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PFO Closure - Open Heart or Transcatherer 3

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Posted 11/25/2008 6:56 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you Greenhope
And Callander_Girl. Good to hear you got a clean bill of Health!
Unfortuneatly my periods are 10-20 days long & then I only get a week in between... so really I cant plan that well around it.
I am hoping it just wont be long that month & I wont have it then.
Thats a long drive to your Office!

Which made me remember something I was wondering. My Procedure will be out patient. I know I will be there a long time laying on my Back. How is the ride home- sitting with the incision(s) I assume I will have 2 incisions as my Cardio does an Angiogram during the procedure (I think) Dont some use a TEE test during? The ride home Sounds painful to me.

Thanks fo rthe heads up on the shave & incision area.

Dejaboo
Posted 11/26/2008 1:19 AM (GMT 0)
HI Greenhope,
Thanks for your info. My neurologist did not help me much. Just referred me to a cardiologist for next Wednesday.

He said I may want to wait until the two studies being done on PFO patients come out with their results in 6-12 months. So I may do something in the spring. Probably the catheter because that does not sound too bad and sounds like it usually closes the flap(PFO)
turn
Posted Yesterday 5:23 PM (GMT 0)

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I had a great one with my family and we had many things to be grateful for.

Callander_Girl - I am so happy you are recovering well and going back to work soon!

Dejaboo - the ride home for me was uneventful, but then I stayed at the hospital overnight so my incision had more time to heal.  Whether you get 1 or 2 incisions depends on your doctor.  I had one small incision and what looked like 3 little puncture wounds and the doctor was able to insert the implant and do the angiogram with the other catherer through only the one incision on the right side of my leg.  He told me that he may or may not do a TEE depending on how everything went during the procedure; he ended up NOT needing to perform the TEE during the procedure.  Also, if you need to wear underwear, it may help if you use one of those big "patch" bandages that they sell over the counter.  I got that tip on the original thread here at "healing well" from about 2 years ago and I went to buy the bandages before the procedure.  It helps even when you sleep because the incision is covered, protected and not rubbing against your clothing.  Mine has healed so well I can barely even see it.

Kids - good luck in making your decisions.  I hope you will keep us posted.

Greenhope

Posted Yesterday 6:23 PM (GMT 0)
Happy Day to all!  I have a rather "strange" update regarding my recovery.  I call it strange because I still don't understand it.

I went to work for 3 days this week, Mon-Wed.  I was feeling fantastic!  My energy level was back to normal, my heart rate did not fluctuate at all while I was at work;  if it did I did not feel it!  As I had explained in my previous posts, sometimes it would go down to the 40's and then come back up to the 160s-180s for a few seconds until it returned back to normal.  But, this did not happen at all while at was at work Mon-Wed.  Needless to say, this made me feel so good and so optimistic about my life - I am starting to feel normal and therefore my life is slowly but surely returning to normal!

Wednesday I left work a little early and on my way home ran a couple of easy errands (bought a subway for my son and picked up a pair of pants at the dry cleaners).  I did notice that both times, as I got out of the car, my heart started racing to the 160s and 170s.  I thought it seemed unusual and continued monitoring but did not think it was a big deal.

I got home, gave my son his sandwich and I ate some crackers, humus and low-fat cheese pieces as a light dinner (in preparation for the Xgiving feast the next day!).  I sat in front of the TV to watch the news while I ate.  This is my routine.  My drive to/from work is only 10-15 minutes, so I usually get home, eat a light dinner while watching the news as part of my "unwinding" routine.  I am an information junkie, so this is my time to find out what is happening locally and around the world.  I am used to listening to good and bad news (mostly bad!) as I eat after a long day at work.  I am also used to eating humus which has lots of garlic and garbanzo beans.  I say all of this because I still don't understand what happened next...

