Heart Valve Issues, Anyone?

Oh, love that, raaeoh - Thanks for posting this - makes me feel very encouraged to hear that!

 

Heart stuff is really scary, but I read your story and wanted to tell you mine. I agree with the comments on how important it is to get a clear diagnosis about what your specific problem is. Also agree that modern medicine is amazing. I had atrial fibrillation about 3 years ago and ended up in hospital after a particularly worrying episode of rapid heartbeat. Nobody said at the time, but I suspect the doctors thought I wasn't far off having a stroke. But I had great treatment including some minor surgery and walked out of hospital completely fixed and have had no further trouble since. I'm 52 now and have carried on with martial arts training and running.

I also agree that your attitude is a really important factor. There came a point, after my treatment, where I had to decide whether I was going to just be much more cautious, but I have a couple of people in my life who have gone down that road and it wasn't for me.

Take care.

 

Ah, very kind of you to post, Abeille. Atrial Fibrillation is very dangerous, or so I understand. Glad all it took were minor surgery and you managed to get right back to living your life at the fullest.

If anything comes of this, that's exactly what I'd hope for - as in your case.

Ta

 

I have known people with minor arythmia or slight valve leak that added foods to their diet that increased blood oxygen and supported endocrine function and they did quite well.
The thing that was almost a guarantee to bring on an episode?
Fatigue+not eating+heavy playing

If they kept at least one of those three out of the picture, no episode. That's part of the warfarin thing too. But chemically speaking, increased blood oxygen and cardiovascular tonicity. My brother had severe, different heart problems and he did both. He has been able to get away from most of the pills which has made his health better.

 

Thanks for mentioning that. They've not discussed warfarin - or any other medication - at this point. I've to have a stress with Isotopes Tuesday morning - as well as a fasting blood test ( is there a correlation with glucose levels or something? ).

I'm really not sure at all when they are going to talk to me about medications - I presume this a fact-finding mission - they find clues, dig deeper for more clues until there is conclusive evidence of, as others have said, the specific nature and cause of whatever problem underlie it.

The more I think about it, the more I like this approach - it has the scientific method written all over it - let the accumulation of evidence lead any treatment. I'm very blessed to have this doctor - and the doctor who recommended him.

One thing that slipped my mind since the murmur was detected, they did say something about a spike in blood pressure during the stress test. I was stunned as I've never, ever had high blood pressure.

Not sure how long I've had this propensity to 'spike'.

You mentioned something about consuming foods that had the tendency to increase blood O2 levels. Low blood oxygen level would be a symptom of heart irregularities rather than a cause, I would think - of course the heart muscle starved for oxygen canna be good for it.

I'm sure I'm missing something. My knowledge of medical science is quite limited. You also mentioned Warfarin as increasing blood O2 levels - I am only familiar with its anticoagulant properties - maybe increasing oxygen is part of the process - again, sorry for my ignorance.

Having good levels certainly wouldn't be bad. What are the foods you were mentioning?

Cheers!

 

*I did not mean that warfarin itself increases bo2, but that it is often employed and by increasing blood flow increased o2 delivery occurs. No one has told you that blockages are contributing or another reason yet ~
Plus - warfarin/Coumadin suck and are only a last resort (for me) when dietary coumarins are not enough.
In some cases leaking might be worse, but so far you have heard yours is not thankfully.

Google plant coumarins and you will get a long list.
Reishi mushroom is milder and has more benefits than the wood ear mushroom, which is closer to "chemical" strength people think they want. Hawthorne is another good choice - but just like all chemistry, should be advised by a physician, Chinese or not, who is comfortably familiar with plant based drugs.

You are most likely a person who would benefit from a mild cardiotonic and a mild blood conditioner. The leakage can be checked every few months, because the way you feel can deceive and so is watched.

