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Paul Lutes

Making fresh tracks
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Jun 6, 2016
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2,611
Holy Moley! Sorry for all your tribulations, and hope the get resolved at least for the near term. Thinking positively for your upcoming ski season. The conditions that a sneaky and intermittent are the worst, bu sounds like you are tenacious and nailed it down.
 

Tricia

The Velvet Hammer
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27,298
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Reno
Just saw this thread. Had my own series of events, possibly starting back a couple years, but undiagnosed.

I had been occasionally been having heart palpitations but since I was on propranolol for migraine prevention (a beta blocker), and I knew it helped with heart palpitations I would just take my next dose a bit early. I mentioned this once or twice during my annual physicals, but we didn't dwell on it. At that point, I had realized it was doing nothing for my migraines (at least at that dosage) but now I wanted it for the palpitations.

Some time in 2019 I went to urgent care because I was feeling strange and was afraid I was having a heart attack. Ran tests, EKG, nothing.

Then summer of 2020 during lockdown, I felt really strange again and it was bad enough that I went to the ER. They also found nothing, but wanted me to do a stress test. Was not thrilled about this during lockdown, but did it. Ran out of steam before the desired "score" but no one had told me to stop the propranalol, and I had come within one heartbeat of the "pass" score, so no one was alarmed.

Then in November 2021 we called the ambulance this time I was in a-fib in the ambulance, but fine at the ER. They recommended I talk to a cardiologist anyway. A visit to my primary 2 days later had me in A-fib. He upped my dose of propranolol. (By the way, the higher dose cut my migraines in half, so I was thrilled.) Got a referral for a Holter monitor for 2 weeks. Showed me in A-fib 15% of the time, but, the sensor fit poorly due to its placement (I'm a female) and I had zero faith in its results. (It wouldn't make a beep noise when I pressed its button either.) Anyway, when I had picked it up I was in A-fib. Then when I saw my primary to discuss the results, I was in a-fib, and when I then saw my cardiologist, I was in a-fib. What are the chances it's only 15% when every time they give you an EKG you're in A-fib? Zip.

So they switched me to metoprolol, put me on Eliquis, and scheduled a cardioversion. Three zaps of increasing strength didn't do it. Put me on amiodarone and scheduled another cardioversion. Arrived for the 2nd cardioversion and... I'm in sinus rhythm. We all waited around another couple of hours, hoping I'd go into a-fib. Nope. So, sent home.

But they referred me to their ablation guy (again in a-fib, of course) and I had the ice kind of ablation in June, having stopped the amiodarone a month before. Recovery from the ablation was longer than I expected. Felt like hell for a week and tired for a few more days. But have been feeling better and no a-fib on the 2 follow-up visits I've had. Still on Eliquis, but I've gotten the impression they might take me off it if I pass the next EKG at the end of the month. Unsure of that, but really leery of inserting a little "fairy umbrella" thing in my heart, the Watchman. Also worried about a fall while skiing. I do have a really nice rubber Eliquis wristband, but it's under layers of clothes when I am skiing. My cardiologist is a hardcore skier tho, so at no point has he told me not to.
---
All this was what was going on when we were in Lech for a much-postponed luxury mother-daughter trip. Needless to say, for me the trip was like being in purgatory. I was exhausted at the slightest thing and we'd brought our own equipment which we were dragging onto busses and trains. Just the walk to the hotel was exhausting. And of course conditions sucked there while back home, they were getting one powder dump after another. So, I'll always have a poor opinion of Lech while knowing it was in reality bad timing. Best I can say was the food was good and the views amazing, but I was relieved to move onto Innsbruck after a week.

I came home ready to give up skiing, and did not ski for a couple weeks when we got back. Fortunately, I skied closing day and it was absolutely stellar with fresh pow all day.

I'm also down 19 pounds, so I have hopes of a better season this year and have bought my first Super Senior pass plus shelled out $$$ for my locker. We'll see.

Oh, yeah, I also was sent for a sleep study, which ended up meaning I have to wear a CPAP at night (not happy about it, either.) Plus, they found some nodule thing on my thyroid during all of this. Very small, but some other thing we're keeping an eye on. We're also keeping tabs on something they found in a mammogram. This is why old people spend so much time comparing notes on their medical conditions. It's always something.
whoa. That's a lot.
Hopefully you'll get off the Eliquis before ski season.
Happy the ablation seems to be the trick for you.
 

