Unfortunately, I think conventional calling would be pricey for either of us. I live in Wisconsin. But if you know how to skype, I would be glad to reactivate my account. I haven't used it in a while, but I'm sure it would still be fine... Let me know what you want to do that way...
As for pills, I take more than I have ever had to: Metoprolol for BP, Plavix and Aspirin for the ASD. My Internist wants to put me on a cholesterol med, which I keep fighting, but I have a feeling I'll be on it before the week is out. I made a deal with him that I would lose weight and bring down my numbers and then didn't do it. At least as far as the weight goes, I don't know about the cholesterol numbers until Wednesday. I also have a followup visit with my Cardiologist on Wednesday. I plan to ask him about the breathing issue and what I should be concerned with. So far, post-closure, I've only seen him in the hospital, and that hasn't given us the time to talk. You say you're on Coumadin; do you have to go in for protimes monthly, and is that temporary?
I agree about wine at Christmas. Maybe we could cheat a little.... :o (Just kidding, promise..)
I have a bussiness line so it doesn't cost me more the 30 cents for phone calls anywere,the coumidan they said for three months,but then only God knows,I have been takeing corestor for years but my levels have always beem low,,they give it so it don't build up.what is wrong with your breathing anyway,do u smoke,I know I have problems when I lay down breathing,but I find it bad when I don't take my nexium stomach pill,I have reflux,so I guess they connect some how.I don't know what I can or can't do,,so today I decided to paint my laundry room and tomorrow the dinning room,hope its ok to do that.by the way r u a woman or a man.lol.I got thinking about that yesterday.My daughter has skype,I am not the greatest on here,but I am learning.I will be reopening my restaurant next week,hope everything works out good then.there is so much to do but not knowing what to do is the problem,,they don't tell me much of the do's and don'ts.Have a nice day.ps maybe I will cheat Christmas time on the wine..
Wendean said:
Unfortunately, I think conventional calling would be pricey for either of us. I live in Wisconsin. But if you know how to skype, I would be glad to reactivate my account. I haven't used it in a while, but I'm sure it would still be fine... Let me know what you want to do that way...
As for pills, I take more than I have ever had to: Metoprolol for BP, Plavix and Aspirin for the ASD. My Internist wants to put me on a cholesterol med, which I keep fighting, but I have a feeling I'll be on it before the week is out. I made a deal with him that I would lose weight and bring down my numbers and then didn't do it. At least as far as the weight goes, I don't know about the cholesterol numbers until Wednesday. I also have a followup visit with my Cardiologist on Wednesday. I plan to ask him about the breathing issue and what I should be concerned with. So far, post-closure, I've only seen him in the hospital, and that hasn't given us the time to talk. You say you're on Coumadin; do you have to go in for protimes monthly, and is that temporary?
I agree about wine at Christmas. Maybe we could cheat a little.... :o (Just kidding, promise..)
Hi Sharney. Sorry it's take so long to respond, I was waiting until after my doctor appointments today. As for the breathing, I am an x-smoker, but it's been a long time. I quit when they got to $4 a pack, and now they're almost $8. I have cheated on occasion, so I decided to get myself an electronic cigarette for times when I'm in the company of friends who smoke. I haven't dragged on it in a few weeks. I'm finding that I don't like being in the same room with a lit cigarette any longer. It makes me physically uncomfortable. Lately, I sometimes feel like my lungs are full of air, and I can't get a good breath in. I've noticed that I get this feeling late in the day when I didn't get a lot of sleep the night before. Usually I just pay attention to it, get my work done, and go home. I live in an upper duplex, so getting into my apartment can be difficult when I feel like this, but my son is usually home, so if I need the help he's there. I've never had to use him, but it's still good to know that he's there... I am a single mom with a 17 year old son who is both the love of my life, and the biggest pain in my ass. Some of the complications that I've experienced prior to my closure have been due to the stress of being his mom. He's 17 and wants to make his own decisions, but he doesn't want to really grow up. I'm sure you can imagine that conflict. VERY DIFFICULT! As for phone calls, I checked with my phone carrier, and if we talk cell to cell, it would work on my side, so if you have a cell phone, maybe check your plan. Otherwise, it doesn't matter who initiates the call, I would be charged an international rate. If that doesn't work for you, we can always figure something else out or we can just stay here. I have not had any extreme symptoms since I was in the hospital. My doctor offered to raise my BP med to bring down the occurrences of palpitations, but I said no. It isn't that bad, and I don't want to take more than I have to. He feels that I'm fine, and would like to recheck in 6 weeks after I have a TEE. As for the do's and don'ts, I think it's just up to you. They told me no football, but feel free to do what I want when I can. Just watch your energy. My Internist has decided I should take a cholesterol med. He says if I lose weight, I will probably not need any of the meds that I'm on. Even if I just try to lose a pound a month. I need to lose a lot, so that just won't work... All of my issues are so border line that it's hard for them to say I need these meds and hard for me to accept. I have to wait a little longer before I can start exercising, but soon! Just movement is all I need. What kind of restaurant do you have? How is your family doing with all of this? Tell me a little bit about them. How did the painting go? It should have been okay if the fumes didn't bother you...
