PSA - Be Body Aware

[Timeshare Von]

PSA (long) . . .

Once again I find myself advocating for knowing your body and being proactive when something "just seems not right."

This past week I woke up experiencing what I described as tightness in my chest, accompanied by some shortness of breath. It seemed minor enough, that I even went to my regular 8am Silver Sneakers class at the Y. As someone with known heart issues, I don't take such lightly, but this really just seemed like not much to worry about.

Fast forward through the day, it wasn't going away . . . but wasn't getting worse either. That is, until after dinner and taking a short walk out in our yard with Lizzy (our dog). It was then, that I knew I needed to seek medical attention.

Long story short, they didn't know exactly why I was having the symptoms but an elevated troponin level plus an episode of VTach while under observation in the ER, earned me an overnight admission to the hospital.

The next day after a couple of rather standard cardio-tests, it was determined my heart was functioning as it should and that I had not had a heart attack. BUT . . . the echo cardiogram resulted in a finding of a PFO (Patent Foramen Ovale) which is a hole between the upper chambers of the heart, which affects blood flow inside the heart. I was discharged from the hospital roughly 20 hours after arriving at the ER the night before.

Given that most of my known heart issues are in the lower chambers and the reason I had an ICD implanted in Dec 2021, I'm unsure what this means for me long-term. I will be seeing my cardiologist on Monday morning.

I share this to encourage everyone to be body aware and to seek medical attention when something is seemingly not right.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

Yvonne. I am glad you took steps to seek medical attention. Great PSA for all. Hope you are feeling better and out traveling again soon.

 

[Timeshare Von]

Yvonne. I am glad you took steps to seek medical attention. Great PSA for all. Hope you are feeling better and out traveling again soon.

Thanks so much! I'm hoping none of this will affect my upcoming travel plans in the coming months.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Whoa, that is such great advice. Don't ignore symptoms. Thank you for the reminder.

It's good that you know your body well enough to seek medical attention. Good for you for not ignoring it.

I have put on a few pounds after losing 82 pounds, and I am struggling to get those back off without going back on the special foods. It's a big deal to gain even 15 pounds back. My clothes are tight. I need to get on my exercise bike again and keep my heart rate up for 25 minutes a day.

 

[MabelP]

Thank you so much for sharing this. So very much appreciated.

 

[Timeshare Von]

Whoa, that is such great advice. Don't ignore symptoms. Thank you for the reminder.

It's good that you know your body well enough to seek medical attention. Good for you for not ignoring it.

I have put on a few pounds after losing 82 pounds, and I am struggling to get those back off without going back on the special foods. It's a big deal to gain even 15 pounds back. My clothes are tight. I need to get on my exercise bike again and keep my heart rate up for 25 minutes a day.

The challenge of weight loss and keeping it off is real. I can relate, as this past year has been a struggle for me to keep off ALL the weight I lost in 2022-23. You in my thoughts and prayers as you work to stay on a healthy life plan.

 

[mentalbreak]

Always a great reminder and I am glad that your awareness served you well. I hope your appointment goes well next week.

 

[easyrider]

I'm still a wait and see guy. I know I shouldn't be. Thanks for the reminder.

Bill

 

[Luvtoride]

Von, let us know how you made out at your Cardiologist appointment today. I'm sure he/she will fully explain the implications of the upper chamber of your heart.

No, we shouldn't take anything for granted. I have a history of cardiac issues, including AFib, a heart attack 12 years ago and a pacemaker. I had experienced some right side chest pain just before Christmas last year, as our family was preparing to travel to Florida to board a holiday cruise. After spending about 20 hours in the hospital ER and being subjected to every cardiac test possible, I was discharged with no specific diagnosis other than "it was not cardiac related". The symptoms persisted (although not terrible) and I went to the medical (sick bay?) doctor on the ship. By this time a rash had spread across my right flank, where the pain was coming from. It turned out I had Shingles (something that was never tested for in the hospital). I had gotten the shingles shots a couple of years ago, so my symptoms weren't terrible. You just never know!

 

[VacationForever]

Whoa, that is such great advice. Don't ignore symptoms. Thank you for the reminder.

It's good that you know your body well enough to seek medical attention. Good for you for not ignoring it.

I have put on a few pounds after losing 82 pounds, and I am struggling to get those back off without going back on the special foods. It's a big deal to gain even 15 pounds back. My clothes are tight. I need to get on my exercise bike again and keep my heart rate up for 25 minutes a day.

