There have been a few interesting threads here recently about PH. I tucked a few points away in my mind. Wondering. But didn't really think it applied to me.
Anyway, I finally dug out my bicuspid replacement operative report, and some of the test reports from that time. I hadn't realized that I was diagnosed with PH before the valve replacement. I do recall reading it, but at the time hadn't realized that it wasn't just a fancy name for regular hypertension and I had just disregarded it. (Pretty dumb, huh?)
Now my valve is having some issues. I'll post about it on one of the Medtronic threads. But I'm wondering if there might be more going on than I would like to think.
From what I've very recently read, one of the worst things a person with PH can do is fly in unpressurized air cabins without oxygen, making quick dramatic changes in altitude. During the past year, I have fully embraced my husband's hobby. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. We fly a lot.
A few months ago on a very hot day at a high altitude (which increases measurable altitude because of a situation called density altitude) I suffered some angina. That, with a lot of new dull headaches, puzzled me. . . until I read about PH and unpressurized cabins.
After the angina episode, my husband bought an oxygen saturation monitor to check me while we were flying and I was at 82%! I'm now flying with an oxygen cannula.
Sorry for all the thinking out loud. But here are my questions:
My newest echo doesn't mention PH. Could it be completely gone after my valve replacement and possibly not come back?
Or might it have never left?
Would they see PH on an echo if they weren't looking for it? All the echo tech looks at now is just my aortic valve and area.
I'm wondering about all of this because my pressure gradients have changed dramatically, all of a sudden this past year. And my cardio doesn't know that we fly. Is there any kind of relationship to high pressure gradients and PH?
My only other change in an otherwise average-stressful year, was a change in a hypertensive medication which had caused some cumulative issues with me, namely, recurring upper respiratory infections and mineral imbalances leading to arrhythmias. When I changed that medication, my heart felt stronger; I'm sure the other med was controlling or inhibiting my heart -- either for good or bad, I don't know.
But I have wondered if my flying or the med change might have contributed to the pressure gradient change, or maybe just because the valve is getting smaller and is now considered, as per the echo, as "abnormal." Happy thought.
This is probably difficult to read. My thoughts are kind of bewildered about it all. I don't know if the chicken or the egg comes first here.
My cardio had verbally told me that everything was about the same as the previous year; but when the echo report came in the mail a couple of days later, it had the ominous conclusions on it. So I haven't asked him about these things specifically. He gave me another annual appointment and I was just very happy about that and don't want to go back yet if I don't have to.
Any thoughts please?
Besides, "Ask your cardio?" He's so busy that I may just write him a letter about it. That's actually how I finally presented everything about the old hypertensive med to him last year, through a letter; but when I saw him in August he seemed surprised at the change saying, "Oh, they changed your med." I thought he had, not "they" had. I don't know who "they" might have been. He's that busy. But we really like him.
Anyway if you read this far, thank you; I appreciate it .
Anyway, I finally dug out my bicuspid replacement operative report, and some of the test reports from that time. I hadn't realized that I was diagnosed with PH before the valve replacement. I do recall reading it, but at the time hadn't realized that it wasn't just a fancy name for regular hypertension and I had just disregarded it. (Pretty dumb, huh?)
Now my valve is having some issues. I'll post about it on one of the Medtronic threads. But I'm wondering if there might be more going on than I would like to think.
From what I've very recently read, one of the worst things a person with PH can do is fly in unpressurized air cabins without oxygen, making quick dramatic changes in altitude. During the past year, I have fully embraced my husband's hobby. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. We fly a lot.
A few months ago on a very hot day at a high altitude (which increases measurable altitude because of a situation called density altitude) I suffered some angina. That, with a lot of new dull headaches, puzzled me. . . until I read about PH and unpressurized cabins.
After the angina episode, my husband bought an oxygen saturation monitor to check me while we were flying and I was at 82%! I'm now flying with an oxygen cannula.
Sorry for all the thinking out loud. But here are my questions:
My newest echo doesn't mention PH. Could it be completely gone after my valve replacement and possibly not come back?
Or might it have never left?
Would they see PH on an echo if they weren't looking for it? All the echo tech looks at now is just my aortic valve and area.
I'm wondering about all of this because my pressure gradients have changed dramatically, all of a sudden this past year. And my cardio doesn't know that we fly. Is there any kind of relationship to high pressure gradients and PH?
My only other change in an otherwise average-stressful year, was a change in a hypertensive medication which had caused some cumulative issues with me, namely, recurring upper respiratory infections and mineral imbalances leading to arrhythmias. When I changed that medication, my heart felt stronger; I'm sure the other med was controlling or inhibiting my heart -- either for good or bad, I don't know.
But I have wondered if my flying or the med change might have contributed to the pressure gradient change, or maybe just because the valve is getting smaller and is now considered, as per the echo, as "abnormal." Happy thought.
This is probably difficult to read. My thoughts are kind of bewildered about it all. I don't know if the chicken or the egg comes first here.
My cardio had verbally told me that everything was about the same as the previous year; but when the echo report came in the mail a couple of days later, it had the ominous conclusions on it. So I haven't asked him about these things specifically. He gave me another annual appointment and I was just very happy about that and don't want to go back yet if I don't have to.
Any thoughts please?
Besides, "Ask your cardio?" He's so busy that I may just write him a letter about it. That's actually how I finally presented everything about the old hypertensive med to him last year, through a letter; but when I saw him in August he seemed surprised at the change saying, "Oh, they changed your med." I thought he had, not "they" had. I don't know who "they" might have been. He's that busy. But we really like him.
Anyway if you read this far, thank you; I appreciate it .