I am 54 years old I have 5 children,35,31,23,17,and 15,they keep me young I guess,,lol,There a little worrid about whats happening but they still don't help me out at alkids today are so lazy its rare to get one thats not.I still smoke,,its the only habbit I got and I know I have to quit soon.My restaurant is small all home made cooking, I use to be a singer and have big restaurants but as I got older I downsized,all my kids are beautiful singers also,I am so tired of trying to feel normal again,,but I did get the one room painted and it looks nice,,got to go for blood work then come back and do the ceiling.I am over weightI can loose forty pounds,,I love the atkins diet,,its easy if u read the book and gives u lots of energy,I am looking forward to going back to work next week,,but a little afraid of my blood preasure going up like it has been,I never ever had high blood preasure before so its hard to deal with,as for the phone I have a land line,,I pay for my kids cell phones,,so for me I don't really need one.Well off to the shower then the blood work,,Have a great day,and good luck with everything.
Wendean said:
Hi Sharney. Sorry it's take so long to respond, I was waiting until after my doctor appointments today. As for the breathing, I am an x-smoker, but it's been a long time. I quit when they got to $4 a pack, and now they're almost $8. I have cheated on occasion, so I decided to get myself an electronic cigarette for times when I'm in the company of friends who smoke. I haven't dragged on it in a few weeks. I'm finding that I don't like being in the same room with a lit cigarette any longer. It makes me physically uncomfortable. Lately, I sometimes feel like my lungs are full of air, and I can't get a good breath in. I've noticed that I get this feeling late in the day when I didn't get a lot of sleep the night before. Usually I just pay attention to it, get my work done, and go home. I live in an upper duplex, so getting into my apartment can be difficult when I feel like this, but my son is usually home, so if I need the help he's there. I've never had to use him, but it's still good to know that he's there... I am a single mom with a 17 year old son who is both the love of my life, and the biggest pain in my ass. Some of the complications that I've experienced prior to my closure have been due to the stress of being his mom. He's 17 and wants to make his own decisions, but he doesn't want to really grow up. I'm sure you can imagine that conflict. VERY DIFFICULT! As for phone calls, I checked with my phone carrier, and if we talk cell to cell, it would work on my side, so if you have a cell phone, maybe check your plan. Otherwise, it doesn't matter who initiates the call, I would be charged an international rate. If that doesn't work for you, we can always figure something else out or we can just stay here. I have not had any extreme symptoms since I was in the hospital. My doctor offered to raise my BP med to bring down the occurrences of palpitations, but I said no. It isn't that bad, and I don't want to take more than I have to. He feels that I'm fine, and would like to recheck in 6 weeks after I have a TEE. As for the do's and don'ts, I think it's just up to you. They told me no football, but feel free to do what I want when I can. Just watch your energy. My Internist has decided I should take a cholesterol med. He says if I lose weight, I will probably not need any of the meds that I'm on. Even if I just try to lose a pound a month. I need to lose a lot, so that just won't work... All of my issues are so border line that it's hard for them to say I need these meds and hard for me to accept. I have to wait a little longer before I can start exercising, but soon! Just movement is all I need. What kind of restaurant do you have? How is your family doing with all of this? Tell me a little bit about them. How did the painting go? It should have been okay if the fumes didn't bother you...
