was out of my mind. I'd never needed to call paramedics for myself and I'd never been in an ambulance before except to tour them with preschoolers at the fire station. My family got wigged out. The Boy was in shock and he stalled leaving the house to follow the transport, one of my kids said she drove 85 mph down the interstate. I absolutely believe that. It had never been me who had a medical emergency. It was always them and me following the ambulance. They all showed up. It was scary for all of us and when the second episode happened I said "I can't live like this." But I have and I do and I don't call for an ambulance any more. I guess I got used to the process and if I can't self cardiovert, I know what to do. And now instead of rushing out the door, I take time to make sure I'm properly dressed, fix my hair and put a bit of make up on. If I die I don't want my kids to see their mother looking like a bum. I have to say this part. If it happens in the wee hours the Boy wakes up and is ready to go in 10 minutes. No complaints.

Nicky, one time I drove myself to the ER.
I have a friend who has afib and he had a stroke. He is on the mend but exhausted from all the meds. When we were at uni he ended up in hospital and he kept going to the Dr saying his HR was in the 200s but he wasn't told he had afib until after his stroke last year. so, for over a decade he was asking for help and not getting it and they were putting it down to anxiety and stress from doing a degree in his 50s. His stroke was relatively mild but He is improving. Basically his memory is affected, his speech is fine but every so often you can hear the disconnect as if he is trying to speak but something has slowed down and the words aren't quite coming out. Hard to explain.
This makes me want to cry! Stroke is the biggest risk with afib and I feel like it could have been prevented. Why didn't the doc pursue the afib right away? He must've had more episodes of it? When you say he was exhausted from the meds I wonder if they put him on a beta blocker which seems to be routine. They weigh you down like you've never felt in your life. Like walking with concrete blocks on your feet.

It makes me feel SO sad for your friend. Anxiety and stress, my eye! It causes anxiety and stress! If there's anything I've learned in the past 10 years it's that every case is different, it should never be treated lightly, what helps one person doesn't help the other, and some doctors should get out of the profession. They should always listen to their patients. Patients have all the pieces of the diagnosis that the doctors don't have unless they are willing to listen.

Look at what happened to me...by the third episode I knew it was triggered by digestion and at first, I didn't know why. From the start I told every medical person who saw me that I had just eaten a meal. It was me who did the work and not any doctor. It shouldn't be that way. I found Roemheld syndrome.

Here's a portion of his wiki.
Roemheld syndrome (RS), or gastrocardiac syndrome,[1][2][3][4][5] or gastric cardiac syndrome[6] or Roemheld–Techlenburg–Ceconi syndrome[7] or gastric-cardia,[7] was a medical syndrome first coined by Ludwig von Roemheld (1871–1938) describing a cluster of cardiovascular symptoms stimulated by gastrointestinal changes. Although it is currently considered an obsolete medical diagnosis, recent studies have described similar clinical presentations and highlighted potential underlying mechanisms.[3][8][9][5]

Symptoms and signs

Relative position of the heart and stomach in the human body
Symptoms can be as follows.[10][11] They are periodic, and occur only during an "episode", usually after eating.

Sinus bradycardia
Difficulty inhaling
Angina pectoris
Left ventricular discomfort
Premature heart beats (PVC / PAC)
Tachycardia
Fatigue
Anxiety
Uncomfortable breathing
Poor perfusion
Muscle pain (crampiness)
Burst or sustained vertigo or dizziness
Sleep disturbance (particularly when sleeping within a few hours of eating, or lying on the left side)
Hot flashes

Mechanical
Mechanically induced Roemheld syndrome is characterized by pressure in the epigastric and left hypochondriac region. Often the pressure is in the fundus of the stomach, the esophagus or distention of the bowel. It is believed this leads to elevation of the diaphragm, and secondary displacement of the heart. This reduces the ability of the heart to fill and increases the contractility of the heart to maintain homeostasis.

Neurological

Gastric nerve connections to the spinal cord and brain medulla oblongata, which regulate the movements of the stomach
The cranium dysfunction mechanical changes in the gut can compress the vagus nerve at any number of locations along the vagus, slowing the heart. As the heart slows, autonomic reflexes are triggered to increase blood pressure and heart rate.

This is complemented by gastro-coronary reflexes[12] whereby the coronary arteries constrict with "functional cardiovascular symptoms" similar to chest-pain on the left side and radiation to the left shoulder, dyspnea, sweating, up to angina pectoris-like attacks with extrasystoles, drop of blood pressure, and tachycardia (high heart rate) or sinus bradycardia (heart rate below 60 bpm). Typically, there are no changes/abnormalities related in the EKG detected. This can actually trigger a heart attack in people with cardiac structural abnormalities i.e. coronary bridge, missing coronary, and atherosclerosis.
I am living proof that this diagnosis is NOT obsolete and there are plenty of studies on the NHS and now...the NIH that confirm that. I know I go on and on about it but if there's a reader out there that this "clicks" for I will have been able to help someone else.

I pray your friend will continue to recover his memory. I honestly feel like his stroke should have never happened. There but for the grace of God, go I.

<3
I want to take time to reply as I'm in town. (In subway, just ate a sandwich). But don't want you to think I haven't read your post. My friend is on beta blockers.
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