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Now it's my turn to freak out over something medical. Need a sounding board and some support svp

@Mreader:

I know there is nothing that will take away the worrying. If you have any anxiety meds, I would absolutely take them now, just to get you over the first hurdles, the testing tomorrow.

But I am really here to tell you about my Dad's bad heart and how the medical system has kept him healthy and alive, through various fairly non-invasive procedures for 40+ years since his first major heart attack.

Every male on my father's side had died young from heart disease. Like your husband, my Dad seemed to stave it off by always exercising and because of modern medicine. He is now 90 and healthy. He has seen it all, from surgeries, stents, artery cleaning (don't know the proper term), bp meds, heart monitors, blood thinners - the list goes on. The neat thing to know is that most procedures now, if needed at all and it sounds unlikely at this point, are hardly invasive and often one and done and out that day or next.

I agree with @LilAlex that if anything, its likely angina. No, he should not have to have any pain or discomfort when he runs (other than the actual act of running :lol-2:) and you are taking care of that. After the EKG and stress test they'll know more. Only if warranted, they'll do an angiogram - again, a fairly easy and straightforward procedure. Or he might need to wear a heart monitor for a few days. Again, easy peasy. You are such a long way away from anything truly major.

I absolutely agree with others - your doctor might be completely competent, but his bedside manner is unacceptable to you.

If you're still reading after all that, I have two quick stories about my medical journeying - and no sympathy required.

Heart Story
I went to my PCP, having a checkup and happened to mention that my GERD seemed worse when I was exercising, especially classes where I was getting up and down off the floor. She said I should be checked out, because women's heart attack symptoms were often different than mens and might present as burning. Despite my reassuring her that I had acid reflux for years and this sure felt like it, I was off for an EKG and stress test. In other words, they don't play around. EKG was normal. Went for the stress test and almost immediately "failed". I was not allowed to leave the office, went by wheelchair to the emergency room and was immediately hooked up to machines and told I was not allowed to leave until I had an angiogram. Waited a day in a hospital bed, had the angiogram which showed everything to be great (only hitch was, ironically, an allergy I had to contrast dye which caused some kind of reaction that required measures to revive me and put me in the ICU for another day). Taking no chances, however, they had me wear a heart monitor for a few days. Outcome: I have a benign abnormality which causes my heart to beat irregularly when I do cardio exercise. I am not suggesting any similarity between your DH, but simply, they will not mess around at all where the heart is concerned!

Firing a Doctor Story
I was diagnosed with an aggressive, scary breast cancer when I was in my late 30's with two young toddlers. I'll spare the details, but prognosis was not good. I had an oncologist who might have been awesome medically, but no bedside manner. I had 3 months of neoadjuvant chemo because the tumors were too big for surgery (I'm sure things have changed since). My Dad came with me to every appointment (yep, same one as above). Halfway through these treatments, I had a check-in appointment with the oncologist who measured my breast and found it had grown. The reason it had grown was an obvious hematoma that I had - even I knew that! But the oncologist, with his excellent bedside manner, actually turned to my father and said: "This is not a good sign - you might want to have that checked." :oops2::oops2: My father, bless his heart, came unglued. One of the only times I've seen him yell at a non-family member, lol! I remember my Dad yelling: "Isn't that YOUR job?!" We left the appointment, I immediately requested a new oncologist who turned out to be the best thing ever. Oh, as an aside, that was 20+ years ago and I'm still here and fine.

I will be thinking of you and your DH, sending you prayers and positive energy and checking in on you daily. I wish I could wrap you up in a big warm hug because I think its harder to be the patient's spouse than it is to be the patient!
 
thank you @minousbijoux for all the details and wow I am so glad for you that you are cancer-free and that things weren't worse with the heart thing (geez the ICU situation sounds awful!). And yes I'm on the anti-anxiety meds for sure until we get over this hump or know what he heck is going on.

It sounds like angina but I thought angina was still related to cardiovascular disease...again I am learning.

Also regarding stress test - I also just learned it is non-nuclear (I was wondering why it was so easy to get the appt because they were like "oh this doesn't require any pre-authorization!). So I'm glad we are doing it but when I read about nuclear vs non, nuclear sounds better bc of imaging. Was your stress test non-nuclear or nuclear or do you remember?
 