Unexpectedly, out of the blue, as I was sitting on the couch, enjoying my meal and watching the developing news of the terror attacks in India, my heart started racing to the 160's and 170's.  It startled me but I thought it would go down in a few seconds.  It didn't.  It was about 5:30PM.  I finished eating, got up and noticed my heart was racing in the 180s and 190s when I was walking about and doing little tasks like washing dishes.

I did not panic and did not have anxiety for those people/doctors who might want to think this was panic or anxiety driven!  I calmly went to lie down and relax, turned on my laptop and the TV in my room.  I continued to watch news and be on my laptop just looking at my personal e-mails all while lying down in bed.  My heart rate was fluctuating between the 160s and low 100s (but it was mostly in the 160s and 170s even while lying down). 

I won't bore with more details.  Suffice it to say that my heart rate stayed above 100 for almost 4 hours!!!  Any time I got up and moved around it went above 200!  I tried many different things.  I have natural calming pills, Kava Kava, and I popped a couple of those, I have a few Xanax that my mom has given me in case of emergencies (she gets them prescribed to her) and I took 1/2 during the first hour of the incident and then 1 full pill about 2 hrs. into it - nothing.  I took lots of aspirin in case I was about to have a heart attack to make sure my blood was thin (I had already taken my baby aspirin and Plavix earlier).  Nothing was working!  After almost 4 hours, at 9:25PM, I gave it one last try with the deep breathing exercises which I had tried earlier in vain.  I turned everything off and lay still for about 5 minutes, breathing in and out deeply and taking equal breaths while inhaling and exhaling.  After 4 HOURS this finally worked (and also probably a combination of everything else I had taken).  Or maybe my heart just got tired.

What happened?  I have no idea!!!  Although I did not consciously feel tired, maybe my heart and body were tired?  Maybe it was a combination of work, the food, and the bad news on TV?  It's one those many questions and events I'll never be able to answer or figure out, but I wanted to share this with everyone in case any of you ever have similar symptoms.

By the way, I DO NOT RECOMMEND WAITING SO LONG before seeking treatment.  4 hrs. was my cut off time - I was going to call the paramedics to take me to the hospital if my condition did not subside after 4 hrs.  And the whole time I had my 2 phones (cell and home) on me in case I needed to call right away.  My sister and my partner were also aware of what was going on even though they were physically not here. 

The only reason why I did not panic and waited so long is because I have run and trained for marathons, so my heart is used to working at high levels of aerobic intensity for extended periods of time.  Otherwise, I would have called 911 and gotten to the hospital soon!  Thankfully, I did not need to go, by like I said, I do not recommend anyone wait that long before seeking treatment.  I was even questioning my own wisdom at waiting so long, but luckily, my heart was able to get back to normal.  And I did not have to spend part or all of the Thanksgiving holiday in the hospital!

Since that Wednesday evening, my heart has been completely normal again.  As you can imagine, I was tired after the incident and went to sleep soon afterward.  I woke up Thurs., Xgiving day, feeling like new and as if nothing had happened.  My heart has not fluctuated at all since.  Today is Friday and it's been 5 weeks since my procedure.  I feel wonderful!!! 

I'm sorry this e-mail is so long, but I just wanted to share this important experience in my recovery process with anyone who might be interested.

Greenhope

Posted 11/30/2008 7:57 PM (GMT 0)
Like so many of you out there, I underwent surgery 2 weeks ago to have my PFO closed but as yet there is no change to my symptons although I have been told it can take up to 6 mths, until the hole becomes water tight. I have to say that I don't feel very confident that it will work because I don't appear to have "typical" symptons and wonder if anyone out there suffers intense dizziness and "trembling" as well as the headaches and visual aura/ blurred vision and very sore, tired eyes? And if you had suffered these symptons did surgery finally give you the relief you needed? I cannot work full time anymore since I suffer on a daily basis and holding down a part time job is now really challenging - not so much from the headaches, mainly due to the dizziness, trembling and blurred vision that only seem to subside if I lie down.
Yours hopefully!
Posted 12/6/2008 4:51 AM (GMT 0)
Hello everyone. I just underwent the PFO closure on 24 Nov, 2008. I had a cerebellum stroke in Aug this year. I have not experienced any severe after effects. However, I have had rhythm problems and and light headedness after a brief heart skips. Yesterday I coughed a few times to hopefully get my heart rhythm back. It seems like I feel my heart in my chest now more than I did before, and a slight pressure. Has anyone else felt this and did it last?
Posted 12/6/2008 6:10 PM (GMT 0)
Hello, Tweks, and welcome to the forum.