I’m 48, so at 30 years old I started parenting late. My son took my second stint in the hospital hard as well, but now it’s been forgotten. I agree with the laziness assessment, but I also think they just don’t come to grips with mortality like we do. They think of themselves as invincible, and for the most part they think of us the same way. We are easily taken for granted… Your life sounds busy and fulfilling. I would have loved to have more kids and Will always wanted a baby sister, but it didn’t work that way. I cared for my mother until her death instead… I recently reconnected with the love of my life. We are talking marriage one of these days. I work for the State of Wisconsin as an administative support person, and I live in Milwaukee. I’ve always done that kind of work. Like you I never had high blood pressure. My mother and grandmother did at very young ages, but I never inherited that trait. I have a lot more weight to lose than 40 pounds. I eat healthy, but live a very sedentary lifestyle, so movement is the big thing for me. I have about 100 to lose, so I need to move a lot! Life at a desk job, and being tied to the home… I have to start small though. I don’t have the stamina for more than low impact stuff at home. I would love to walk outside, but soon my weather will be too cold and I’m not ready yet… Well, I’m at work right now, so I should get back to it. Let’s keep talking, I really enjoy it. Bye for now…
I didn't know u had stints put in also a closure,your right my kids always take me for granted but got to admit I love them dearly,I just wish they were more considirate,but I guess thats kids today,,my mom and dd would kick our asses,,today if we kick ass we can get charged,its wild how the goverment wants to take charge in everything we do,,but if the kids do something wrong then they make us accountable,,its wild,I think I prefere the kick in the butt,at least we grew up with respect for others.but we do what we can to make a better life for our children so we can blame ourselves for being to soft.
I would of did the same as u if my mom and dad didn't die so young,but I do believe whats meant to be will be.your life is planned before we hit this earth.I think the only reason we did not have high blood preasure was because of the holes in our heart,now I am starting to wonder if we didn't have the holes would our blood preasure been high also,,is yours high now since the closer.
u should read up on the atkins diet I think u would love it and it will work wonders for u if u can't get much exercise,4 of my cousins and a few of my friends had the gastric bypass,,I can't believe how good they look now,shocked the hell out of me,,but u have to be 75 or more pounds over weight to get it.Well I enjoy chatting with u also,,its nice to know someone is going through the same thing as I am,,support is a great thing to have from someone that knows whats going on also.Have a great day,,
Wendean said:
I'm 48, so at 30 years old I started parenting late. My son took my second stint in the hospital hard as well, but now it's been forgotten. I agree with the laziness assessment, but I also think they just don't come to grips with mortality like we do. They think of themselves as invincible, and for the most part they think of us the same way. We are easily taken for granted... Your life sounds busy and fulfilling. I would have loved to have more kids and Will always wanted a baby sister, but it didn't work that way. I cared for my mother until her death instead... I recently reconnected with the love of my life. We are talking marriage one of these days. I work for the State of Wisconsin as an administative support person, and I live in Milwaukee. I've always done that kind of work. Like you I never had high blood pressure. My mother and grandmother did at very young ages, but I never inherited that trait. I have a lot more weight to lose than 40 pounds. I eat healthy, but live a very sedentary lifestyle, so movement is the big thing for me. I have about 100 to lose, so I need to move a lot! Life at a desk job, and being tied to the home... I have to start small though. I don't have the stamina for more than low impact stuff at home. I would love to walk outside, but soon my weather will be too cold and I'm not ready yet... Well, I'm at work right now, so I should get back to it. Let's keep talking, I really enjoy it. Bye for now... :)
I didn't have stints, I meant my second term in the hospital. Sorry for the confusion there. Sometimes there are just too many meanings for one word! The Adkins Diet is so heavy with meat and protein. I worry about it being heart healthy. I may look into it and see. One of the women I work with is on a low carb diet and it's done wonders for her. The sad thing is that I have always done well when I got off my fat ass and moved. Now I don't have the energy to do it.
My average blood pressure is 102/78, so no, it isn't high. It is rather inconsistent though. I had stopped keeping track of it so closely for awhile, but I'm watching it again. I understand your concern about yours. With my family history, I have always paid close attention to mine, and it's always been good. My doctor says that it's high sometimes, and that bothers me.