Kneale Brownson

Making fresh tracks forever on the other side
Instructor
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
1,863
GET THE NODULE INVESTIGATED ASAP, young lady.

Thread Stretch RE CPAP

I've been a cardiology patient for pulmonary hypertension since the surgeon required a health workup prior to attacking my tibia plateau fracture in 2011. I have been using nasal oxygen to sleep ever since. I have oxygen concentrators both for home and for travel. I finally had the sleep study last spring while using oxygen as the cardiologist has ordered. First orders for sleep test did not include oxygen at the start of the test. I got the prescription for a cpap filled. One of the worst experiences in my life. The first masks we tried all disturbed my nose. Went to ENT and learned I have a deviated septum that's now being treated medicinally in the hope the surgery can be avoided. Finally got the CPAP folks to provide a "total" face mask that does not touch my nose. Been at it for two weeks now. Have not had a good night's sleep since the start. There's no exhaust I can see in the mask, so I'm breathing in may own warm exhalations. I developed bronchitis. Now I can't sleep without sitting up and using just my oxygen concentrator, so I'm not using the CPAP again until the lung congestion disappears.
 

LiquidFeet

instructor
Instructor
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Posts
6,697
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New England
GET THE NODULE INVESTIGATED ASAP, young lady.

Thread Stretch RE CPAP

I've been a cardiology patient for pulmonary hypertension since the surgeon required a health workup prior to attacking my tibia plateau fracture in 2011. I have been using nasal oxygen to sleep ever since. I have oxygen concentrators both for home and for travel. I finally had the sleep study last spring while using oxygen as the cardiologist has ordered. First orders for sleep test did not include oxygen at the start of the test. I got the prescription for a cpap filled. One of the worst experiences in my life. The first masks we tried all disturbed my nose. Went to ENT and learned I have a deviated septum that's now being treated medicinally in the hope the surgery can be avoided. Finally got the CPAP folks to provide a "total" face mask that does not touch my nose. Been at it for two weeks now. Have not had a good night's sleep since the start. There's no exhaust I can see in the mask, so I'm breathing in may own warm exhalations. I developed bronchitis. Now I can't sleep without sitting up and using just my oxygen concentrator, so I'm not using the CPAP again until the lung congestion disappears.
So sorry to hear about these complications, Kneale. I look forward to hearing that you've gotten it sorted.
 

Jack skis

Ex 207cm VR17 Skier
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Joined
Nov 16, 2015
Posts
886
Location
Fidalgo Island, WA
Sib and Kneale your experiences with health problems aren't all that much different than mine, so I can commiserate with you. I'm beginning to think these occurrences and even emergencies are now just pileing-on, and pretty damn unfair. Or maybe just some of the things we endure as the years accumulate. On the plus side we're keeping health care workers employed.
 

Sibhusky

Whitefish, MT
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Oct 26, 2016
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4,806
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Whitefish, MT
Have not had a good night's sleep since the start.
Yes, I'm relying on Ambien at the moment. Tons of medical sleep people have told me this damn Alien-reminiscent contraption will be my prized possession because I'll wake up perky and ready to take on the world. It's been a week and I'm not buying it.

I have a crooked nose, but the nose pillow thingy seems to usually conform sufficiently.
 

SpikeDog

You want Big Air, kid?
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Wyoming
I've been using a CPAP for over 2 years now. I think it took a couple of weeks to get used to it. I had the luck of being a nose breather, so I use a minimal nose pillow setup that doesn't feel like I'm Darth Vader.

If you have the CPAP with an SD card, you can download a free program called OSCAR that lets you see pretty much every breath you took last night. Lets you know with graphs and stats galore how you're doing, what type of apnea disturbances you had, volume of breaths, etc.
 

Sibhusky

Whitefish, MT
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Whitefish, MT
This is for PC? Not seeing it in Google Play. I rarely use a PC anymore. It's been months. ResMed shows you some data on its My air app.

Much as I love data this thing still drives me nuts. I'm fiddling around with the thing now as a matter of fact. I learned on night number 2 that I need to put it on before I'm actually about to fall asleep or I actually miss out on my required 4 hours a night. Night 2 I didn't fall asleep until 7:30 am and the alarm for some meds woke me at 9:30 am. (I had a migraine that night and was not about to strap this contraption on until it had cleared.) So now I put it on the instant I climb in bed whether I'm turning out the lights or not.