From what my cardiologist told me, it is normal to have heart fluctuations (especially palpitations) as your heart is adjusting to the device.

My heart rate fluctuated quite a bit, and it still does but to a much lesser extent, and it has been 6 weeks since my procedure.  I have not felt pressure in my chest, but when I was home recovering I felt something in my throat (pressure) when my heart rate would go down to the 40s (I wear a heart rate monitor for running).  It has barely been 2 weeks since your procedure so your heart is probably still adjusting to the implant.  If it becomes too uncomfortable, you may want to see your cardiologist.  I've read on this forum that some people are given beta blockers to control their heart palpitations, but it is something I am trying to avoid taking. 

I wish you all the best on your recovery.

Greenhope

Posted 12/6/2008 6:33 PM (GMT 0)

Hello all, I wanted to give you a quick update on my recovery.  I finished my first full week of work!  It is a small but significant milestone for me.  I thought I would finish the week exhausted, but I actually felt good most of the week and still had lots of energy left on Friday.

My heart rate still fluctuates and I still get palpitations, but this too is getting better.  It feels as if my heart is finally getting used to the implant.  I did notice that when I made quick, sudden movements, such as when I got up to walk after being seated for a while or leaned over to fill my water bottle at the water cooler in the office and then got up, my heart would start racing.  It also happened as I started walking at my usual brisk pace.  So, I slowed down a little when walking, and I try to take a pause when I get up from my chair before I start walking (when I remember!) and I have noticed that my heart rate is more controllable.

Other than work, I am still taking it very easy.  I have not started exercising and will not start until January '09.  When I do, I will only attempt walking and a little yoga and see how that goes.

I want to wish everyone the happiest holidays ever!  As I become more healthy and hence more active, I will be spending less time on the forum.  However, I will always come back to this forum as it has played such an important role during the difficult pre-procedure days and during my healing and recovery process.  I will check back and post occasionally.  If anyone wishes to reach me to ask a question, you may do so at [email protected] (make sure you put something like "PFO Question" or something similar on the subject line, otherwise I will probably delete your message without reading it bec. I won't recognize the e-mail address).

It has truly been the greatest of pleasures to be part of this caring community for the past few months. 

Greenhope/Sara

Posted 12/12/2008 2:51 PM (GMT 0)
Thak you Sara for all your Support.
Do check in occasionally & let us know how you are doing.

As my surgery draws near (the 29th) I am getting more nervous.
My Drs Nurse said they use the same kind of Sedation for the PFO as for the TEE test I had. I was wide awake for that test & in alot of pain. So that has got me extra nervous.
I will let them majorly know at my Pre op next week that I was wide awake & felt everything. And I will tell them many times the morning of my surgery.

I was wondering...if any of you needed anything for pain afterwords & what you took...How long did you need the pain med?

Thanks,
Dejaboo
Posted 12/13/2008 2:06 AM (GMT 0)

Hi my name is Maria

This Dec. 1st was my 30th bday and also the day I had my TIA.

Long dtory short, after I went to the Er, I was admitted for about 5 days so they can find out why it happened. All my tests were fine, except they found a PFO, very small.

My neurologist was against me closing it. He said that aspirin has the same effect, and that the procedure is usually done when there is a second TIA or stroke. My cardiologist argued that Im young, he does not want me on blood thinnners in case I want to have another baby, and since all my other tests wee fine, this had to be the cause.

