Treat or not to treat. Second opinion or no second opinion. New (big gun) drug or no big gun drug.
Take the Mac to the shop and hope for a repair or buy new since it's going on 5 years old and I have zilch space left on the darn thing (does anyone have a CLUE how to permanently delete photos from i-photo? this escapes me and Mr. Mac is miserly and wants to hold onto every.last.one.).
As for my irregularly beating heart- I go in and out of bigeminy (premature ventricular contraction-PVC- every other beat pictured above) with my rate sometimes 110 while doing this (keep in mind, my resting heart rate used to be high 50s), and am also now throwing premature atrial contractions (PACs) and sometimes they come as couplets or I'll have a PAC followed by a PVC then a normal beat. It is extremely exhausting. On the Holter, it showed I was tachycardic (fast heart rate) for the first 2 hours I was SLEEPING. ??
Doctor wanted to start me on an anti-arrhythmic. This is huge, and these drugs are usually reserved for life threatening arrhythmia. So, I'm just not sure about it after talking to my sister (who is a PA-C) and am seriously considering a second opinion from an electrophysiologist (specialized cardiologist that deals only with conduction abnormalities) in her city 2 hours from me. My doc was fine with me doing this. He doesn't know I'm not taking the second med he prescribed though. I mean- I'm young, too young for this, and there is no family history of these kind of electrical problems in our family. Like my sister said, what are we doing to find the cause?
I am convinced hormones exacerbate the problem, though this last month or so I haven't really had a good break (every day I deal with it, when I used to have good days and bad days).
And now, having hoped for a down weekend with no obligations- I've got to haul my Mac 1.5 hours to be looked at and hopefully fixed. Sucker was running so hot (as another sister would say- "hot as fire"), so I am thinking the fan is out. Not to mention... uhm... I have almost no hard drive space left. I need more room!- like flux capacitor size people! Or something.
As I type this I feel those familiar palpitations that alert me I'm throwing frequent premature beats. Wires are crossed and misfiring at random. I wish I could say this dance in my chest felt good, but that would be far fetched at best.
I have, however, been reassured that this annoyance (understatement) is not life threatening, no matter how sick it makes me feel.
Suddenly my new diagnosis of migraines doesn't seem so awful....
ReplyDeleteI think finding the cause is a great idea.
I wish I could fuss at you for not taking the second drug but I am the person who looked my Doc in the face and sad " I would rather my brains leak outta my ears than take a barbituate".
Keep fighting for yourself.
I am sorry this has a hold on you. I can only imagine how crappy you must feel some days, most days.
Sending blessings with your decisions. 2nd opinion sounds like a good idea.
ReplyDeleteThe irregular heartbeats can be very annoying. But I think your sis is right. What are you doing to find the cause of this problem. If your Dr. just wants to prescribe medication a leave it at that, then without any doubt you should seek a second opinion. The sooner you do it the better (think of E). Anyway, keep me posted will ya? If there's anything I can do for you, just drop me a line.
ReplyDeleteI would definitely agree with a second opinion! Regardless of what you decide, I hope you are at peace with your decision.
ReplyDeleteI am by nature a hypocondriac (toooooo tired to look up the spelling), so I steer clear of all things medical; having said that I will tell you that I too had some funky (that's a medical term) palps. and took myself off all chemical sweetners, no more of my beloved caff. free diet cokes, life waters, etc....that was it, no more palps. And yes, hormones were also a part of mine, gotta love perimenopause. Could your's be that simple too? Just throwin' out there.
ReplyDeleteMac first! Mine is 2 1/2 years old and just had a $920 repair covered. It started smoking and sizzling before we went away in July. You need to delete those pics from both your folders AND the iphoto library both since it does a double store.
ReplyDeleteI'd get a second opinion for sure. We think you have a huge heart which may account for all that beating around but nothing wrong with being a little cautious. Much love
I vote YES on the 2nd opinion. Sending hugs from H and me.
ReplyDeleteI think your sister has some very good advice on two accounts. 1: See the electrophysiologist, 2: Try to find the underlying cause before treatment, especially with heavy duty drugs.
ReplyDeleteI hope all turns out well and easy to correct!
Good luck with a second opinion. I hope they can find the cause of your heart problems and offer you a permanent solution to it. Best wishes.
ReplyDeleteoh i have advise on the mac side of things..
