Adrienne
Well-known member
This morning both my husband and I had appointments with my cardiologist. First was my appointment (my husband was still getting his ECG done, so did not come in the office with me during my appointment.
In any case, I really should have done what someone on the forum suggested (I think it was Al Capshaw). I should have gotten a copy of my echo that I had 5 weeks ago so I could look at it carefully before speaking to the cardio. However, in general, as I said right after the echo, everything is pretty stable, and one thing was really good. My left atrium even got smaller!! It had gone from 57 mm to 47 mm the first year. Now it is at 42 mm!!! Granted, the cardio said those measurements are vague and have a margin of error, but even at that, it makes me happy. The thing I didn?t see since he gave me the copy of the echo towards the end, and I didn?t look closely, is the fact that the tricuspid valve which had a regurgitation of 1/4 last year now says 2/4. I must admit that a few months before my operation on my mitral valve, the tricuspid valve was 2/4 and then went down to 1/4, so who knows. I also have read that a lot of people have some regurgitation of their tricuspid valve, although I would rather it be 1 and not 2. I have to say that in discussing my echo with the cardio, he did not seem concerned and said I could now have echos every two years.
When the cardio was through with me he called in my husband, and I stayed there to listen. To refresh your memory, my husband, who has been doing intense exercise (mostly swimming) since 1990, started having a sort of bradyarrhythmia at the end of last December. Well, the cardio doesn?t seem concerned since he says that this happens to athletes sometimes, not just the slower heartbeat, but the pauses. However, he had him arrange with the secretary to have both an echocardiogram and a stress test on December 10. I read an article on the Internet that there are certain parameters for an athlete?s heart as opposed to someone with cardiomyopathy. In any case, if the results are bad, the cardio will call my husband. If not, he is simply to make an appointment for next year.
The cardio actually seemed more concerned about his blood pressure which usually is under control with Monopril, but which was quite high when he took it. He also thought his cholesterol should be a bit lower (my husband brought the results of his last blood test). In any case, that he will look at again next year.
Sorry for this long post, but I figured I?d talk about both of us at the same time!
In any case, I really should have done what someone on the forum suggested (I think it was Al Capshaw). I should have gotten a copy of my echo that I had 5 weeks ago so I could look at it carefully before speaking to the cardio. However, in general, as I said right after the echo, everything is pretty stable, and one thing was really good. My left atrium even got smaller!! It had gone from 57 mm to 47 mm the first year. Now it is at 42 mm!!! Granted, the cardio said those measurements are vague and have a margin of error, but even at that, it makes me happy. The thing I didn?t see since he gave me the copy of the echo towards the end, and I didn?t look closely, is the fact that the tricuspid valve which had a regurgitation of 1/4 last year now says 2/4. I must admit that a few months before my operation on my mitral valve, the tricuspid valve was 2/4 and then went down to 1/4, so who knows. I also have read that a lot of people have some regurgitation of their tricuspid valve, although I would rather it be 1 and not 2. I have to say that in discussing my echo with the cardio, he did not seem concerned and said I could now have echos every two years.
When the cardio was through with me he called in my husband, and I stayed there to listen. To refresh your memory, my husband, who has been doing intense exercise (mostly swimming) since 1990, started having a sort of bradyarrhythmia at the end of last December. Well, the cardio doesn?t seem concerned since he says that this happens to athletes sometimes, not just the slower heartbeat, but the pauses. However, he had him arrange with the secretary to have both an echocardiogram and a stress test on December 10. I read an article on the Internet that there are certain parameters for an athlete?s heart as opposed to someone with cardiomyopathy. In any case, if the results are bad, the cardio will call my husband. If not, he is simply to make an appointment for next year.
The cardio actually seemed more concerned about his blood pressure which usually is under control with Monopril, but which was quite high when he took it. He also thought his cholesterol should be a bit lower (my husband brought the results of his last blood test). In any case, that he will look at again next year.
Sorry for this long post, but I figured I?d talk about both of us at the same time!
