I'm sick and worried...

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Winter is very hard on me. I have tremendous pain when it's cold and damp. I will be having surgery soon to repair the degenerated bones in my neck and replace the discs with cadaver tissue that will hopefully start growing as my own tissue. I have little use of my hands now from neuropathy from the nerve damage in my neck.

Today, I spent my afternoon at the hospital's emergency cardiac unit for severe irregular heartbeat and palpitations, shortness of breath, and chest pressure (it's been going on for about a month). I will be undergoing some more tests, and am hooked up to a portable EKG machine to monitor my heartbeat. I did not have a heart attack, thank God! My EKG showed only a 'snapshot' of what's going on, and my chest x-ray was good.

It looks like I may have Ventricular Arrhythmia. They are not sure why, but it could be from my disease, or medications I am taking (sound familiar Paul?) Rather than keep me there, they sent me home with the Ambulatory Cardiogram recorder for 48 hours. I was told I was exhausted and dehydrated, and they pumped me full of IV fluids. (The stupid IV left my right arm totally black and blue due to the catheter infiltrating). Grrrr...

Anyway, I guess I'm scared. If anything happened to me, would all of you be willing to take my geckos? Or at least help Glenn with them? It's sad, but I worry more about my animals than the humans in my family.

Sorry... just unloading on all of you.

 

[PaulSage]

Marcia, you know damn well we'd help to make sure your geckos are well taken care of in the event that anything were to happen, so don't add to your stress by worrying needlessly about them.

Besides, you're going to be fine. I just know it.

I've had to wear those portable heart monitors before. Damn adhesive itched like hell.

The doctors will figure out what's going on and what to do about it to get it calmed down, but you've got to remember that they can't do it alone--you have to do your part too by trying to relax and take it easy.

Did the doctors mention tachycardia? It's my understanding that that's the most common heart-related side-effect of many medications. I remember one time I was in the ER they took 13 consecutive EKGs trying to catch one of my 'flutters'. The 13th one was a charm, and it finally put an end to several weeks of trying to figure out what was going on.

Anyway, I'm not much of the praying sort, but in this case I'll make an exception. Hang in there, and give me a call if you want to talk.

 

[Mel&Keith]

I hope the doctors get everything sorted out quickly. I'm sure the stress of not knowing what's wrong isn't helping.

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Thanks guys. I am very sick right now, so my thought process is not quite right. Paul, I did have an 'episode' of tachycardia where my pulse went up to over 135 and my heart felt like it was pounding out of my chest.... but otherwise it remains at around 84 bpm.

What's going on is my heart will skip about every 5th beat, and then go in double time. Occasionally it will fibulate, which makes me feel like I am going to die. It's been going on like this for over 3 weeks, and seems to be getting worse. I go back in on the 3rd to see the Cardiologist.

Paul, I was thinking of you the entire time I was in the ER. I may discontinue my Cymbalta and see what happens...

 

[Jeremy Letkey]

Marcia, after Paul's post there is not much more to say. I echo his thoughts and am hoping for a diagnosis that you can deal with.

Thoughts and prayers.

 

[Jeanne]

but you've got to remember that they can't do it alone--you have to do your part too by trying to relax and take it easy.

That is probably the best advice that could be given to you right now. Even though that will probably the hardest thing for you to do.

I hope everything turns out ok for you. My thoughts and prayers are with you!

 

[nwheat]

Marcia if you need any help caring for everyone I'd be happy to come up for a day of cleaning - I don't go back to school until the end of January. Try to relax and not let the stress get to you! (((hugs)))

:smash:
stress

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

All I can input is that my dad has had disk replaced in his neck from donor bones and it was a long recover but he is so much better now, he had to sleep in a recliner because you cannot use your upper body to help you get up and little things like that but he was home in 3 days and without help in 5 and he did really well taking care of himself and cooking for himself.

Now that is NOTHING like taking care of geckos because you/he could not bend over, lift his hands over should high etc. You are going to need a lot of help IF you are having anything close to what he had to have done.

Yours may not be as bad or it may be worse, he had to have 3 vertabra (sp?) replaced in the area of the neck that holds your head up and they went in from the front because that is the only was to get to them.

Hang in there, the anticipation of the surgery alone can cause heart palpatations and many other things to go nuts, every time I go to the shrink mine goes haywire, I go to the cardio doc, ekg, stress test, Im fine.

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

he had to have 3 vertabra (sp?) replaced in the area of the neck that holds your head up and they went in from the front because that is the only was to get to them.

I need C-5, 6, & 7 replaced, and the discs will be cadaver tissue. They will go in from the front on me, too.

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

Ill ask my dad which ones of his were done when we go for new years dinner tomorrow.

 

[robin]

i get chest pains from time to time. i associate mine to gas. however sometimes when i get anxiety attack i get a rapid pulse and can have like where it feels like it skips a beat or flutters and some check pressure and a bit of pain.it scared the living shit outa me but i just try to relax and take a xanax

 

[PaulSage]

^see, if I had Xanax, I know I'd abuse it because I'd be taking it non-stop. :X

 

[robin]

thats the exact reason why my doctor will not prescribe me klonopin

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

I have had my share of panic attacks, and am prone to anxiety. It's just that I have never had such chronic, persistent anxiety last this long... almost 4 weeks!

 

[robin]

marcia i have had it last that long and longer, but i deal with panic and anxiety attacks on an almost daily basis. it fucking sucks

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

it fucking sucks

Yup, it does. I think you do an amazing job of coping with it, Robin.

 

[robin]

after 14 years you would think i would have a better handle on it but fuck they scare me just the same as they did the first time.

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Well, I do have ventricular tachacardia, and my EKG is showing severe Quadrigeminy PVC's in the sinus node. This means there is something causing the electrical impulses in my heart to persistently misfire, usually on the 4th beat. I also had a minor episode of fibulation, which is very scary, and if prolonged can cause sudden death.

I actually 'aced' my treadmill test, and there appears to be no underlying heart disease that is causing this. I get my ambulatory heart monitor taken off this afternoon, and then they will have to analyze the results before figuring out what to do next.

So, if I keel over, at least it will be quick! LOL!

 

[nwheat]

I'm so happy to hear there's no heart disease! Now that we have that on the "not" list, I hope they figure out what is wrong quickly for you! I'm sure it will be a relief not to be hooked up to that machine!

 

[Mel&Keith]

Hopefully they'll get a treatment plan worked out for you soon, we don't want you to keel over! My dad has lived with arrhythmia for years compounded by genetically high cholesterol. They found a medicine that "fixes his bad wiring", as he says, and he hasn't had any episodes since he started taking it. Maybe they can find something similar to work for you.