Mreader said:
ETA - I don’t understand the “bread and butter” expression…
Click to expand...

I just meant very straightforward for the experts; uncomplicated. Something they do every day. Sorry to be opaque!
 
@Mreader my sincerest hopes for you.

Cancer is just a whole bunch of bullshit. I can’t believe I haven’t gotten it yet. Every day I feel this impending doom; I’m always worried and waiting for when it’s gonna come get me. Lol (but not really)

I hope hope hope for you, period.
 
Mreader said:
He actually does have a fitbit with the heart feature and has run that test on it and the tests come out normal. And there have not been any alerts and he wears it 24/7

And yes I am very upset that he did not say this sooner because not only for the obvious health issue, but for our work abroad. We would have a clearer picture now rather than later. I'm trying to let go of that (not doing a great job atm).
Click to expand...

This sounds like a good thing. Not that I'm in any way professionally qualified to have an opinion, but it sounds promising that his heart does not beat in an easy to detect erratic way even when he is exercising and feeling the pain.

Good luck for the appointment. I'm sure it'll go well.
 
Fingers crossed that the tests show nothing serious! Obviously, the doctor did not feel it’s an emergency or he would have sent him right to the hospital.
I actually wouldn’t mind the ER bill vs funeral bill comment directed to my husband. Even though he has serious medical issues in his family, he puts everything off because he is “too busy”. It must be frustrating for doctors to hear that patients have known about issues and wait to come in. I may be in the minority but straight talk works for me.
 
I'm late to this thread, but hoping for the best!
Try not to stress, you need to be his rock right now.
{{{{Hugs}}}}
 
No words of wisdom @Mreader, just wanted to say I hope the tests today will shed light on the situation so you know how to proceed.
 
Holding your hand, right now @Mreader.
 
Good luck and hope you get good news soon so your anxiety is relieved and your hubby feels better.
 
I would like to update everyone. I am very happy to report that the EKG, Stress Test, and Echo were NORMAL. So that is great news and I am glad that we got it fast. But they did say that a normal test doesn't mean a blockage does not exist. The tech was who spoke to DH, and basically said that the doc might order additional testing such as a nuclear stress test. I had begun reading about the differences between these two tests and the nuclear one shows much more, so it is a test that I want to do.
This is the part where I don't know if the "doc" in question is the cardiologist where appointments aren't available until late April early May (unacceptable for me) OR if she meant "doc" as in PCP. My husband was the one who spoke to the person and he just assumed cardiologist. I went ahead and called the PCP to leave a message and told the receptionist that I would like for the PCP to order the nuclear test if possible and/or try to expedite an appointment with the cardiologist. Thank you everyone for your advice and well wishes. It really means alot to me.
 
Mreader said:
What did Gary end up having to do @Daisys and Diamonds if you don't mind sharing?
Click to expand...

he had had a heart attack
actually the locum GP missed it with some serouse miscomunication with the hospital but he survived (we could have made an offical complaint) so he was still functioning as normal when he should have been taking it easy, or already being treated
it got picked up next visit by our regular GP when he went to the doctor for something unrelated
anyway in answer to your question they thought he would need a bipass but on the day of the angiogram he just got stents

oh and from a while back i had to smile
bread and butter refers to something pretty basic, rather ordinary
 
Mreader said:
I would like to update everyone. I am very happy to report that the EKG, Stress Test, and Echo were NORMAL. So that is great news and I am glad that we got it fast. But they did say that a normal test doesn't mean a blockage does not exist. The tech was who spoke to DH, and basically said that the doc might order additional testing such as a nuclear stress test. I had begun reading about the differences between these two tests and the nuclear one shows much more, so it is a test that I want to do.
This is the part where I don't know if the "doc" in question is the cardiologist where appointments aren't available until late April early May (unacceptable for me) OR if she meant "doc" as in PCP. My husband was the one who spoke to the person and he just assumed cardiologist. I went ahead and called the PCP to leave a message and told the receptionist that I would like for the PCP to order the nuclear test if possible and/or try to expedite an appointment with the cardiologist. Thank you everyone for your advice and well wishes. It really means alot to me.
Click to expand...

