3 Year Cardio Check Up--Huh?

[Bina]

Hmmm.....

Bina - Do you have any idea what your Cardio and PCP meant by their comments that Sotalol is "harder on the body" than Metroprolol?

Al, the cardio said that it would be harder on my body and organs, and my GP had said that I clearly didn't need it since my previous SVT episodes were mostly controlled by Metoprolol and the pvc/pac issues will hopefully resolve.
They both know that I am still stressed easily.

 

[Bina]

Eva, my surgery was done in the fall, October, and around here during winter it's just too hard to get to the hospital for their walking program. The next spring I went for rehab heart education classes and puttered around the farm.
One of my neighbour's is a daily walker, and I thought I might walk with her. Well, last spring she was attacked by a wandering Boxer dog and if my husband hadn't run out and saved her, she would have been killed. No joke. The woman was mauled and lay bleeding in my snowbank.This is still in litigation. Needless to say, I was the one who called 911 and I'm still traumatized by this.....I won't walk on the roads.
I really think that after all of this I've just succumbed to my anxieties.
Bina's Dx: post op "chicken little" stress syndrome....<grin>

 

[Bina]

Pegasus, You know my cardio very well. Before OHS he watched me like a hawk.
I had Yearly echos, and then visits every 6 mths when I was showing stenosis. The next yr when I was having lots of trouble and refusing surgery (me stupid), my visits were every 3 months. He was totally frustrated that I would refuse a surgery that would save my life. The more everyone pushed me, the more I braced against them.
My GP used a more gentle tone and then read me a passage from his big med book that described symptoms and progression of stenosis and that I would be dead within 2 yrs...he then laughed and said "Oops, sorry, maybe I shouldn't have read that part"....but I had to laugh too and finally admit that I was at the end of my limit for denial.
Different doctors--different approaches

 

[Bridgette]

Eva, my surgery was done in the fall, October, and around here during winter it's just too hard to get to the hospital for their walking program. The next spring I went for rehab heart education classes and puttered around the farm.
One of my neighbour's is a daily walker, and I thought I might walk with her. Well, last spring she was attacked by a wandering Boxer dog and if my husband hadn't run out and saved her, she would have been killed. No joke. The woman was mauled and lay bleeding in my snowbank.This is still in litigation. Needless to say, I was the one who called 911 and I'm still traumatized by this.....I won't walk on the roads.
I really think that after all of this I've just succumbed to my anxieties.
Bina's Dx: post op "chicken little" stress syndrome....<grin>


Bina, could you drive to a gym and use their walking track, or drive somewhere where you feel you would be safe walking? I don't know about where you live, but in my town there are places people can walk, eg around the lake, where dogs are not permitted, or if they are they have to be on a lead.
Another option would be to get your own little treadmill - and that would be handy for winter when it is hard to get out.
I find that it is so good physically and psychologically, to get out and walk. Makes me feel so much better.

Good luck
Bridgette

 

[Bina]

Bridgette, I live on a farm, no gyms as such. We all climb hay loft stairs, stack bales, shovel poo, stack firewood, etc. And I'm not really strong enough for all that stuff right now; so, I'm thinking that Santa Claus should bring me an exercise video.
There are 15 stairs to the second floor of my house, I guess I should stop avoiding them.
My main floor has a circular layout, I'll start doing laps during the freezing weather.
Hubby says I need another dog to get me moving too.....

 

[Bridgette]

We had a lady come into the clinic yesterday and she was telling us how she had "inherited" her daughter's dog. It's a Weimaraner (spelling?) and she said since they've had it both she and her husband have got fitter, lost weight, muscled up etc....it's the sort of dog that needs frequent exercise and she said it's made them so much more proactive about their own exercise.

Not suggesting you should get a dog like that or that you need to lose weight (you look pretty tiny judging from your avatar) but maybe when you feel like it's a good time you could get another dog and take it out for walks...anyway I'm not lecturing you or anything, and I wish you all the best

Bridgette

 

[Bina]

Right, Weimaraners are great dogs, very busy....I think my cat and I would have a bit of a nervous breakdown. LOL
I'm considering a few dogs in rescue at the moment, and one guy has caught my eye. Cute.

