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| Mon, 09-10-2007 - 12:51am |
Well I had my cardiology appointment today and I have to say it's been more than a little frustrating!!
The cardiologist had NO record of my visit to Accident and Emergency last Wednesday. I turn up at cardiology today and you can say I have been a bit stressed about it all. I worked all morning, got bitten on the backside by an opportunist fox terror and was running late for the appointment. They took me in for the ECG right away and the ECG showed a pulse of 75 and everything was within the "normal" range. Which would be fine, except that a pulse of 75 is NOT normal for ME! How do you tell a qualified cardiologist this? MY resting pulse is normally around 54 but she would not listen, she got angry with me and insisted there was nothing wrong with me.
At A&E on wednesday they monitored me for over 4 hours. I have had a total of 4 ECG's now- the first (done at cardiology pre surgery)showed a mild arrhythmia, the second (done at medical centre) showed bradycardia, the third (A&E)prolonged QT & bradycardia... and today's one (cardiology)was normal. I was there less than ten minutes total. I don't know what to believe anymore. Do I accept that everything is ok? Do I wait and see if I develop other symptoms of prolonged QTc (ie fainting and/or sudden death)? Do I follow it up just in case?
I think what we WILL do is try to get copies of ALL the ECG's from the different places as it seems they are incapable of sending them off to each other.
The cardiologist did agree to a stress test on a treadmill (to prove there is nothing wrong with me) and she will send out an appointment for that sometime (I won't hold my breath waiting). She also wrote me out a prescription for a spray they use for angina. I don't HAVE angina!!!! ARRGGHH!!!
My partner says to wait until the treadmill test. If this proves inconclusive, then show the cardiologist the notes (we will get) from Accident and Emergency and ask her to explain them and the next step will be to go back to my doctor and get a referral to someone who specialises in the electrics of the heart.


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Hi Ven,
At least you're standing up for yourself medical-wise. Sometimes we think we know specific things like our pulse rate and all of that. Sometimes we can be right, and sometimes not.
How in the world did they lose your admission record at the (what we Americans call the Emergency Room) Emergency Room? That's just total and complete incompetence.
*Sebastian give Ven a bag of ice for her bitten bum. I hope that makes that bite feel better, hon.
The next time you go to your Accident and Emergency, get all copies of your admission and all work that has been done. Keep an updated file on everything.
By all means, if they suggest that you follow up, follow up. Even if they don't suggest a follow up, follow up anyway. It's best to err on the side of over checking than on underchecking.
Keep taking care of yourself, and try to do something to relieve your symptoms of stress. You know that iVillage has stress manangement communities, so look it up when you get the chance.
Take care, hon.
Hugs,
Sebastian
Hugs,
Sebastian
http://www.facebook.com/sebastianbruce
Get all of the ECG reports and take them to the cardiologist or your doctor. keep pushing on this issue. Things were only normal one time. So, of course it is not ok. You have to keep pushing. People have to be the voice of there own care because the doctor only knows what he or she only sees at that time.
I am stressing that you push this furthur. Something is going on with your heart and you need to find out what it is so they can take preventive measures. Please...
Hugs and take it easy for now,
Laurie
Edited 9/10/2007 8:28 am ET by lauriedav
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Ven,
Thanks for keeping us posted. I strongly agree with Laurie - get your reports from Accident and Emergency and take them to your doctor. You don't want to play around with your heart (as you know). If she won't listen or take you seriously, then get a second opinion.
I'm sorry you're having trouble with your doc but hopefully you can get her to take some action once she sees the reports.
Let us know what happens!
Hugs
I would also ask your Dr to prescribe halter monitoring for you, that way you have more comprehensive monitoring. It's also a better chance that they may seem some pattern to your arrythmia. They also may want to look at any medications you are taking,several can cause a prolonged Qt segement.
I agree with the other ladies, you need to pursue this. It very well could be nothing, but the medical establishment has a really bad habit of ignorning women with cardiac concerns. Push them until you get the answers you need, you are your own best advocate.
Shannon
I, too, agree with everybody else and I think the halter monitor might be a good idea. I had one and it was excellent in showing heart related stuff. I have a prolapsed mitral valve with a moderate leak. The stress and echo/stress were really good.
I know what you mean about making people believe you. My pulse normally runs in the 50's and when I try to tell them that 75bpm is too fast(most of the real world would kill for a pulse of 75), they think I am insane. Same thing with temperature. I am normally around 97 degrees. When I go in with a temp of 99-100, I have a fever, for Pete's sake, and it's a good one, not a "mild one." I'm sick. Help me out here.
Good luck with all of this. I know how worrisome it can be. It was for me until we got it all squared away and I figured out I wasn't going to die immediately.
Hugs
Blue
hi Seb and thanks for your input.
My notes were all forwarded to my GP but not the cardiologist. Or if they were, not in time for my appointment but the ECG was not. They have that in A&E and would forward it if it was requested.
I am only feeling stressed at the moment because I have just been told i have a potentially life-threatening condition and then left hanging. I had to wait for the appointment at cardiology and then she didn't really tell me anything. I don't need to take anything for stress, I just need more information.... like should I be thinking about writing a will right now or not? Do I need to watch my diet? Should I marry my gf (even though I am not ready for that) so she will be the legal guardian to my kids?
thanks Laurie.
I did go back to my doctor today. It's kind of handy having a form that says prolonged QTc - they told the person before me there were no appointments until next week and then gave me one this afternoon.
We had a really good talk about the possibilities and he says basically people with long qt generally show symptoms like fainting and yeah, sudden death a lot sooner in life. The fact that I am still around at 40-odd and throwing out normal ECG's when my pulse is up- is a pretty good indication I will be around for a while yet. He explained the whole statistical approach. How do they know where to draw that line between what is normal and what is not? They do it by collecting a whole lot of data over a whole lot of people and working out where *most* of the population fits. So there are a small group people out there that will not show the long QTc, maybe they are just inside what is considered normal and they are in danger of having symptoms and there are some who are just outside (like myself) who may well go on to lead a full and normal life. I am obviously at a greater risk than someone well within the norm.
I have had arrhythmia that has made me dizzy enough to have to lie down but I have never lost consciousness and the doctor doubts I ever will.
He has ordered other tests though - I have had 2 abnormal urine tests so I get to do not one but TWO 24 hour urine tests, a treadmill stress test and I have ordered a finger pulse monitor so I can monitor what is going on myself. He is more concerned about the bradycardia at the moment as my pulse becomes more regular when it speeds up, but once again- I am only just outside the "norm" so we will wait and see what the treadmill test shows (more than likely that I am not very fit!)
The whole event could simply have been a collection of coincidences that returned this result.
I do have available to me the ECG at the Medical Centre. It costs $15 and I can go and get one done every month or whenever I am worried. My partner downloaded all this information about making your own ECG using the computer monitor as a readout. I have mental images of her electrocuting me! Now how would we explain that at A&E?!!
It's an odd feeling isn't it? To be told you have a condition that could very well kill you. I always thought I would be afraid to die but it's been very weird. I have kind of already achieved most of what I had hoped to in life. It would be nice to see my kids into adults... actually most of my ambitions in life seem to revolve around my kids. I am kind of "between ambitons" at the moment.. lol!
I know this probably seems a bit morbid, but I don't think it would make a lot of difference to anyone but the kids. I did talk to them about what they would want to do in the event something happened to me and they both said stay with my partner. Everyone would be ok if the worst did ever happen. I think that is good to know.
I am scheduled to do a stress test on a treadmill some time. I am not quite sure what this will involve but I guess I am going to find out.
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