this sounds good
well not about the two month delay
hopefully your GP (im pretty sure thats what a PCP is) can chase this up
 
Daisys and Diamonds said:
he had had a heart attack
actually the locum GP missed it with some serouse miscomunication with the hospital but he survived (we could have made an offical complaint) so he was still functioning as normal when he should have been taking it easy, or already being treated
it got picked up next visit by our regular GP when he went to the doctor for something unrelated
anyway in answer to your question they thought he would need a bipass but on the day of the angiogram he just got stents

oh and from a while back i had to smile
bread and butter refers to something pretty basic, rather ordinary
Click to expand...

Wow Daisy that all sounds stressful and I’m so glad he is ok despite a serious error on the part of the GP (and yes PCP is primary care physician so I think the same as GP )
 
Glad the testing this far is normal. I would want him checked for any potential blockages as well. Hopefully you can both rest easier tonight!
 
Late seeing this, @Mreader. So glad your DH's test thus far as inside "normal", and I hope your stress reduces.

Re nuclear stress test: I have high familial cholesterol, and have a benign heart murmur since forever. After a long sequence of events that I'll spare everyone, I had a series of heart tests, and everything was perfectly healthy except for one weensy area in one weensy part of the heart. The cardiologist ordered a nuclear stress test.

On the day of the test, after the first round of stressing the heart (briskly walking on a treadmill, with increasing speed/incline until I hit the target heart rate for my age group), I had imaging done. Then had two, maybe three tiny drops of the radioactive agent. After administering it, I was sent to a waiting area where those of us who were irradiated could. not. be. in. contact. with other patients. I was hard-pressed not to burst out laughing. Shades of Homer Simpson!

After the next bit of stress test with the tracer agent, the same weensy spot "lit up". The doc said that if I didn't have familial cholesterol that he would have just sent me away after the regular stress test. Le sigh. So, all good.
 
SparklieBug said:
Late seeing this, @Mreader. So glad your DH's test thus far as inside "normal", and I hope your stress reduces.

Re nuclear stress test: I have high familial cholesterol, and have a benign heart murmur since forever. After a long sequence of events that I'll spare everyone, I had a series of heart tests, and everything was perfectly healthy except for one weensy area in one weensy part of the heart. The cardiologist ordered a nuclear stress test.

On the day of the test, after the first round of stressing the heart (briskly walking on a treadmill, with increasing speed/incline until I hit the target heart rate for my age group), I had imaging done. Then had two, maybe three tiny drops of the radioactive agent. After administering it, I was sent to a waiting area where those of us who were irradiated could. not. be. in. contact. with other patients. I was hard-pressed not to burst out laughing. Shades of Homer Simpson!

After the next bit of stress test with the tracer agent, the same weensy spot "lit up". The doc said that if I didn't have familial cholesterol that he would have just sent me away after the regular stress test. Le sigh. So, all good.
Click to expand...

Interesting. That’s pretty funny about the Radioactive thing. I guess I understand why they call it nuclear lol. Because of DH’s family history and his symptoms. I would be more comfortable with a nuclear test. Bc all is “normal” but now is he never supposed to run?! Still wondering about the symptoms!
 
Yeh!!! good news that the tests were ok.
I have been praying for good news for you/him.
Coincidentally I had my cardiologist appointment and EKG today.
 
Karl_K said:
Yeh!!! good news that the tests were o.
I have been praying for good news for you/him.
Coincidentally I had my cardiologist appointment and EKG today.
Click to expand...

I hope it went well!
 
So happy everything was normal! You're a great advocate!
 
I'm so relieved for you, Mreader! I hope the nuclear stress test will also turn out well.
 
Wonderful update and may his nuclear stress test be in the clear. My DH had that and it is much easier than it sounds...good luck!
 
HI:

So far so good (news)! Hope it provides reassurance. And I hope he gets the MPI soon.

cheers--Sharon
 
I’m glad the initial tests are all normal. I hope your husband’s nuclear test is normal too. Wishing everyone health.
 
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