PFO

My name is Jennifer, I am 31 years old, and 6 years ago I had a stroke, but didn't really know that is what happened.  Doctors said that it was a silent migrane, so I went on with my life.  2 years ago after my husband and I came back from our honey moon I had another stroke, and this time it was confirmed also that 5 years prior was a stroke, after having many test MRI CT SCAN etc, they had seen old damage from the first stroke.

Doctors started to run many tests on me to find out what caused my 2 TIA's.  They have concludied that I have a PFO which is a hole in my heart.  They tell me that a blood clot passed through this hole in my heart and went to my brain to cause me to have a stroke.

I am so upset, words can not express how I am feeling.  My family is so worried about me, and I feel helpless.  I am so afraid.  The doctors want to close my hole with a procedure that sends a cathetur up into your vein in the groin and this divice will close the hold.  But since I have learned of my condition, I have been doing reacerch on this procedure and reading about the risks involved and everytime I read another artical, I feel more and more nervous, and maybe this sounds silly, but I don't want to die of ANY complications.  Is their anyone out their that has had this procedure done that can give me alittle peace of mind?  HELP!

I still am still so scared, but I am in the hospital if anything should go wrong????

Hi

Well I had my surgery on Friday June 30th, and all went well I have been told.  I would of posted earlier, but I have not been feeling myself.  I have had my good days and bad days.  I had some bleeding in the groin site due to the doctors locating my major artery to go into, and when they put in the occluer which mine way named "The Premeir" I had some leakage as per the doctors, but nothing to be worried about.

I was very nervous all day, but my mom and dad and my husband where their to keep me calm.

During this week I have been feeling alittle down, and I have had some fluttering in my heart, and some dull pain in my chest.  I sometimes feel short of breath, and at night I can never find a comfortable spot so I may have a good nights sleep.  My family are very concerned.  I am now taking 325 mg asprin and 75 mg of Plavix for 6 months so not blood clots form on the occuler.

All in all I am hoping that I feel myself soon.  I am not allowed to lift anything heavy for 2 weeks or over due anything.  So yes I have been laying around the house this week and I kinda feel like I am becoming one with the bed or couch. (Ha)

Well that is all for now, and I am going to pray that I feel better, because sometimes I think, if I knew this was the way I was going to feel maybe I shouldn't of gotten the surgery....but I know it is much better for me because now my chances of stroke is minamal. 

HI TRINITY25_99

I do not come here very much as i post mostely in the chronic pain forum,But i was looking at this forum and notice your post.

I had the PFO In june of last year and i was in the hospital for 5 or 7 days.Unlike you i did not have a stroke,[Thank GOD]I was having many headaches and irruglar heartbeats and this had been going on for over 5 years i had have a cardio cath done stress test echo you name it i had it  done and was told my heart was ok that it was just pvc and i was told to cut back on caffine and things like that.

Over the years i was in and out of the hospital for fast heart rate and tightness in chest and my test always came back normal.I was put on anixty meds and also a med call lopresser.and for a while it was controlling my heartbeat and i was hanging in there.There were times it was blame on my chronic pain and other things.

Well i was suppose to go in for surgery on my neck and the surgen order the usually pre-op test and i was also due to have another echo and this time it showed something was not right,and i was told to go and see my heart dr and he order a bubble study and it was then they found out i had a samll whole in my heart and i was refer to a heart specialst and he explained to me that the hole needed to be closed as it could cause me to have a stoke,I was in shock as i said to him why wasn't this found before,as i had had so many test done and he said that this could very well had been something i was born with and sometimes it can go undected and sometimes it does not cause any problems till much later in life.I was a nervous wreck.He explained to me that this was most likely the cause of my increased of headaches.and he then went on to expained just what he was going to do.I might add he was very good and took his time explaining things to me and my husband,and i was even given a tape to watch which i chose not to as i figure it would only make me more nervous.

Like i said i had it done on june 25th of last year and it all went ok.THANK GOD.I was put on 325mg of asprin and had to take plavix for 6 months and then i went for a echo after 6 months and was told i could stop the plavix,and i could go to just taking 81mg of asprin.I go every 6 months for a echo and my pcp does a ekg every 3 months.

They gave me a card i have to carry on me saying i had a PFO inplant and the number and they also said i should have a braclet saying i have the inplant which i have not done but i do carry the card on me and my husband also has one on him.

All in all i am doing pretty well with it and the headaches have pretty much gone away.i still get one now and then but i was getting them nearly everyday before.and i still get the fast heartbeats now and then but not as often as before.i think some of that is due to nerves and stress.from my doctors visits i am told the PFO is fine and that it is now all cover up with scar tissues.

I hope this is of some help to you and i hope and pray that you will soon see and feel a lot better.Please just remember it does take time and you do need to not lift if you can help it i know it is hard but you need to watch out for yourslef.

My prayer's and thoughts will be with you and please let me know how you are doing.I know i don't post here but i will check in to see how you are doing and by all means if you have any questions or if i can be of any help just let me know ok i will try my best to help out any way i can

Take care and be well

TYLER'S GRANNY

Hi Michelle,

I am sorry that this has happened to you.  I am not sure if I can help you on this because I never had a problem with having the hold clsd.  Once they found out that I had a PFO they scheluded me asap and I was in and out with the hold fixed.  I sorry I am not much help.

Regards

Jennifer