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Heart Trauma Recovery

ozonetrooper said:
I feel much better today, but I have done nothing to exert myself....

Good luck with the egram.
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I'm glad you are feeling better!

This was my 4th echo. I must say today's exam was far more extensive than the previous ones. She was all over me with the scanner. I almost got excited. :) I get to hear the scoop the 21st from my new heart doctor. The one I've been seeing has moved his practice and I'm left with his partner in crime. It's the guy that installed my stents so I'm looking forward to seeing him anyway. I've never had the chance to thank him.
 
Well DASH. Just because I feel great doesn't mean my heart is healthy. Actually it is in sad shape I guess. The good doctor advocated an ICD just as the assistant did last winter. He wasn't nearly so rude about it and definitely agreed is was my choice. He did say that hearts in the shape mine's in have a history of just stopping. They just quit. He wasn't threatening me. He was advising me. I told him it seemed odd that my ejection rate was so damn low and yet I felt, great. Ride my bike over 250 miles a week, as well as mow 20 lawns a week. He insists on a stress test to see how my heart performs while being taxed. So... that is scheduled again. I'm not one to get depressed but today's news sort of knocked me back a few steps. I've worked hard and long to be this unhealthy. :) I truly thought all of the effort was paying dividends.
 
Damn Sam !

I had Bradycardia as well as pausing, that is why I got the pacemaker. Normal heartbeat is around 60bpm, mine would slow down to 30, and it was taking 6 pauses(or more) at night.

I knew this because of the reports the loop recording was making and turning into the cardio office. Unfortunately they removed the loop recorder when they did the pace maker implant, saying I did not need it anymore.

ICD is the same thing as a pace maker. I would follow their lead, a slow/pausing heart is one step away from taking a dirt nap buddy !

Long story short, social security gave us a raise in January and it put me over the income limit for the full pay program of medicare/medicaid. I got moved to a copay program and can do nothing about it.

Last visit to the cardio guy I got my share of the bill ... over 400 dollars ! ! !

Well this is not gonna work. After several days on the phone with medicaid and my insurance company broker, it has been determined that I will need to apply for a "new" program come new enrollment window time.

So I have 4 months to fend for myself. I advised the list of caretakers of my situation and made them all aware that I will not be able to afford any more offices visits until I have this worked out.

Cardio really cares about my health, I got this delivered the other day and just got it hooked up. Like the loop recorder I had, it monitors my heart but I can not see the reports like I could with the loop recorder implant.

This monitors the heart and sends reports to the cardio office and if there needs to be an adjustment made to the pacemaker I will have to go into the office.

I set it up in a hurry last nite, this site is temporary, as it uses a cell phone card/connection, and having it next to my modem is not recommended.

4 months sounds like a long time but I will make it !

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I have A & B and an advantage plan. I never could afford insurance for myself. I insured the wife and kids and I sucked it up if I needed medical attention. I signed up for A&B and then scrambled to get something after my heart attack. Absolutely ignorant on my part. I will say that all of those years uninsured was necessary. A poor man is always poor and lives a poor life. Best of luck getting by for the next four months.
 
I saw something today that made me curious. When I was riding my bike this afternoon, I made the short trek to the restroom facility at the park I ride by. There was a guy that was laying out something on the outer stone wall of the restroom / concession stand building. I rode back to the restroom when riding tonight. There was a newly installed something that proclaimed it was an AED. I googled that up just a bit ago and here is the result:
An AED (automated external defibrillator) is a portable medical device that checks the heart's rhythm and can deliver an electrical shock to restart a normal heart rhythm during sudden cardiac arrest. It had a block to scan for instructions on how to use the giz wiz. I guess if you don't have a phone to scan the instructions... bad news for someone. AI tells me that you place the pads where instructed and it analyzes the heart rhythm and determines if a shock is necessary. If it is, stand clear of the body and push the blinking shock button. It's not like something you normally see hanging on the wall of the outhouse. :)
I'll try to remember to grab a pic to share the next time I visit the privy.
 
