Not Feeling So Good Again

[ShanaleT]

Well, it has been a while since I have visited this sight.

My one year date of surgery (aortic valve replacement and aneurysm repair) will be Dec 13 and I thought I had made a complete recovery. I was having a problem with my heart rate getting too low which was causing me to get very dizzy and pass out. This stopped in May. I have gone along full speed until two weeks ago, and I had another one of the spells. The doctor took me off of the beta blocker and I now am having reoccuring headaches which is why I was put back on the beta blocker to begin with. My doctor suspects that this is caused by exhaustion with the effects of the beta blocker. I have an EKG moniter hooked to me all the time now in case I have another spell and they can see what is happening. Has anyone else experienced this? I do not feel like I am doing any more that the average person, but with working full time and raising a 4 year old, I sometimes feel it is all too overwhelming. Of course, when I feel bad like this, I am irritable and I am sure hard to live with. Please let me know if you have any suggestions as I am getting ready to cut my hours back at work. Is this normal? Should I not expect to live a normal life after this? I thought the point of having the surgery was a better quality of life, but I am starting to doubt my decision.

God Bless to all,
Shana

 

[Nancy]

Hi Shana-

Sorry to hear that you're having fainting episodes.

My husband had several due to a slow heart rate. He was given a monitor and had a consultation with his cardiologist and the electrophysiologist cardiologist. They decided to implant a pacemaker. It's worked perfectly. No more fainting. It been wonderful for him.

I'm sure they'll get to the bottom of it very soon. They're very scary things to have happen.

Take care,

 

[R0Y]

Shana,

Sorry to hear of your problems. Setbacks are certainly one of the most challenging aspects of recovery. Here's hoping the monitor will give the doctors the information they need for diagnosis and corrective action to get you back that positive track.

-- roy --

 

[JimL]

My surgery was about a month before yours. Even now after my one-year anniversary, I don't feel that I have a lot of reserve energy built up. In other words, when I do too much, I get run down very fast. I'm not sure if that's any help at all. It could be part of the problem.

 

[Vicki448]

Shana, I don't share your problem but feel that you've received some excellent advice from people that have gone through what you are right now. Perhaps a pacemaker is the thing for you. Surely your doctor will know what to do.....I've had brain fog so long, it seems I've just learned to live with it, but I know it's scary to feel faint and to actually faint.....my heart goes out to you as you go through this....cut back your hours at work, if you can. Make sure you share your experiences with your doctor. I pray for you to be given the strength you need at this time.....

 

[ShanaleT]

Thanks for all of the wonderful support. I have to agree with Jim. It does seem like I cannot go as much as I used to unless I spend two days after recouping. Because the spells tend to happen on Fridays, I feel that the doc is probably right and it is just exhaustion. I am always struggling by the end of the week with my energy level and I am sure the stress of the job does not help. Thanks again for the prayers and I will keep you all posted.

Shana

 

[Junebug]

Shana,
I hope things get better for you. Is your 4 yr old sleeping through the night & in his own bed? The reason I ask is that sometimes if your sleep is interrupted, it causes stress because you're just not getting enough sleep. If you could, it might be a good idea to reduce your hours for a month or 2....maybe the shortened daylight & colder weather is wearing you down sooner as well????
Keep us posted & take care!
Judy

 

[ShanaleT]

Hello Judy. Yes, Brant does sleep in his own bed and I sleep like a rock. Always have. I really am considering stopping working full time and just finding something part time. I am in the purchasing dept of a large mfg facility and the stress load tends to be bad. I took the position after I came back from surgery and it may be part of the problem as well. I thought I handled the stress well, but I again find myself not able to keep up sometimes. All in all, the energy level is not where I think it should be. Then again, it has not been there for several years. Thanks for the reply and hope to hear from all of you soon.

 

[Mara]

Shanale
I had some of those spells of weird palpatations before my surgery and have spent a fair amount of time hooked up to the Holter monitor and even monitors. Ugh.

Last week I had several dizzy spells and went to my PCP and she thought I had an inner ear infection. a week on allegra and some other thing and the dizziness is gone.
Now, I have been having the old PVC's back, Ugh! I think it is stress related.

Dizziness and fainting can be so frustrating.
I vote that you relax, take up yoga and get a back rub every night until you get this mess figured out.
Hope you fell better soon.

 

[Nancy]

Hi Shana-

I'm pretty sure you're following this closely with your cardiologist. He/she should be fully aware of the fainting spells. Dizzyness could be lots of things, but still could be serious, fainting spells just aren't something that should be happening. It doesn't seem like stress related stuff, if your heart rate is too slow.

I'm glad you're wearing a monitor and I do hope that if you don't get some reasonable answers after you are done with the monitor, that you will still pursue it with all due vigor, and have more investigation done on just what is happening.

Driving a car when having possible fainting spells could be disastrous for you, for your family or some other poor person.

Take care and be your own best advocate.