I sat and thought about what I should do all night and onthe 6th of Dec, I had t closed. It has been a week now, and in my chest area, I feel fine. Just a bit tired.

Since I have been home however, I have been experiencing strange migraines. I dont think I should even call them that, because it is not really pain. When Im sleeping or laying down, everything is fine. When I get up and start my acitivities, the more Im on my feet, the worse this headache gets. It is only on the left side of my head and it radiates down to my left side of the body. The more active I am, the worse it gets. I feel weaker, shakey and them a migraine begins. When I lay down, within 1 hour it goes away. I spoke to my neurologist and he told me that it sounds like a migraine with aura.  The other strange thing is that if I take half a pill of clonopin, it goes away. (My neurologist prescribed it)

Did anyone else feel this way? I cant shake the feeling that my TIA did not come from my PFO, and all day I think about what if I have another one, or this time a stroke that can leave me paralyzed or can kill me. I have a 1 yr old baby that I want to be here for, and I cant stop thinking that this can happen at anytime. I really feel that i bring these migraines on upon myself.

Did anyone feel this way? Im really scared!

Posted 12/14/2008 8:16 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Maria/bloomiesgirl, I hope I was able to answer your question in the e-mail I sent you, but please feel free to continue e-mailing me should you need additional information.

Dejaboo, it is perfectly normal to feel nervous as your procedure draws near.  I was feeling quite nervous myself a couple of weeks before the procedure.

The day you go in for your pre-op you may want to ask them about MAC (Managed Anesthesia Care).  This is what my cardio used during the procedure and it is a combination of sedation and anesthesia.  You go in and out of consciousness throughout the procedure, but I did not feel any pain.  I do remember feeling on a couple of occasions the catherers going in an out, it felt like a snake slithering through the right side of my body - but no pain.  I also remember feeling as blood was dripping down my inner thigh, but I did not feel any pain when they cut my leg.  It was funny bec. at first I thought it was water dripping down my leg until I realized it was my own blood and they were starting! I would come in an out of consciousness.  When I tried to look at the monitors, they would put something white overhead so I couldn't see. 

I know some people also get general anesthesia if they feel very nervous, so you may want to consider this option as well.  This way you are sure not too feel anything and won't be worrying about what is going on.

Try to mentally prepare yourself as much as possible, but always be prepared for the unexpected and once you are in the OR, trust in your doctors that they will do the best for you.  This is where having a great doctor you can trust becomes very important.  Now that I have a cardio that I can trust, I hope he gets to be my doctor for as long as I need him.  Before this wild adventure I've been on lately, I rarely went to the doctor and never needed one to entrust with my life.  However, my 16 year old son has suffered from papillomas on his vocal cords all his life and has had 6 surgeries to remove them.  I found an AWESOME ENT surgeon whom I completely trusted with my son's life for 12 of my son's 16 years.  Unfortunately, the ENT retired a few months ago, but I know what having a great doctor and entrusting him with your life (or more importantly, your child's life!) is like, so having this kind of trust with a doctor who will be going into your heart is vitally important.

Something unexpected happened during my procedure which I still haven't shared here.  They tried putting in 2 types of Helex devices and neither one worked - I still have to talk to the cardio as to why - so they had to go in with the cats 3 times w/3 different implants until they got one to work - Cardioseal 28mm.  I could hear the doctor saying things like, "that's not working, we've got to take it out" and I would feel the catherers snaking in and out of my body.  This is when I tried to look at the monitors and they put the white thing over my face.  I was sedated and I could still feel myself worrying, but then I just decided to close my eyes and go to sleep knowing full well that something serious was going on but putting all my faith and trust in my doctor's wisdom and expertise.  This is why my procedure took about 2 hrs. and was then kept in recovery for another 5 hours.  And I am still here and recovering wonderfully!