When I worked for the State/County, they decided to put them in public areas and I installed one in each of the buildings. The machine gives clear instructions verbally when activated. A person with training is certainly an asset when it is time to use one.

I asked the azzhat who was my supervisor to let me and one or two others get the official training to operate and maintain an AED, but he was an azzhat, ("it gives instructions verbally, anyone can do it, and they don't need any maintenance). I disagreed with him but what else was new .... (They do need maintenance to make sure the batteries are charging/charged up and make sure the paddles work, just another instance where he knew less about my job than I did but like a seagull on a chess board, he strutted around squawking knocking over the pieces and shittin on everything, and not having a clue to what was going on ...

sneer


One day we got a calll for one of the big a/c's at the 911 building not working. It was dispatched to me via the two way radios we had at that time by the office manger. The County Judge had a radio as he liked listening to the heartbeat of what kept his kingdom moving everyday.

Azzhat comes on and tells me, "be sure and check the outdoor ambient switch on that machine" trying to impress his boss, aka the Judge.

I relied, " no problem if it had one I would check it but that machine does not have one !"

laughinghard


Crickets after that ...
I worked onna big chiller for one of the buildings with a Carrier technician and we changed a valve that was bad in the refrigerant side of the machine, they have freon and chilled water, the water is what cools the building. Anyway this machine is as big as two pickup trucks and at the end of the day I took the valve into azzhats office and put it on his desk and sat down.

He looks up from his computer at me and then looks at the valve and then looks at me and says, "what is that?'

I tell him that is what was broke on the League City Chiller and not only do you not know what it is, you do not know what it does !

He sits looking at me and I then say, "and you want to tell me how to do MY job ?"


I loved poking that bear with a stick ....
 
All of ours were in a common area inside the buildings. Some of my mainland buildings may have gotten away with having them outside, but to make sure we put them inside.

On the island they HAD to be inside, or else the crack heds, would steal them ! ! !

facepalm1
 
ozonetrooper said:
All of ours were in a common area inside the buildings. Some of my mainland buildings may have gotten away with having them outside, but to make sure we put them inside.

On the island they HAD to be inside, or else the crack heds, would steal them ! ! !

facepalm1
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This is outside a public restroom facility at a very new upscale ball park. It is basically a multi softball complex and a super nice dog park with activities and a dock for the dogs to jump into a lake in pursuit of a toy tossed and an obstacle course. Three different areas for doggies. The fields are amazing and are different sizes for different ages. It has a new huge indoor facility that is between two ball fields. Spectating, eating, and drinking while the kids sweat their butts off is what it looks like. It's not open yet and I don't know if the defib machine is the one and only or if there are more.
 
I went to my Dr. this morning to have blood taken for my cardi. He put me on a new drug and wanted two identical labs a month apart. I assume today's draw was to get a baseline. The amazing part of the visit was the resident expert at drawing blood pulled the blood with one poke. Makes me wonder why the stress test team gave up after multiple attempts by two different people.
 
Hopefully, I'm doing a stress test Friday. My new cardiologist insisted on trying again to do the test. He said it will tell him so much knowing how my heart behaves while being stressed. I'm somewhat anxious to know as well. It is difficult for me to believe my heart is functioning so poorly. It does all that I ask of it and I'm far from idle.

Here is the kicker... I'm supposed to drink a crazy amount of water leading up to the test. I plan to comply. I have no desire to go through the BS and not get the test done. However, I normally don't drink water. I can live without my coffee and tea for a day to do the test. During the severe weather last night, Wichita's water filtering system failed and being as my burb gets their water from Wichita, we are under a boil water warning. I not only have the hassle of drinking a bunch of water, I have to cook it first. :)
 
olbriar said:
Hopefully, I'm doing a stress test Friday. My new cardiologist insisted on trying again to do the test. He said it will tell him so much knowing how my heart behaves while being stressed. I'm somewhat anxious to know as well. It is difficult for me to believe my heart is functioning so poorly. It does all that I ask of it and I'm far from idle.

