Hi Everyone,
I haven't posted in a while, basically because I had been feeling pretty good and we bought another house. We closed and started moving in on Sept.4th. Now we own two homes. OUr son and daughter in law and 4 grandsons are renting our old home from us so it worked out great. Problem now is after we started moving in I started having my old problems with my hear, skipped beats, low pulse, chest pain. In the past whenever I had this the cardiologist told me it was okay and I wouldn't die from it. Well, on Monday I woke up and thought I was in the worst flare I have ever been in. Didn't go to work, just slept all day. Tuesday called rheumy (who hasn't called back, yet) and worked a half day came home and slept. Yesterday, same thing. Today I went to the cardiologist and they did an EKG. The doctor said that my heartbeat was normal on the EKG only too slow. Now, he says I may need a pacemaker. I have to have some more tests before we decide for sure. But the way he was talking he was pretty sure they would do the surgery. He said I may be flaring but with my heart rate in the 40's and 50's I have every right to be exhausted.
I am so scared and totally blown away. I have complained about these symptoms for years and they have never seen the slow heartbeat in any tests they have done so I think they have basically said it was okay. Either that or they expected them to go away. I have also lost 75 pounds in the past year (Weight Watchers!! Whoo Hoo). I think they thought maybe that would help too but it hasn't.
Anyway, off to search what I can find out about pacemakers.
Take care everyone...
Mary Ann