For the pain, I only took Tylenol.  The only thing that hurt a little for a couple of days after my procedure was the incision and my hand where they put the IV.  I also applied "Neosporin+pain relief" on both areas and after 2 days the small amount of pain was gone.

Try not to worry, Dejaboo.  I know you have been through a lot, but try to think of positive things and trust that everything will turn out well, even better than you expect.

By the way, it has been 7 weeks since my procedure and I feel fantastic!  I feel myself getting healthier and stronger everyday.

Good luck.  I am sure everything will turn out great.  Do keep us posted.

Greenhope

Posted 12/14/2008 9:37 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Greenhope. I will ask about the MAC. I do know he does not use General Anesthesia for th eprocedure. he is the Dr that does the procedure as out patient too.

That would have been wierd & interesting ( I actually am kind of interested in being aware of whats going on around me) & scary to have them have to try several different Devices. Glad they found the one that worked!

Glad to hear how well you are doing at 7 weeks.

Dejaboo

Post Edited (Dejaboo) : 12/17/2008 6:31:09 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 12/18/2008 1:37 AM (GMT 0)
Had my Pre op today.
I wish my Drs nurse was more on the ball. When I talked to her about 2 weeks ago (I had discussed starting Ticlid with my Cardio) so that we could make sure I could tolerate it before surgery.
Anyway after reading about Ticlid I decided Id rather retry Plavix. (6 months ago when I was on it for 1 month I had Severe Side Effects from it) I am hoping this time I wont.
At todays Pre op I asked if I could get my perscription for Plavix filled now- so I wouldnt have to pick it up after my Procedure.
The NP said I was already supposed to be on it. Hmmm Well who told me that? Not his nurse when I was on the phone with her. Did she think I could just read the Drs mind & go to the drugstore & buy some Plavix?

So I start it tomorrow 12 days before my Surgery. I so hope I dont have severe SE from it. Or I will have to try another drug & it will end up delaying my surgery. grrr....Which will delay my other surgery that I need to have.
Dejaboo
Posted 12/18/2008 2:50 PM (GMT 0)
I took my 1st Plavix about 1 hr ago. I can feel it going through my body- Really. I feel kind of different. Almost high but not really. Just a drugged feeling kind of...All the way through my arms & legs. Even feels funny to type.  Along with Nausea.


I am so worried I will get Serious SE from it. I hope that I dont.

Im sure if I told the Dr I could feel the Plavix theyd send me to a looney bin.
Just like our Shortness of Breath is ignored or in our head.

Dejaboo

Post Edited (Dejaboo) : 12/18/2008 8:10:17 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 12/20/2008 8:37 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Dejaboo,

I'm sorry to hear about your negative reaction to Plavix.  How are you feeling with the Plavix, now?  Have you considered taking it at nighttime instead of in the morning?  I take it in the evening, between 6-8pm to minimize any side effects it may have on me.  But really the only thing I ever felt with it was somewhat "foggy brained."  I hope you can tolerate it so you can have the procedure on the 29th.

Update on my procedure - it has been 2 months and I feel great!  I am still not at my normal level of energy, but I feel I am slowly getting there.  In mid-January, I hope to start some light exercise, like walking and yoga.  I will wait until after I see the results of my 3 month echo before I even consider running again.  My Polar heart rate monitor registers my heart rate in the 50s, 60s and even the 40s much of the time when I am sitting in my office working.  I will mention this to my cardio the next time I see him.  I still haven't figured out if this is because I have a well conditioned/athlete's heart (an athletic heart is usually larger and the heart muscle is in such great condition that it needs to pump less often to distribute the same level of blood throughout the body as a regular heart) or if it really is too low and maybe this is why I'm still not at 100% energy level.  I think it is normal for me to have this heart rate and I am still recovering from all the months of physical deterioration and it just takes time for it all to heal, especially because some of the most important parts of my body were affected (heart, lungs and brain), but it is something I will keep a watchful eye out for.  I hardly get any heart palpitations anymore these days... my wonderful healing heart!