 

[Pegasus]

Hey Bina,
my husband has the same surgeon and cardio I don't visit/post too often but in the beginning (of my husband's post-op) you told me your story about 'our cardio'. I am sure you must have raised his BP

I think you had your surgery in winter? which makes it really worse with recovery/exercise etc.

Anyways, good luck with 'getting moving' and it is the best with a new doggie friend (whenever you are ready). Hope you treated yourself to something nice after the visit. My husband just had an echo and so he is good for anothr year at least. Phew! LOL

astrid

 

[Roger Frank]

Bina - There's absolutely no excuse for his attitude and I'm sorry about your visit...

If you don't mind I have a couple of questions. Generally, what's your opinion of Canadian health care? Do you feel your receiving specialized care in a timely manner?

Thanks!

 

[skeptic49]

Bina,

Sorry to read about the Cardio's lack of preparation for your visit. I would not have been happy with the either. As you read on my recent pre-surgery post, my potential surgeon came in the room having read my reports and was fully prepared - enough to tell me straight off that "we've got a handle on your situation." That's the kind of reassuring that we all deserve.

On the issue of a BAV, I hope your daughter does not have one, but no sense worrying until you have to.

Best wishes,

Jim

 

[Bina]

Bina - There's absolutely no excuse for his attitude and I'm sorry about your visit...

If you don't mind I have a couple of questions. Generally, what's your opinion of Canadian health care? Do you feel your receiving specialized care in a timely manner?

Thanks!

My cardio's view is that I have a new valve and good arteries, so my GP should take care of me now.
Well, in my view, having had a BAV I would think he'd still follow me.....No prob, I will get lined up with a cardio nearer to where I live.

Regarding specialized care:
I grew up in Quebec and over the years saw a few specialists.
Rheumatologist, allergist, plastic surgeon, oral surgeon, general surgeon, Ob/gyn, the colonoscopy dude (Dr.R.Sole), etc.
I've always had quick efficient attention, but I hear that lately the waits can be longer.
Now that I've been in Ontario for the past 6 yrs, I'm kind of out of touch with the status of Quebec's healthcare. Here in Eastern Ontario we have a couple of very good hospitals and I believe that non-urgent testing can still have a wait of 6-10 weeks. Which is really not too bad.

 

[Adrienne]

I can only tell you about my experiences. Right now, I have a cardiologist I see once a year, so that's fine. However, in Quebec, trying to get an appointment with a specialist can be ages. Orthopedic problems are the longest, but as an example, when I had my endocarditis in 2004 and the doctor at the hospital I was at told me I should have valve surgery within a few months, I asked for a referral for a second opinion at the Montreal Heart Institute. He gave me one (without putting the name of a doctor). I called the Heart Institute. The secretary told me to fax the referral along with a letter with other info. She said the wait was FIVE months!!! It was only a couple of months later when my husband called a doctor whose mother was a good friend of his mother and asked for help. This guy said he was going to the heart institute the next day and he would talk to some people. Long story short, I saw a cardio who has now become my cardio in about 3 or 4 weeks and I saw the surgeon who would become my surgeon in 3 months, long, but shorter than it would have been.

Health care is one of the big items the politicians in Quebec talk about, saying we need shorter waiting times.

 

[Bina]

Adrienne, we had OHS at the same time.
I had seen my surgeon at the RVH in April 2005 for a consult, and I was too scared for surgery.
After a difficult summer, health wise, I saw him again in September and was admitted for surgery 2 weeks later.
No waiting there. I think he knew that I was a "flight risk"....<grin>

 

[Adrienne]

Adrienne, we had OHS at the same time.
I had seen my surgeon at the RVH in April 2005 for a consult, and I was too scared for surgery.
After a difficult summer, health wise, I saw him again in September and was admitted for surgery 2 weeks later.
No waiting there. I think he knew that I was a "flight risk"....<grin>

I'm wondering also if he got you in fast because he realized you were at the stage of being an emergency.

 

[Pegasus]

At a routine check-up a murmur was heard, a few days later he got appt. with cardio, 5 days later an echo, 2 weeks later we met with surgeon and two months later surgery was completed. My husband was urgent, but not emergency. We were impressed and very grateful.

