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Pericarditis and Pericardiectomy Part 3

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Heart & Cardiovascular Disease
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Posted 4/22/2006 7:35 AM (GMT 0)
boy, that was a lot longer than I thought, sorry about that guys.....John, one thing I forgot too tell you, is I told you all of my symptoms are gone, and they are except one......the pain, I still get the sharp jabbing pains, in my heart, but remember, they can NOT remove your entire pericardium, its impossible, so I still have calcification on the back of my heart. The only way to get to that is to saw you in half, which is not an option, or take your heart OUT of your body, and that was not an option either, as it is even more life threathening. Also, I had so much calcification, rather than remove it all, he created what they call "islands", so that the calcification is not all in ONE giant piece around my heart, he said it takes such a skilled hand to remove it, and because the mortality rate is so high in the surgery, they felt with me, that creating islands would be the best route for me. The best part is not having atrial fibulation anymore, that was the worst, laying in bed; and my heart beating so hard and so fast that my shirt would move. DO you have that? IF You don't, it doesnt' rule CP out, remember, I was SEVERE, so my case is certainly diffferent, just remember, that this disease is extremely difficult to diagnose, especially in the EARLY STAGES!!! Okay, I have taken more than my fair share of space......thanks guys! Cath
Posted 4/23/2006 12:51 PM (GMT 0)

Wayne...

I think your family's strategy of getting your sister well and then getting treated at one of the experienced centers is a good strategy. Even the open heart surgeons locally would rather refer a patient with CP to a surgeon that has experience performing a pericardiectomy. Please keep us updated on which clinic she chooses.

Victoria...

I am sorry and I can totally understand your frustration with pericarditis. My life has been turned upside down since March '05 when I had my most severe attack. At times I feel fine and without warning miserable the next moment. My pericardium may have been injured from a bad fall about 8 years ago but I am not 100% sure and no physician can verify this. I do not recall any severe fevers but I can not rule it out either. I had a lot of X-rays when I was 10 years old due to a fractured femur, but could that be enough radiation to cause damage??

Try thinking about your history of sicknesses or injuries and see if that may have been the cause of your pericarditis. If NSAIDS or colchicine can control your pericarditis attacks then  continue to do so. In my case when I was having the attack I thought it was coronary artery disease so I did not take anti-inflammatory drugs. My doctor thought it was heartburn so I did not get proper treatment at the right time and now I feel the squeezing of the heart and pericardial rubbing at times due to the pericardium not being as compliant as it should. The pain from a pericarditis attack is different from the pain associated with CP, as I have experienced both.

What type of pain or symptoms are you feeling?

John

Posted 4/23/2006 1:35 PM (GMT 0)
Christine...
Good to hear you have survived and on the road to recovery. Sounds like Mayo discharged you after the minimum 5 days. When you feel up to it, please give us an idea of what the surgery experience was like at Mayo or at least what you could remember.


Cathy...
Thanks for your advice, I actually have a copy of Dr Klein's assessment which he sent to my local doctor. Since he found no abnormalities on the lab workup, he simply recommends Motrin as needed, relaxation and exercise. He recognizes the atypical chest pain as most likely neuromuscular as it is related to stress.
My main complaint is the occasional sharp chest jabs and the feeling of my heart clutching up when stressed. Did you ever experience chest pain that felt like the heart being squeezed? My stamina is less than it was before my attack.
How do you deal with the sharp chest jabs? Motrin does not seem to always work for me?

John
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