We all have so many things to be grateful for.  Slowly, my emotional and psychological wounds from all these months of trauma are healing as well.  I am no longer as angry at all the doctors who ignored me and my symptoms at the beginning.  I am starting to forgive, accept and move on, which for me is important in my recovery process.  I am grateful for having the wisdom to be persistent because my gut feeling told me something was seriously wrong.  And the wisdom to seek second opinions and the great luck to finally find wonderful doctors who listened to me and helped guide me to the right solution which I think has ultimately saved my life.  I guess we will never know - this is what prevention is all about.

I am sorry that I ramble so, I guess you can tell I like to write and this has been another important tool in my healing process.

I wish everyone a wonderful holiday,

Greenhope

Posted 12/24/2008 8:38 AM (GMT 0)

Hi everyone,

I am new here and have been reading some of the posts.  What a great way to  communicate with others and get some good information.  Just wanted to let some of you know who are anticipating the PFO closure surgery.  My history consisted of several TIA's, patent foramen ovale and atrial septa aneurysm, I also have had migraine headaches for the past 35 years.  I had the PFO closure on December 16, 2008, the doctors at the clinic were absolutely wonderful. 

They used the catheter method and it only took about two hours total.  I spent the night in the hospital and we drove 400 miles back to our home the next day.  The only negative part of the procedure was I had to lay on my back for 11 hours without bending my legs or sitting up, that was hard considering I have low back problems.  I have had no problems so far, just a little tired and had a headache for a short time, but I would highly recommend this procedure to anyone who might be having some problems, especially with strokes, they run in my family, so I really had no choice.  I watched the procedure and found it to be very interesting, I am in the medical field, so I learned alot from this.

If I can be of any help to anyone, or just to encourage you, just let me know, who knows I may need you in the future.  Thanks.

Merry Christmas.

traze

Posted 12/24/2008 9:02 PM (GMT 0)
Thats Great to Hear Traze!
I have a PFO & ASA also. I get Patched on the 29th. I hope mine gores as smooth as yours!

Merry Christmas all.
Dejaboo
Posted 12/25/2008 7:41 AM (GMT 0)

Dejaboo,

I will definitely keep you in my prayers on the 29th, let us know how everything goes with the surgery.  I could not take the Plavix, I had really bad headaches, this was about two years ago, so my doctor did not want me to take it after my surgery, I only take a 325 mg. ASA.  I do have a very small problem with my heart rate being fast at times, I just try to ignore it and say everything will be ok, but it is hard to do sometimes.  My only problem at this time is headaches, I have another one as we speak, but I know it will take time and I really hate to complain, I know my husband get tired of hearing me say that, but he never says a word, he just lets me rant on and on.  Enjoy your Christmas and know that everything will be ok and you are making the right decision.  Take care.

traze

Posted 12/27/2008 11:54 AM (GMT 0)
Hello to all the new people on this thread you will find as I did and many others that this is an amazing site, it helped me before I had my 33mm ASD closure. I have a page on my web site that I did about ASD closure for me and how it was, I have also linked it to this web site as it helped me so much and for that I am grateful for Healing Well. I have my follow up scan January 8th fingers crossed the hole has closed, but I think i may have a small leak as I still have symptoms. Buit feel loads better than before

 

I hope you all had a good christmas and have a Happy New Year :-)

 

www.tonette.co.uk

 

Posted 12/27/2008 8:11 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Dejaboo, in case I don't come back to this site before Monday, I wanted to wish you the best on your procedure.  I will keep you in my thoughts for the next couple of days and try to send lots of positive thoughts your way.

Dinby, I just went to your website and it is neat.  I love the music.  And the "conversation" between the two horsies (Dimby & Caddy?) was hilarious!  I'm not into horses, but it is a great website for people who are.  The page about you ASD experience has a lot of useful information that I am sure will help many people.  Good luck on your 3 month follow up on January 8th.  Your ASD was so large that, as you say, it probably has not completely closed yet.  Hopefully at 6 months...