Right now I really wish that I didn't feel so physically weak. At work, I park the equivalent of 1 block away from my office. In the morning, I can get about 3/4 of the block before I start to have problems, at night, it's about 1/2 the block. It's like a switch is flipped and my breathing gets terribly labored. I use the drive home to get over it, but then I have to climb the steps in my apartment. I HATE THAT! I trudge through it to try and get passed it, and I hope that it'll get better, but I know that only time will tell... I also find that I can't be around smoking. I really missed smoking to the extent that sometimes I would walk through someone else's smoke to try and get my "fix." Now I can't handle it. I feel it in my lungs and it chokes me. That is odd to me. Do you have this energy/breathing problem? My friend assures me that after his wife had her closure, she feels great. I really hope so...
Well, I have to go. I spent the weekend with my sister in Green Bay for her 50th birthday. It's about 2 hours from here, so not far from home, but she has a hectic household. I'm going to get a little supper and hit the sack. I had a little trouble with the ASD site and thought I wouldn't be able to answer you. I'm going to put my e-mail address below. If you have trouble getting on the site, you can e-mail me, and we'll talk that way. Hope you do well getting back to work. Let me know how it goes. Good luck!
I didn't have stints, I meant my second term in the hospital. Sorry for the confusion there. Sometimes there are just too many meanings for one word! The Adkins Diet is so heavy with meat and protein. I worry about it being heart healthy. I may look into it and see. One of the women I work with is on a low carb diet and it's done wonders for her. The sad thing is that I have always done well when I got off my fat ass and moved. Now I don't have the energy to do it.
My average blood pressure is 102/78, so no, it isn't high. It is rather inconsistent though. I had stopped keeping track of it so closely for awhile, but I'm watching it again. I understand your concern about yours. With my family history, I have always paid close attention to mine, and it's always been good. My doctor says that it's high sometimes, and that bothers me.
Right now I really wish that I didn't feel so physically weak. At work, I park the equivalent of 1 block away from my office. In the morning, I can get about 3/4 of the block before I start to have problems, at night, it's about 1/2 the block. It's like a switch is flipped and my breathing gets terribly labored. I use the drive home to get over it, but then I have to climb the steps in my apartment. I HATE THAT! I trudge through it to try and get passed it, and I hope that it'll get better, but I know that only time will tell... I also find that I can't be around smoking. I really missed smoking to the extent that sometimes I would walk through someone else's smoke to try and get my "fix." Now I can't handle it. I feel it in my lungs and it chokes me. That is odd to me. Do you have this energy/breathing problem? My friend assures me that after his wife had her closure, she feels great. I really hope so...
Well, I have to go. I spent the weekend with my sister in Green Bay for her 50th birthday. It's about 2 hours from here, so not far from home, but she has a hectic household. I'm going to get a little supper and hit the sack. I had a little trouble with the ASD site and thought I wouldn't be able to answer you. I'm going to put my e-mail address below. If you have trouble getting on the site, you can e-mail me, and we'll talk that way. Hope you do well getting back to work. Let me know how it goes. Good luck!
My e-mail address is wendeclare@aol.com
Hi sorry I did not reply sooner,,but guess what I am back at work and loveing it,,I get tired faster,but slowly I hope things get better,,blood preasure is still screwed up but the heart rate they got me on pills for,I really hope things are going well for you.I know I am still a little scared,,but time will tell.I can't believe Christmas is just around the corner,the parade is Saturday,I think it is so stupid to have a Christmas parade in November when December is the Christmas month.puts a lot of preasure on the work place to decorate,in Newfoundland were I am from they think its bad luck to do any Chritmas thing before December,but I guess everything today has the real meaning gone,,its only about spending money for the world today,the real feelings are gone.How are you doing,did everything work out for the better or are you still in the same boat as I.I am going to jump in the shower then off to work,,I hope to hear from you soon,,All the best,...