The food consultant uses foods even when drugs aren't "yet" required to help prevent that and your "science" dr can use his machines and monitor the valve for improvement or not. Best of both. The perceived Dr in the show will also say that Coumadin is rough and if he feels like a food based coumarin is sufficient, may agree. They aren't all half water butchers and barbarians these days and want the larger medicine available to them. They want to enlarge their pharmacopeia so the "real doctor vs voodoo" guy is only embarrassing his self. Medicine has moved on and uses plenty of "chinee hockey" and "hippy kweer!" Stuff and their patients are happier, healthier and live better, longer. So be careful with these "I want a real dr" guys especially in this country and a time of "too many people".

It just seemed like you enjoyed good strength and health through martial exercise and I was just thinking a "martial arts" doctor might change everything, with the one you "believe" in able to watch and tell you exactly if what you are doing helps. Many like that now. The old stalwarts will still butcher you up and let you die to prove is medicine is the best - the "best" is the least brutal and most healing/nourishing therapy for it.

Best wishes! I only said anything because it did sound like you were in good shape with a bit o leaky and have every reason to think it should go good with you many years to come.

 

Okay, I see. Yes, a combined approach is often the best way - taking the better of both sides.

I'll look into the coumarins. My wife, being Chinese, knows the traditional CM shoppes in the area - which ones carry the quality plants. Her mum recently retired as chief nurse from a major hospital in Guangzhou and had trained to be a doctor (Western Medicine) before the Cultural Revolution sent her off to work in the fields.

No doubt, I'll be getting much advisement from that corner, as well.

Thank you kindly for your suggestions and well wishes!

 

I would definitely clear any medication with your dr before starting to take anything.

 

If your wife is tcm and knows others? You have a good situation.

 

Oh yes; will do. I know some of those plants and herbs have some fairly potent biochemically active compounds. I will definitely check.

 

They did the procedure today. Had to go without caffeine for 24 hours - that was rougher than I thought it would be.

Injected the radioactive dye and then they put me in the Nuclear Resonance Imagine chamber and took pictures. Then ran the stress test, took another shot of radiation and back into the chamber for more pics.

The Stress - essentially a treadmill with reprogrammed spots where it automatically increases the speed and inclination of the treadmill. The objective is to reach 81% of the maximum heart-rate - whatever that is - while they continuously monitor blood pressure and vitals with an active EKG running all the while through recovery.

I did notice that it took longer/more inclination of the treadmill to reach the goal than the first time and I sweated less - though as winded today as I was when they first saw the problem.

Wont know for a while how it went. The nurse/technician did ask me at one point if I were okay, I responded that I was, though it seemed I was breathing awfully heavy - she kept asking me if I were sure, which leads me to think something was showing up on the graph.

Anyroads...keeping my fingers crossed. I'm going to be making some health changes regardless of how this comes out.

 

Your heart rate percentage is 220-your age ... so 170 is your max and then 81% (why not just make it 80?) which is 137 bpm.

 

Theoretical max, I suppose. I hit 197-201 or something the last time I was at the boxing gym - using one of those medical finger monitors.

 

There are different measurements for some, I believe one wHo is better conditioned is obviously safer to go to higher levels.

 

I'm sure I must've misread the display...I hope I did.

 

Iirc thats the safe zone, if your hitting above it your putting your health at risk.

If your cardiovascularly healthy then your heart rate will be lower not higher.

 

That is what's concerning. I suppose it would also explain why someone gets out of breath quite easily - their heart is having to work harder for less and less exertion.

I've a followup that'd been scheduled prior to the test for 6.11. If they call to reschedule it for an earlier date ... won't be good.

 

^^^ this, just keep it reasonable. I'd even call your doc and ask him/her how high to keep your hr until you get all of this figured out.

 

I remember when I was seven, sitting on our back porch, watching the sun go down in the West, watching the light begin to fade and feeling oddly melancholy for someone of that age. Then this most strange knowing of mortality begin to set in - but I pushed it far away from me - as someone of seven should.

Are you referring to the one where I'm lifting a glass to Johnno's birthday? Ha - you're just jealous of the well-fard and canny