I have already scheduled by 3-month follow up echocardiogram for January 19th.  I will keep my fingers crossed, but my PFO was quite large as well so it is possible it has not completely closed yet, although I feel much better.

I used to cry out of frustration and disappointment at not being able to do all the things I used to enjoy doing in the past.  Even after the procedure, I would get frustrated and sad when I would feel exhausted and get heart palpitations just from coming up one flight of stairs.  Yesterday, I cried because I had a fairly busy and active day (laundry, food shopping, going up and down the stairs several times) and I did not get tired!  Oh, and this is coming from someone who hardly ever cries.  It felt so good to finally start doing normal things without feeling exhausted!  Next weekend, I will attempt yoga (the more physically active kind, not the meditative kind) and I'll see how that goes.

I wish everyone much love, peace and hope in 2009!  I hope we all keep getting better and stronger!  May all of your dreams and hopes for a better future come true!

Greenhope

Posted 12/29/2008 5:24 AM (GMT 0)
Greenhope,

Your post-op healing sounds similar to mine. I am now six months out and I am still having heart rate fluctuations. I didn't start monitoring them until 12 weeks after my procedure when I happen to put on the polar monitor at the gym at my trainer's request and found my pre-exercise heart rate at 150. I have since been more attentive and have noticed it jumping several times a day up to 150-180bpm, but it usually takes a few seconds to get there so it has been labeled sinus tachycardia instead of SVT for now. The polar monitor has showed it as high as 260, but my cardiologist was certain this was an artifact on the monitor. I am now on a 21 day event monitor. These disturbances aren't slowing me down much and I am taking them as not much more than an annoyance. I don't get freaked out about them since they tend to stop soon afterward. I wish there were more data about heart rate issues after pfo closure. I am hoping they go away on their own since I am refusing to take any beta blockers. I am off all meds now after bad reactions to migraine preventatives and a bout of drug-induced hepatitis compliments of Plavix. I have no intention of taking any more drugs since my migraines completely resolved after the pfo closure. If this is what I am stuck with then it was all worth it.
Posted 12/29/2008 10:58 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Greenhope, thank you for your comments on my web site. I don't know about you but I was told that I could have a small leak, but it wouldn't cause me any problems. I must admit like you said it is good to be getting life back. also eve though I have days where I am so tired, they are not as often as time goes on. I still get the flutters especially if i over do things, but no where near as bad as before. when I read your posts I can relate to everything that you say........... That is the good thing about this forum we can compare and know that others are going through the same thing. We all know how scary it is to have a hole in the heart but it is the thought of the unknown and through this site it makes it feel not so scary. :-)   My follow up appointment is January 8th..... (I think) must remember to check. yeah

 

Happy New Year to everyone smilewinkgrin

 

 

 

www.tonette.co.uk

Posted 1/1/2009 8:45 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the thoughts!
I had my Procedure on Monday.
It went very good. I got there at 7am was all prepped by 8. They started 30 minutes early at 8:30.

I was wide awake for the surgery -but relaxed. They gave me a local in my groin- that hurt Alot.

The procedure to place the patch inside my heart took all of 15 minutes. I tried to watched the monitors- but was not allowed to lift my head. I have a Picture of the patch in my heart (like a baby ultrasound) Looks like a Spider in there. He thought he got a very good seal.

After surgery was when the pain started. After 45 minutes on my back. My back & leg were really hurting. They offered me tylenol or Morphine. I had had Morphine after my Bilateral Mastectomy & it didnt even touch the pain- just made me hallucinate. So I tried the tylenol. Not surprised it did nothing for my pain.

So I tried some morphine 2 hrs later. That helped & no Hallucinations- was a smaller dose.