Darn Medicare rules.
 

Kneale Brownson

Making fresh tracks forever on the other side
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Nov 12, 2015
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Well, they then did something else, forget what now. I've been to so many doctors it's becoming a blur.

My calendar says I went for an ultrasound.
If the ultrasound showed nodules, they need to be examined with needle biopsies. You need to be seen by an endocrinologist. My wife had both benign and cancerous nodules on her thyroid.
 

Sibhusky

Whitefish, MT
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4,806
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Whitefish, MT
I'll ask my primary care about it. The report says another ultrasound in a year on one and that an additional nodule does not meet criteria for follow up. They are both tiny. I see him in a week or so.
 

SpikeDog

You want Big Air, kid?
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Nov 17, 2015
Posts
823
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Wyoming
OSCAR is for PC (https://www.sleepfiles.com/OSCAR/). If you have a ResMed CPAP it should have an SD card in it; that's what you download to the program.

I would say where the CPAP shines for me is when I'm driving. I was hopeless after lunch on a long drive, and 5 Hour Energy was the only thing keeping me on the road for more than an hour's drive. Not any more. I just did back to back 6 hour trips to SLC, and was wide awake the whole time.

One of the trips to SLC was for the cardiolgist. My Holter monitor report was pretty bad, and have my 2nd ablation scheduled for October. This one is going to be a long one, and I have to be awake during it.
 

SpikeDog

You want Big Air, kid?
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Wyoming
Well, I hope there's some sedation involved. Maybe a shot of whiskey and something to bite on.
 

migdriver

Out on the slopes
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Joined
Nov 25, 2019
Posts
174
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Tahoe
In NYC that last part is know as “an organ recital”
Quote got dropped…. Anyway;
When older folks get together and begin comparing infirmaries… its called an organ recital.
 

SpikeDog

You want Big Air, kid?
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Wyoming
Had my 2nd ablation yesterday. The PVC origin was the right ventricle papillary muscles, which help operate the tricuspid valve leaflets. I was awake for most of the 4 hour procedure, with a low dose propofol infusion doing mild sedation (very mild it seemed to me). I got acquainted with the EP Lab ceiling tiles, sorta like being at the dentist in that respect. My back was where the most pain was; lying still like that really hammers my spine. I have to say I preferred general anesthesia, which I had during my afib ablation 3 years ago. Spent the night in the hospital, then back on the streets today. I still can't dance, but my heart is in normal sinus rhythm now.

One of the worst things was stopping the beta-blocker (metoprolol) for 5 days pre-surgery. I found out later that going cold turkey can really speed up your heart, and 5 days of beating up to 115 bpm was brutal. I usually cook along at about 50-55 bpm resting.
 

Sibhusky

Whitefish, MT
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Whitefish, MT
Was there a reason they stopped the Metoprolol before the ablation? The nature of this one? They stopped my Eliquis for three days but not my Metoprolol.

I hate lying still like that, too. Had to do it for two hours after my ablation and the pain was terrible after a while. I wasn't allowed to rearrange anything. I think they finally gave me oxycodone or something. Can't remember now, but I remember crying. Which of course interfered with my stillness. Cannot imagine doing that for 4 hours. Just knock me out.
 

SpikeDog

You want Big Air, kid?
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Wyoming
Beta blockers are first line treatment for PVCs. They wanted the PVCs to be present; otherwise, they can't find and map them. Of course, I showed up without any PVCs to the EP Lab, and they had to induce them with isoproterenol, which speeds up the heartbeat. Not usually an issue with afib ablations, which they like to do while you are in normal sinus rhythm.

I imagine they stopped your Eliquis since they were going into the left side of your heart, and they use heparin as an anti-clotting agent. They didn't want heparin and eliquis duking it out, since they have an immediate reversal agent for heparin (protamine) but not for eliquis. If there was, I'm sure it would be in every skier's pocket who was on eliquis.

I had to lay still for 3 1/2 hours after the 4 hour operation. I had 5 sheaths inserted, and one of them was in an artery. I was supposed to be given morphine to calm my back down, but didn't get it until after the 3.5 hour wait due to a spelling error. That's right, a spelling error by the doc, who had to be called at home to fix it. There is so much security around opioids nowadays it's unreal.
 

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