I am at normal BMI but could lose 10 lbs, which have been a struggle for the past twenty years. I yo-yo over 5 lbs at my current weight, which is 10 lbs more than where I want to be. I was at the top of my 5-lb yo-yo before my trip to Monterery a week ago. What I had decided to not do was to snack over the course of the day. When I was home, I would snack after lunch and after dinner. It's easy to do because I golf in the morning and I usually do not have much to do after lunch time. I seem to be more disciplined when I am travelling. So far, I have only snacked twice over the past week. I did buy a box of 10 individual size potato chips and they are still sitting in the box. I can tell that I have lost a couple of pounds already.

 

[WaikikiFirst]

right side chest pain ... Shingles

MDs seem to have a terrible time figuring out somehting so simple and common as shingles. When I got it, I had classic symptoms (right SHOULDER pain & a red mark running down from right side of neck to near tricep (iirc the endpt). Doc had no clue. RXed me anti-biotic. I love anti-biotics. Went home happy. 30 hrs later, NOT happy. It was worse, which has never happened in my life taking an anti-biotic for anything.
At the 30 hr mark, I called my sis, who was a damned fine nurse, but was then workign in pharma marketing. I described my systems (quite accurately as it turns out). It took her 2 sec, over the phone, to say "You have shingles. That is classic shingles. You don't need an anti-biotic. You need an anti-viral, one of these (and then she named 3 anti-virals and said which one was most often RXed.). We hung up.
I googled Shingles. The 1st 2 paragraphs of the description on the first link (mayoclinic maybe) were almost exactly word-for-word what I had told my sis. Unbelievable.

I called my doc's office and basically said "Hey, you guys screwed up. I have shingles. This anti-biotic won't do a thing. I need this anti-viral (repeated name my sis recommended)." They didn't even blink. Sure didn't ask me to come in. Simply said "OK, we will call in that Rx in a few minutes. Go pick it up."

all I can add is that from everything I read it is really not chest pain. I never described it as chest pain, It comes more from the posterior, from a nerve that runs as I said above. Always felt like shoulder or neck pain to me. If you kept telling them "chest" pain I can give the MDs a bit of a pass, but after my experience I just SMH at the inability for them to think "ummm, Shingles?"

Maybe they watch too much "House" and every disease / symptom has to be exotic and complicated.

 

[pedro47]

To the OP, thanks for sharing your post. We need to be aware of our body changing symptom's.

 

[Timeshare Von]

I'm still a wait and see guy. I know I shouldn't be. Thanks for the reminder.

Bill

My BIL was too . . . and after 4-5 months of chest pains he just wrote off as heartburn, he landed in the emergency room and nearly died (twice). He had triple by-pass surgery once they could stabilize him enough for the open heart procedure 4 days later. He had a 95% blockage in one, and two over 50%. He had to be brought back while on the operating table, and has begun his long road to recovery.

 

[Timeshare Von]

Von, let us know how you made out at your Cardiologist appointment today. I'm sure he/she will fully explain the implications of the upper chamber of your heart.

No, we shouldn't take anything for granted. I have a history of cardiac issues, including AFib, a heart attack 12 years ago and a pacemaker. I had experienced some right side chest pain just before Christmas last year, as our family was preparing to travel to Florida to board a holiday cruise. After spending about 20 hours in the hospital ER and being subjected to every cardiac test possible, I was discharged with no specific diagnosis other than "it was not cardiac related". The symptoms persisted (although not terrible) and I went to the medical (sick bay?) doctor on the ship. By this time a rash had spread across my right flank, where the pain was coming from. It turned out I had Shingles (something that was never tested for in the hospital). I had gotten the shingles shots a couple of years ago, so my symptoms weren't terrible. You just never know!

WOW on the shingles! I'm glad it wasn't anything more serious. And for me, no conclusive reason "why" for me either.

I was just coming back to this thread to post an update.

 

[Timeshare Von]

<<SNIPPED>>

Maybe they watch too much "House" and every disease / symptom has to be exotic and complicated.

I think I've watched too much House. But it was always cool when they had a case to Dx that ended up being something I have had. The best was the little kid who played baseball in his backyard and had gotten histoplasmosis from "the dirt" and couldn't be the bone marrow donor for his brother. I had "histo" in Iowa (2006) and had no idea what it was. At first they were thinking it was lung cancer! Thank God it wasn't, but every chest xray I have had since shows the remnants and the golf ball sized calcification of the mass in my right lung.

 

[Timeshare Von]

7/22/24 Update: I just saw my general cardiologist. All is good . . . he confirmed I did not have a heart attack and that the PFO is nothing to really be concerned with and did not cause whatever the "incident" was that landed me in the hospital last week. My HCM and the apical aneurysm I have are stable and the Vtach is just something that comes with that disease. He has increased one of my heart meds to help the heart with blood flow efficiency which should decrease the potential for Vtach and other "plumbing issues" (my words, not his LOL). Perhaps the biggest outcome from the visit . . . "alcohol/booze is not my heart's friend" and should be avoided . . . PERIOD. With HCM and the other heart issues I have, alcohol can cause problems I just shouldn't mess around with.