Here is the kicker... I'm supposed to drink a crazy amount of water leading up to the test. I plan to comply. I have no desire to go through the BS and not get the test done. However, I normally don't drink water. I can live without my coffee and tea for a day to do the test. During the severe weather last night, Wichita's water filtering system failed and being as my burb gets their water from Wichita, we are under a boil water warning. I not only have the hassle of drinking a bunch of water, I have to cook it first. :)
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I wish you the best of luck with it all, my friend, and I hope you get an 'A' on your test. :)
I drink quite a lot of water (as well as coffee) and can attest to its many benefits...so long as you don't drink it too close to bedtime!
When we have traveled (particularly near the ocean) we have had to boil water just from the taste perspective (even for coffee) and that isn't a whole lot of fun... especially waiting for it to cool down to drink by itself. And if you have to do that to drink something you don't even like it's a double pain. :(
I hope it all works out in your favor.
 
Fingers crossed for the test, but whatever it says you are better off knowing (I feel this strongly now after being treated for an aggressive cancer last year). And if they recommend an implant then I'd take it: I lost a friend to heart failure 3 months ago, don't want to lose another.

And as someone whose veins are frequently uncooperative, your blood test experience feels very familiar - you have my sympathy!

Those AEDs are widespread in the UK these days: I know the locations of 2 in my village, have a feeling there's a third. Ours are green rather than red, so arguably a bit lower-key - I don't know whether this is because first-aid kits are usually green here, or to avoid association with fire extinguishers, or just because someone liked green.
 
Bottled water obriar.

I do not drink tap water, only bottle, but I do make coffee with the tap. My reasoning is the drip maker boils off the bs in the water.
 
I'm pounding the water. It's not going to be my fault that my veins are clever at ducking and running from the needle. Thanks for the well wishes. I'm with Hadron, I want to know where I'm at. And... telling my my ejection rate was about a third of what it should be will have a number the next time I ask of I'll be miffed.
 
I guess the good heart dr is changing suites at the hospital and will be migrating the day of my follow up / council following my stressless test. I had to reschedule and now it is a week later at my coffee and wakeup time. Oh well.
I called their offices today and naturally could do nothing but leave a message. The new drug he put me on, Dapaglifloriz, is screwing my sense of balance. I'm not at all light headed and have no vertigo problems when up and about. When my body goes from horizontal to vertical, I need a few seconds for the room to quit spinning.
First noticed the problem about a week into the drug and it occurred once in a great while. Now, it seems it is an every time my body changes from laying down to sitting up. Reading up on the drug, it is designed to be a diabetic med but was found to have positive effects for the heart. Being dizzy is not positive in my opinion. I get out of bed to pee too often to take this drug. :)
 
The cardi guru decreased the prescription from 10mg to 5mg. When I picked up the prescription I asked for a council with the pharmacist that I really like. He is always friendly and very witty. I told him that the 10mg was making me quite dizzy so they cut the dosage in half. He said, you should only be half as dizzy now. Humorous but likely the truth. This is only day two on the new dosage. The first prescription took a few days to cause a dizzy spell that became more frequent as I continued taking it for a month. We shall see...
 
I left this hanging and should have updated the above post sooner. It only took two days to get dizzy with half the original med's dosage. I wasn't a little bit dizzy. I was dizzy for about a minute and all I could do was close my eyes and breath deep while trying to relax. I was sitting in my desk chair at the time. It's fortunate I wasn't on a mower or driving. I called the cardiologist's office and informed them that I would not take the prescription. I would try something else if he thought it necessary but count me out on that drug. They called back later and advised me to discontinue the drug and we would discuss it when I do my stress test follow up. That is scheduled for this Friday morning. I'm anxious to meet with the guy again. I want to know my infraction percentage rate is instead of a lame response of "only about a third of what it should be." I want to know how my heart performed under stress. He said he needed that information and insisted on trying to do the test again. I'm anxious to hear what his recommendations are with that info in hand. I work daily and I ride my bike daily. It is difficult for me to understand how my heart can be in such a poor state when I feel fine.