After 2.5 hrs they removed some sheaths that were in my leg veins. 2 of them were 12" long. And one was 6" but very fat. No wonder my leg hurt. I assume I had an Angiogram during the procedure (I had asked my Nurse practioner about this at my pre op & she said No- I wouldnt have one) Then the nurse put hard pressure on my wound for 15 minutes- that about put me through the roof.

I had about 3 more hours of laying flat. It was a killer on the back. Finally got to elevate my head/bed around 2:30. And into a chair at 3. And finally I got to pee! She tells me on the way to the bathroom- dont bear down- just let it happen...I said for how long & she says for 2 days. Well thats easy when going to the bathroom ;o

Sat in my chair & it was time to go. Except then I almost passed out & felt nauseated. So sat there for 30 more minutes. That passed & I left about 4:15. Got home about 4:30.

My Back was very sore On Tuesday. But after that it was ok. My Leg is sore, but not bad at all

I dont have a post op check for 1 month. Is this how long most of you wait? And will have An Echo at 3/4 months.

This morning I had a Very bad headache. And my Fingers on the procedure side (my Right) Went Completely Numb all of a sudden. Lasted 5 minutes & went away. So I did not call the Drs Nurse as they would just send me to the ER to sit there.

I have a question for those who had Shortness of Breath before.
Did it go away right away? Or gradually? about how long later did you notice one day that you didnt have it?

Its early after my Procedure- but I am already getting discouraged.
Dejaboo
Posted 1/1/2009 8:53 PM (GMT 0)
Dejaboo, I still get shortness of breath but only when I am doing something that makes my heart beat faster ie wlaking fast. Remember it takes 3 to 6 months for the hole to seal over. Take your time don't rush and rest up! My consultant told me a few hours after I had the procedure "Remember you haven't had and operation, but your heart has" so take it easy. If at any time you are worried go to A&E
Take care


www.tonette.co.uk
Posted 1/2/2009 12:28 AM (GMT 0)

Hi Cogal, I am also trying to avoid taking beta blockers.  Breathing techniques I have learned in yoga have helped me control my palpilations.  I think this and time have helped, since now I rarely get any heart palpitations anymore.  Of course, the true test will come when I start exercising again.  I'll let everyone know how it goes after my first exercise session. 

I am sure the Polar heart rate monitor recording of your heart rate at 260 was correct.  Why are doctors so thick headed sometimes?  I've had my monitor record rates of 230 at times and I feel my heart pounding in my chest!!!  I think our real life experiences with post PFO closures are providing these doctors with some real on-the-job training on things that can happen after a PFO is closed.  All of us patients have to be vigilant and make sure we mention our symptoms to our doctors so THEY can learn from our experiences and be better doctors to future generations of PFO patients.  (Sorry, my general resentment toward doctors brought on by my recent experiences is still evident sometimes!)

Dejaboo, I am so happy your procedure was sucessful!  As Dinby says, it takes a while to recover so just take it easy and stay positive.  I spent most of my time sleeping for about one week after the procedure.  After that, I still spent most of my time in bed for about 2 weeks.  But then, as I've mentioned before, my situation was a little more extreme than most as my heart was already failing from the prolonged effects of the PFO.  I can't remember when I stopped having shortness of breath, but I know right now I don't get short of breath anymore.  Of course, I haven't started exercising yet...

I think waiting one month to see your cardiologist is normal.  I went to see mine only 1 1/2 wks. after my surgery because of my condition, so he wanted to see me sooner rather than later.  Also, because of my work, I needed to see him in order to get additional time off, since he had to approve my disability paperwork. 

Don't get discouraged.  Stay positive!  2008 was one of the most horrible years of my life, for myself and my family (my sister left her abusive and psychopathic husband and we had to deal with all the repercussions from that as well, and this was before I started feeling really sick)!  It is a year I would like to forget, even though I learned so much, but there was too much suffering involved.  However, I am determined to make 2009 one of the best years ever, no matter what life throws my way!

I wish everyone much health, happiness and love!

Greenhope

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