I appreciate everyone's concern & well wishes. I look forward to continuing on as planned on my summer of retirement and travel. Next road trip . . . WNY/Buffalo, Ontario & Michigan in August.

 

[easyrider]

Perhaps the biggest outcome from the visit . . . "alcohol/booze is not my heart's friend" and should be avoided . . . PERIOD. With HCM and the other heart issues I have, alcohol can cause problems I just shouldn't mess around with.

It's been a while since I was able to really drink. The reasons are similar to yours. It was no problem to stop because of my health not allowing it. After not drinking for a while I don't really miss it. I still have a few drinks here or there but it's a rarity. I stopped sugar & processed foods too but do enjoy some of those items occasionally. I don't really miss those either. It sounds like you are on the right path Von.

Bill

 

[RustyShackleford]

Sugar and processed foods are some of the hardest ones to avoid. It was eye opening to see how conditioned to eating them I was when I first started to cut them out. Sugar is in EVERYTHING you buy from the store. Thankfully, I'm able to substitute monk fruit sweetener when a recipe really needs sugar.

 

[pedro47]

WOW on the shingles! I'm glad it wasn't anything more serious. And for me, no conclusive reason "why" for me either.

I was just coming back to this thread to post an update.

To everyone please kept that shingle shot.
Shingle is nothing to play with.

 

[chapjim]

I've had the Shingrix and booster. My wife refuses to get the vaccine despite my pleas, attempts to scare her, etc. Shingles in people our age (mid- to late-70s) is, as @pedro47 says, nothing to play with.

Oddly, our daughter had shingles when she was 13 or 14. She was an elite competitive swimmer and you can't get in the water until all blisters have dried out. She missed the qualifying meet for junior nationals.

 

[JudyH]

My son had shingles at age 38. He’s 42 now. I was very surprised.

 

[moonstone]

Next road trip . . . WNY/Buffalo, Ontario & Michigan in August.

Oooh -where in Ontario? I'm 30 mins north of Barrie, almost an hour east of Collingwood. We usually have nice weather up here in August and most of the mosquitoes have died off!

~Diane

 

[moonstone]

I've had the Shingrix and booster. My wife refuses to get the vaccine despite my pleas, attempts to scare her, etc. Shingles in people our age (mid- to late-70s) is, as @pedro47 says, nothing to play with.

My Mom didnt want the shot either, but Dad got it when their Dr recommended it when they were in their late 60's. About 20 years ago my Mom was complaining of bad pain behind her shoulder blade, she also thought it could be heart problems as she had a mild heart attack in her early 60's and then 5 stents put in. Dad took her to Emerg where they said her heart was fine, she must have pulled a muscle. The Dr gave her some muscle relaxants and sent her home. Mom took the meds, and probably a glass or 3 of wine, then laid on a heating pad switched to high and fell asleep. About 4-5 hrs later Dad called me and said I think you need to come and look at your Mom's back! I was a nurses aid in a long term care home so I'd seen a few cases of shingles but when I lifted Mom's shirt I was shocked, it looked like 2nd degree burns! Dad and I took her back to Emerg where they treated the burns and then a different Dr questioned shingles. They started her on the antiviral meds as well. By the next day it was evident it was shingles under, and extending past, the burn. Mom was in agony for weeks, and she finally consented to getting the Shingrix shot and booster.

Both DH & I have had the Shingrix shot and booster which reminds me, I need to ask our Dr if it's time for another shot as it's been 5 years now.

~Diane

 

[mentalbreak]

To everyone please kept that shingle shot.
Shingle is nothing to play with.

I had shingles last year, 2 months before I was eligible for the vaccine. Luckily it was not that painful for me. And I am beyond thankful that it provided enough incentive for me to be on top of all of my recommended screenings afterwards because my screening mammogram found breast cancer this January.

 

[easyrider]

I had shingles last year, 2 months before I was eligible for the vaccine. Luckily it was not that painful for me. And I am beyond thankful that it provided enough incentive for me to be on top of all of my recommended screenings afterwards because my screening mammogram found breast cancer this January.

That's a bummer. It sounds like they caught it early.

We had our shingles shots. My wife almost went to the ER after the first shot but did fine on the second shot. I did fine on the first shot but caught shingles on the second shot. I went to the doctor and she said it's unusual. I was going to wait it out but my wife and kids badgered me into going to the doctor.

Bill