Hi Sharney. I'm glad things are getting better for you. I think the best medicine is to get back to "normal living" as quickly as possible and let the rest come to you. I'm still having issues with breathing and over-exertion, but I think my weight has a lot to do with that. I'll be starting a diet this week. Here, we celebrated Thanksgiving, and there is no dieting on that holiday. I had a wonderful time with my son and some of his friends. I love when I get to play the mom and feed everyone. We were traditional this year with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, squash, and sweet potato pie. I didn't have pumpkin, because I had squash, so we used the sweet potatoes for that. We've been eating leftovers all weekend, and it's been yummy. Another tradition that goes with Thanksgiving is Black Friday. It's when the Christmas shopping season officially begins, and it sucks. See Thanksgiving is on Thursday, and most people have off both Thursday and Friday, so the stores have big sales to try to entice you to shop for Christmas. It's shameful in my eyes, and I hate it. This year Black Friday started at 5pm Thursday. I agree that Christmas is no longer what it should be, a celebration of the greatest gift we'll ever receive, the birth of Christ. Now days we are supposed to be ashamed that we believe and "Merry Christmas" is an offensive statement. It's depressing and disgusting! Don't misunderstand, I believe that everyone has a voice and should celebrate and live their faith. I just don't believe in celebrating grays. If Christmas is black, and Hannika is white, and commercialism is gray, why is it politically correct to celebrate the gray, and why can't we embrace our differences? This has become the norm in the states. It's awful! Okay, that's enough bitching. I'm a crafty person, and my goal is to spend as little money as I can (okay, I'm cheap too....), so this year I'm making hats, slippers, and scarves for Christmas. I have so much yarn, but not enough of any one kind to make something, so I'm clearing out the stock. In my heart, I love home made gifts better than anything else. They always come with a little love in them. :) Don't I sound like an old gramma? I'm not really, but I can't wait until I am... Anyhow, I am so glad you are doing better. You sound so much happier. It's time for me to get back to projects. Take care of yourself, and enjoy! If I have said anything in my political/religious rant to offend you, it was not my intent. I believe that we should see and know how we are the same, and give each other room to celebrate our differences. Again, take care. Let's talk again soon. :)
How are you doing? What did the doctor say about the palpitations? I had my ASD repaired on 11/7/12 (Amplatzer device) and have had brief periods of palpitations and heart pounding. I have also experienced some burning and a dull pain. I had an echo the week the procedure because I was concerned about the symptoms, everything looked good. It seems most people don't feel anything from the device so it makes me a bit concerned. I have a f/u appointment with my doctor 12/12/12.
Hi Cherie. Sorry for not responding very quickly. I didn't see the notice until this morning and I was at work. John Colyer also forwarded your post on Sharney's open discussion. I thought I would try and cover things here. I have to agree with Bernard. I can't say whether pain is "normal", but I can say that the effects of this procedure are different for everyone. You may have read that some of my issues are weight related...
I would say, that you are probably fine and just need to try to keep your stress down. It can cause a lot of problems and make your recovery slower, and it can certainly cause palpitations. My doctor offered to increase my BP med to help mine, but I declined because I don't have high blood pressure and it would make me groggy.
You said you had an echo. Was it a normal echo or a TEE (swallow the camera)? You can see the device with a normal echo, and it will show if the device is in place and not moving around, but I don't know if you can see if something is pinched. If you didn't have the TEE, you may want to discuss with your doctor whether you should. It was explained to me that the device works in 2 pieces. One side is on the outer surface of the heart and the other inside. They are pulled together over the hole and the heart tissue grows over them. When discussing having the procedure done, my doctor told me that it was very safe. They had only experienced a 1% incident rate, and the most common problem was the two pieces twisting. Talk to your doctor and see what he/she has to say...
Please don't be afraid, this could just be your normal recovery. Be aware of what you are experiencing and evaluate whether you should be concerned or not, and for heaven's sake DON'T think that what I have said is what is wrong, ASK yourself and your doctor.
I think its because out of all I went trough,,thats the way they ended up finding the holes in my heart,,si I think it is to see if they stayed in place.,but going to Doctors all the time is driving me crazy,,and I am still longing for that glass of red wine..lol
So, how did the MRI go? I had a TEE (swallow the camera) yesterday, and woke up in the middle of my test. Not fun they had to give me extra drugs and I was shot for the rest of the day. I don't know the results until the 19th. When I woke up, I thought I heard a rather scary conversation, but it could just have been the drugs, so I'll wait until next week and go from there. I'll keep it out of my head until them.