Bina, are you getting yearly echos through the RVH?
My husband just gets letter to come in. I was always wondering if it was because he had a repair. No complaints though. We are glad. He also gets echos from cardio every 2yrs. now.

 

[ryen0]

i'm going to say something a little different from the crowd. the doctor actually gave you some good advice. however, there is middle ground. i don't think you should take what he says as gospel, but you also shouldn't obsess and look at what other people are going through on the internet. everyone is different. i would be a much happier person if i didn't look on the internet all day and try to diagnose myself. my god, go to webmd and put in that you have leg pain and it will tell you to get your ass to the emergency room. info on the internet usually always contains worse case scenario. your doctor may have been a jerk about it, but it is good advice.

 

[Bina]

I'm wondering also if he got you in fast because he realized you were at the stage of being an emergency.

I had asked for a stress echo in Aug of 2005 and when I went for it, the on duty cardio looked at the echo and promptly said that I would not be getting on the treadmill because I could drop dead! She then made me promise not to drive my car until I got operated. I'm sure that my surgeon had that report and that's why he expedited me into surgery.

 

[Bina]

At a routine check-up a murmur was heard, a few days later he got appt. with cardio, 5 days later an echo, 2 weeks later we met with surgeon and two months later surgery was completed. My husband was urgent, but not emergency. We were impressed and very grateful.

Bina, are you getting yearly echos through the RVH?
My husband just gets letter to come in. I was always wondering if it was because he had a repair. No complaints though. We are glad. He also gets echos from cardio every 2yrs. now.

My murmur was heard almost 30 yrs ago and diagnosed as MVP....unless I have that too.

I also found that the RVH gets patients in quite quickly, and if I lived closer I would go there for testing.
I believe that the MV repairs, like your husband's, are kept a watch on, which is great.

My first post op echo was done at LGH and last year my echo was done here in East Ontario. I haven't had one yet this year, they say I'm okay until spring. Good, cuz I'm fed up.

 

[Bina]

i'm going to say something a little different from the crowd. the doctor actually gave you some good advice. however, there is middle ground. i don't think you should take what he says as gospel, but you also shouldn't obsess and look at what other people are going through on the internet. everyone is different. i would be a much happier person if i didn't look on the internet all day and try to diagnose myself. my god, go to webmd and put in that you have leg pain and it will tell you to get your ass to the emergency room. info on the internet usually always contains worse case scenario. your doctor may have been a jerk about it, but it is good advice.

Nope, I'm not one of those obsessed with self diagnosing everything, but don't I wonder why NOBODY said that I had a BAV?
Especially with a life long history of tissue and muscle problems?
At my pre-surgery heart cath, the surgeon pointed out that my aorta root was enlarged and he would "take care of it" if needed.
That's all I got.
My hubby was there, but he was too freaked out to question anything.
Imagine how it hurt me to tell my daughter on Friday that she should get her heart checked because this is heritable....Oh, and I could have told her 3 years ago if my cardio had filled me in!!
(she also has tendon, muscle issues).

 

[Eva]

Eva, my surgery was done in the fall, October, and around here during winter it's just too hard to get to the hospital for their walking program. The next spring I went for rehab heart education classes and puttered around the farm.
One of my neighbour's is a daily walker, and I thought I might walk with her. Well, last spring she was attacked by a wandering Boxer dog and if my husband hadn't run out and saved her, she would have been killed. No joke. The woman was mauled and lay bleeding in my snowbank.This is still in litigation. Needless to say, I was the one who called 911 and I'm still traumatized by this.....I won't walk on the roads.
I really think that after all of this I've just succumbed to my anxieties.
Bina's Dx: post op "chicken little" stress syndrome....<grin>

I would be scared to go out too! OMG. I am glad despite all this,you are still keeping your good sense of humor I mentioed my experience with PVCs while exercising at rehab to be an incentive that yours may disappear like mine are disappearing slowly with the exercise. My sister sent to me this website http://sparkpeople.com/
before my surgery as I could not go to the gym...I never opened it
She loves it and exercises with them at home.

((hugs))