My good friend text me today and invited me to call his wife. She has had numerous heart attacks, stents, and has a heart valve replacement. Last winter she had her pacemaker replaced with a pacemaker/defibrillator. Last night it shocked her twice.
I leaped at the opportunity to get some first hand info. She said the implant was no big deal. It took a couple of weeks for the soreness of the surgery to go away. Beyond that, it was not a big deal and didn't effect her every day life. She felt the shocks she got last night. She said it wasn't painful but she definitely felt it. She told me that she was conscious a few years back when they jump started her heart with the paddles. She said last night was nothing like that. She wasn't trying to talk me into getting the ICD and kept reminding me that our heart problems aren't the same. She was convinced that her implant saved her life last night. I guess somehow that implant communicated with her cardiologist. He called her this morning to discuss the event and make certain she was feeling as she should. Cool tech.
 
I saw my cardiologist first thing this morning. He had more time or at least gave me more of his time today. My ejection fraction was 26%. He explained that even if I felt great, the heart is working far harder with the poor efficiency. He is taking me off one BP med and putting me on three new meds. I don't have them in hand yet so I don't know what they are or the side effects that seem to be prevalent with prescription drugs. Hopefully I can pick up the new stuff tomorrow. He talked me into having an ICD installed. It will be a pacemaker and defibrillator. I put off the procedure until the first of January. I won't be able to drive for three week so I wanted it to happen in the dead of winter. I won't be mowing and if it limits my riding it will be a great time to stay in the warmth of home.
 
Organized is something my new cardiologist is not. This wasn't the first and not even the second time that my pharmacy had to call his office to get the prescriptions. The pharmacist called Monday saying he finally was able to get the scoop.... BUT... one of the meds he prescribed is new, $200 a month and my insurance doesn't cover it. Out of eight locations, the pharmacy group doesn't even carry the med. It is expensive and nobody takes it. They could order it but I told them I wasn't going to take it either. Secondly, one of the other meds he prescribed is the one that made me dizzy as hell... he cut the dosage in half and it still made me dizzy. I had called them and had informed them I could not take it, twice. Should have been in my chart that I can't take it. He prescribed it again... what an idiot. The pharmacy called them again and told them I wouldn't take one and couldn't take another. This afternoon, I finally got my new prescriptions. A new BP med to take twice a day and a diuretic. Both have dizziness listed as side effects. Sheesh! My BP has been perfect for almost three years with my current med. Why change what's working? I hate being in need of medical help and I hate the lack of attention to details that effect my life.
 
olbriar said:
Organized is something my new cardiologist is not. This wasn't the first and not even the second time that my pharmacy had to call his office to get the prescriptions. The pharmacist called Monday saying he finally was able to get the scoop.... BUT... one of the meds he prescribed is new, $200 a month and my insurance doesn't cover it. Out of eight locations, the pharmacy group doesn't even carry the med. It is expensive and nobody takes it. They could order it but I told them I wasn't going to take it either. Secondly, one of the other meds he prescribed is the one that made me dizzy as hell... he cut the dosage in half and it still made me dizzy. I had called them and had informed them I could not take it, twice. Should have been in my chart that I can't take it. He prescribed it again... what an idiot. The pharmacy called them again and told them I wouldn't take one and couldn't take another. This afternoon, I finally got my new prescriptions. A new BP med to take twice a day and a diuretic. Both have dizziness listed as side effects. Sheesh! My BP has been perfect for almost three years with my current med. Why change what's working? I hate being in need of medical help and I hate the lack of attention to details that effect my life.
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Maybe time for a new Cardioligist LOL
 
I saw my primary care doctor today. He took the time to go over the data from the recent labs. If I could get my heart in better shape, the rest of me seems to be healthy. He liked the new meds my cardiologist prescribed. He shares the optimism that the BP med, Sacubitril-valsartan (commonly known by the brand name Entresto), will significantly improve my ejection fraction. My cardi simply said I would feel much better. One way or another, I was glad that the rest of me is hanging in there.
 
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