15 Months and Questions?

[Gary Miller]

For you seasoned AVR members (60+)
At 15 months after AVR I’m noticing some shortness of breath, especially working outside in the high humidity and temps (Florida). I have been moving some trees around the yard (fairly big trees 10-15 ft. high) this week and I can’t dig or pick ax around the root base very long without having to stop and catch my breath. I can catch it fairly quickly but 4 to 6 swings with the AX or pick and I have to stop again for a few seconds. My gym performance hasn’t changed much, 25 min on elliptical for 5 miles, but that’s a different type of exercise I think. I even notice taking some deep breaths just sitting around the house sometimes. It’s not all the time but it’s enough to be annoying and make me wonder. I don’t want to call the cardio for something that may just be attributed to the weather and my allergies. I did have an emergency room bout last month on vacation. I started to get dizzy and it kept getting worse so we headed to the ER. On the way I got a pain in the middle of my heart like I have never had in my life. I almost blacked out. We got to the ER and you know the drill, except they did a CT scan (never had that done before). Nothing was found and the best he could offer was maybe a spastic aorta. Have any of you had these kind of things happen this far out from AVR?

 

[Duffey]

I've fought bouts of shortness of breath since my AVR, and I'm 8 years out. Only thing they've found is low/moderate pulmonary hypertension, and it seems to ebb and flow with the season. If you've had normal cardio visits, and a recent CT scan, I'd wonder about the possibility of fluid retention and the high humidity of Florida's climate. I struggle more in humid weather and also retain more fluid, both which can cause shortness of breath.

 

[epstns]

I can also attest to the fact that it is much more difficult to do heavy work in high humidity. For me, when it is like that, I try not to do anything more strenuous than walking outdoors. I feel as if I can do it, but I don't enjoy it - so why push it?

 

[Rachel]

Humidity levels effect me more than they ever did pre-OHS....I stay indoors on high humid days but it's easier to advoid these days in Michigan than it is in Flordia.