ReplyDeleteGo to target, and buy a external hardrive, WAYY cheaper then internal mac harddrive..
then plug it in,, go to finder: places: pictures : iphoto , and drag the entire iphoto library.
or just search in the search function : for iphoto library,
drag the entire file , and any other photos , into the new external hardrive and tadaaa clean mac
oh and once you have successfully dragged it over, delete it from your mac. ( it doesnt do that automatically )
cisca from Amsterdam
My computer is running way too hot to do any kind of back up right now. I have had an external hard drive since about a year after I bought it. Thanks for the tips though on how Mac double stores- I knew Macs didn't like trashing anything.
ReplyDeleteAs for second opinion, guess I should have mentioned the MD I see IS an electrophysiologist. I just thought it might be good to get an opinion from another one. I do love mine, trust him, we have a great rapport, and at every appt he spends up to an hour with me. He's thorough. I just wish there were some way to get to the bottom of it without playing the guessing game, you know?
Good luck K with both the Mac & The Heart issue....
ReplyDeleteSecons opinion sounds like a good idea.....
Kris,
ReplyDeleteI had SVT. My first taste of it was a doozy. I had just finished report and was standing at my med cart when WHAM, it pummeled me! I know for certain that had I been at home with my cat that I would have met Jesus that day. Fortunately, I was working and only a short wheelchair escort away from the ER where I was cardioverted. For that split second that my heart stood still, I thought I was floating up to heaven. The next thing I know, the doc was asking me who I wanted to see for my cardiologist. At the age of 23 this was devestating to me. I saw cardio that night and was immediately set up with an electrophysiologist for an ablation. The ablation was scary but it has saved my life. I ended up diagnosed with A-V node re-entry and had the "race track" ablated. Thank goodnes I did not need a pacer. I do have persistent tachycardia so me and Mr.Cardizem CD will be life long friends. I want to encourage you to have that consult. There is no need to live in fear of what funky beat you might have next. I am praying for guidance,courage and peace for you. I love this blog, it feels like home.
It may not be life threatening but quality of life counts too...don't settle, get a second opinion and a third or more if necessary, find the cause. No reflection on your dr. at all. Can't help with the computer woes. I echo what Lost and Found said about you having a "huge heart"! ;0)
ReplyDeleteYep - I go with a second opinion. In fact, my mother is getting a second opinion this morning regarding an eye condition she has. A week ago a doctor told her to get laser surgery for an eye condition she didn't even know she had. She decided to get a second opinion before doing so. I'm all for that!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm agreeing with what others have said: go with second opinion. In my opinion. ;-) I don't know a lot about these things, but a second opinion can never hurt. :-)
ReplyDeleteI second the second opinion, especially when there are funky drugs involved. Hope you can figure this out. :-)
ReplyDeleteI don't know much, but I always know hearing another opinion helps. Hugs.
ReplyDeleteComing from the non-med sis....get ALL BRAND SPANKIN' NEW. Heart & MAC. No dinero you say? CHARGE every single bit of it. :) Lob you baby sister!
ReplyDeleteWe'll keep you in our prayers, that you will stay strong and healthy, since your family needs you.
ReplyDeleteKris, See the electrophysiologist. You may remember my history and until I saw one it was never right. And please consider rethinking your concerns about pacemakers. To me they are much better than powerful drugs. I have one (a bi-vent) and it literally gave me back my life. I have to take meds too but at a much lower rate. I couldn't have an ablation. Too many misfirings from too many places.
ReplyDeleteKat
Kris,
ReplyDeleteDefinitely get the second opinion. I was born with a congenital heart condition and have had a mess of problems since birth but I've had excellent care and if I didn't tell you I had it, you wouldn't know (that's how well it is taken care of). Unless of course you're keenly aware of clubbed fingers and cyanosis which is common for us.
At age 23 I developed arrhythmia issues thanks to an undiagnosed thyroid disorder (Graves disease). I woke up one morning with my heart racing and it wouldn't stop. Lots of painful blood tests later, they found it. I still continue to have them because the cardiologist said, "Once your heart learns to do it, anything can trigger it." So I've been in and out of an irregular rate since then. Currently my heart beats irregularly (A-fib/A-flutter) and thanks to medicine and a very expensive and high tech ICD it is controlled. Doctors have tried to fix it but so far no luck. Will they try again? Don't know. But there is so much scar tissue on my heart from surgeries and the defects I was born with it might not be an option.
Like me you are a mother and it is up to us to do what we can for our kids and that includes taking care of yourself and figuring out what's going on. Lots of prayers going your way that you get the answers you need to hear.
I just wish they'd fix it and make you all better. You have enough on your plate than to have to deal with this, too. :)
ReplyDelete