Here's hoping that surgery was just the right step to correct the ASD or any other heart related challenge. Was it so successful that you are glad you had the corrective surgery?
well it most definitely improved my health since prior to surgery, it was causing right-side heart failure (severely enlarged)
So immediately after my open-heart procedure, I was breathing better and as recovery progressed, really could feel the new lease.
It truly has improved my quality of life. I have greater exercise tolerance and my sleep apnea has disappeared.
Wow Janie, never heard of anyone getting rid of sleep apnea before, though my husband's is greatly improved since he had an defibrillator implanted! They tell him it rarely has to work, but it's always when he is sleeping.
He has tried the new sleep apnea machines every time a new one comes out, but cannot tolerate them! I have a feeling the last time WAS the last try!
I'm so glad to hear that you had such success!
We were really surprised that the sleep apnea disappeared too! My cardiologist said he had not heard of this happening but we found several studies that show a link between ASD and sleep apnea. I even wrote the Dr. who led on of the studies that showed positive outcomes related to sleep apnea after closure of ASD.
Now I'm not a Doctor, and certainly not well informed on ASD, but this makes you think and wonder if there aren't a lot more people who may have this, or some other heart related problem, and it was just never discovered!
I agree. It probably sounds improbable but statistics may show there is a real connection.
Without my ASD closure I have no doubt the way I felt I would have died. I had the shortness of breath, exhaustion and all but there was more to my case. My mother had her large hole closed as well by open heart surgery and she lived a long healthy life from 35 for 40 more years. She was strong and active.
Hi Chromedome,
This is great news! I bet there was such relief!
Tell me, once the heart enlarges, does it ever return to normal size, like after surgery? My late brother had a terribly enlarged heart from AIDS induced cardiomyopathy, was supposed to have surgery, but they kept delaying it. I know now that he never would have with stood the procedure, but was wondering if it ever returned to normal size once enlarged.
I'm so glad this had made such a difference, bet you are too!
Wow, great news for you and your Mom, Stace!
I know we all tend to gripe and growl about Doctors and hospitals, but when you think in terms of open heart surgery, it really is amazing that they have become so advanced!
I hope you also have a long, strong life ahead of you!
Thank you so much! I am doing really well right now. Thanks to some great doctors and modern medicine.
SK said:
Wow, great news for you and your Mom, Stace!
I know we all tend to gripe and growl about Doctors and hospitals, but when you think in terms of open heart surgery, it really is amazing that they have become so advanced!
I hope you also have a long, strong life ahead of you!
I would say yes it can. They looked for that after my closure and yes my heart had shrunk in size. I think it was back to normal after my monthly check up.
SK said:
Hi Chromedome,
This is great news! I bet there was such relief!
Tell me, once the heart enlarges, does it ever return to normal size, like after surgery? My late brother had a terribly enlarged heart from AIDS induced cardiomyopathy, was supposed to have surgery, but they kept delaying it. I know now that he never would have with stood the procedure, but was wondering if it ever returned to normal size once enlarged.
I'm so glad this had made such a difference, bet you are too!
Wow, that's pretty phenomenal when you think of it!
My ASD was discovered when I was 29. I work as a physical therapist and one day, while I was at the hospital, my left side went numb and I lost speech for just a few minutes. Of course, after that happened my blood pressure and heart rate shot up but quickly recovered. I remember feeling heat in my chest and neck, like a feeling of panic. Well, I went to see my doctor and saw the NP in the office that day. She told me that I must have had a panic attack. I insisted that I have never had a panic attack and I did not feel as though that is what is was, but she prescribed me some Xanex and sent me on my way. Well, a few days later, I suffered a similar episode while driving my car and had to pull over to the side of the road. This time I insisted they send me to a neurologist. He did an MRI and said it looked okay but with a few little areas in the gray matter that he wanted to watch but everything looked okay. Thankfully, he was a good listener, because he decided to send me for an echo. That is when they found that I had a hole and heart wall was aneurysm. They put me on blood thinners right away and decided to send me for TEE, so they could see how bad it was. In the end, it turned out that I had a large PFO and heart wall looked like "swiss cheese". They patched it with amplatzer but were unable to cover one small hole.
I am very glad I had the procedure for several reasons. I was afraid I would have a full blown stroke or heart attack. I had gotten to the point where I was SOB, I could not sleep well at night because of palpitations and pounding in my chest, and I had begun to suffer with terrible migraines. I now rarely get a migraine, and when I do, I believe they are hormone related now. I realize now that I had symptoms when I was younger, like cramping in my calves when I would go up lots of stairs and sleep issues and fatigue. I also believe that I have experienced increased concentration since I had the surgery. I have had my share of scares after the surgery, but I have been able to find wha was wrong and rule out issues with the amplatzer. I do have some trouble with strenuous exercise now, but I am able to do moderate exercise with no problem. I am 38 now and happy they found my heart problem.
Hi scared of erosion,
It's a good thing you listened to your body and insisted something was seriously wrong! I suppose we live in an age where panic attacks are common place, but there can certainly be more to this than just panic. Something of this magnitude is the CAUSE of panic!
So glad that you got through all of those tough times and came out on the bright side! thanks for responding, look forward to getting to know you!
Wishing you well,
SK
My quality of life has improved greatly since my closure last year. Before my closure I was exhausted all the time. I could barley walk from my car to the front door of my home. I was also on oxygen 24/7. All I could do was go to work, come home and sit in the chair, then when I was rested I would take a shower, eat and go to bed. I wasn't able to do any housework,cook, take care of my pets.
It was very depressing for me but luckily I have a wonderful fiance' who completely understood my depression and frustration and took over what I couldn't do.
Two days after my closure I could walk a longer distance and not be out of breath and every day got better and better, I'm now one year out and feel like a new person.
I recently took my daughter and granddaughter to the zoo here, and had some qualms if I would be able to walk the entire zoo, I did with no problem at all. Yes we did have to stop to take breaks but that's normal for anyone. I was so elated after our trip.
Hey Grammie,
Ah, this is so wonderful to know! Sometimes we growl and complain about doctors, hospitals, meds, but I'm sure that many people lost their grandparents who did not have this surgery available to them, not to long ago!
Hats off to the medical professionals who made that great day at the zoo possible! May you have many, many more!
Wishing you well,
SK
Thank You SK:
I was one of those that did complain about dr's hospitals etc, and kept wondering why they couldn't find out what was
wrong with me for years. I really feel it was god's hand that guided me up to Duke to see the pulminologist for the PHA they thought I had.
SK said:
Hey Grammie,
Ah, this is so wonderful to know! Sometimes we growl and complain about doctors, hospitals, meds, but I'm sure that many people lost their grandparents who did not have this surgery available to them, not to long ago!
Hats off to the medical professionals who made that great day at the zoo possible! May you have many, many more!
Wishing you well,
SK