Off Topic: AndyS texted me about his situation: He's in a Ft. Worth hospital.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

Last edited Sun Sep 24, 2023, 04:09 PM - Edit history (1)

Yesterday, while he was home, his heart started beating very rapidly with a simultaneous drop in his blood pressure.
He realized he had to take care of this so he drove to the nearest hospital where he was seen in the ER.
The MD's there thought it would be best for him to be treated at a more advanced hospital, so he was transferred to one in Ft. Worth.
He was admitted there last night where he was examined.
His EKG was "perfect" according to an MD, but the blood work was concerning.
It was thought that he might have had a heart attack, but they weren't sure.

This morning, the Floor Doctor says all looks OK, but he has to get signed off by the cardiologist. Andy fully expects to be discharged home this afternoon.

He told me to go ahead and let all of you know what's going on.
I am more than relieved!


***Major Edit*** See my post #30 for the details

[LoisB]

1. Gracious! I am glad he is ok. Could it have been a panic/anxiety attack, mini stroke? It is

concerning that he drove himself to the hospital. Please let him know I wish him the best health.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. Thanks so much, my dear LoisB.

I don't know the details about what the problem really is.
And you can be sure he will read this thread, since he gave me permission to post it.

[AncientOfDays]

54. I had similar symptoms

Ended up getting Double Bypass.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

55. I hope all is well with you now, my dear AncientOfDays! That's a serious procedure. ♥

[AncientOfDays]

74. Well, that was early 2016

and I'm still here.

[mike_c]

2. I hope he makes a full recovery!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

7. Right there with you, my dear mike_c! And how.

[2naSalit]

3. Thank you for...

Relaying that, dear Peggy!

Sending all good energy in his direction!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

8. Thanks for your response, my dear 2naSalit! I'm sure Andy appreciates it. I know I do. ♥

[Diamond_Dog]

4. Thank you, CaliforniaPeggy.

Pretty darn scary and I hope he will be OK from now on in. He’s a valued member of our DU community. Wishing Andy all the best.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

9. Your excellent wishes match my own, my dear Diamond_Dog! Scary certainly is the word. Thank you! ♥

[AllaN01Bear]

5. afib can be scarry.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

10. Afib certainly can be scary; I've had it too.

I don't think the Dr's. know exactly what the rhythm was. It's normal now.
I hope they've figured it out.

Thanks for chiming in, my dear AllaNO1Bear!

[AllaN01Bear]

23. have had a ablation which only lasted a year and have dealt w afib

for five. meds that are ballanced out help too also

[alfredo]

11. A functioning heart comes in handy. Stay on the right course.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

12. Absolutely right, my dear alfredo! He plans to do just that. Thank you. ♥

[alfredo]

13. Thank you.

For all you NPH sufferers

?si=iFiupB-rGgWuS4SW

[Old Crank]

14. Glad to hear he is okay

I've just had a battery of tests for an AFib alert from my fitbit. Found nothing. Will keep wearing the device.

Get well soon Andy

[CaliforniaPeggy]

15. Thanks for your good wishes, my dear Old Crank!

I'm glad you're doing well too.

[George McGovern]

16. For Andy -- May you regain your health and soon.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

19. Thank you so much, my dear George! He is always striving to be in better health. He will persevere. nt

[Mousetoescamper]

17. I'm glad that it seems Andy's well enough to be released. Hoping for the best.

Thanks for letting us Know, Peggy.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

20. Thanks so much, my dear Mousetoescamper!

It is good news.
I am happy to let you know!

[CrispyQ]

18. Wishing him a speedy recovery!

I am too familiar with the ER & heart issues. I met a major exercise goal recently so all I can say is persevere!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

22. Thanks so much, my dear CrispyQ!

I'm sure he plans to persevere! He's wired that way.

Good on you for meeting your major exercise goal!

[wyn borkins]

21. Sending Healing Smiles

Wishing and hoping
Hoping and wishing

You return right
Here right soon

(Our) AndyS
Love, Wyn

[CaliforniaPeggy]

25. Thank you so much for your beautiful verse, my dear wyn borkins!

Andy appreciates poetry and yours is perfect.

[shenmue]

24. Oh my word

[CaliforniaPeggy]

26. Indeed, my dear shenmue! I said something similar when he told me about all this. Yikes! ♥ nt

[calimary]

27. Well, that's good to hear.

Thanks for keeping us posted!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

31. Thank you, my dear calimary! My pleasure. See post #30. nt

[Grumpy Old Guy]

28. Yikes!

Wishing Andy a speedy recovery. Keep us posted.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

32. Thank you, my dear Grumpy! I hear ya. He's doing well. See my post #30. nt

[Callalily]

29. How very scary!

Glad that Andy is alright and heading home. Best place to be to recoup.

Sending warm wishes and healing vibes his way.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

33. Thank you so much, my dear Callalily! I'm glad too that he's going home. See my post #30. nt

[CaliforniaPeggy]

30. ***Major Update: Andy has a diagnosis***

His diagnosis is SVT. SupraVentricularTachycardia.
Loosely translated it means an irregular heartbeat that starts above the ventricles at a rate greater than 100 beats per minute.

Apparently there is a nerve responsible for this. There is also a normal nerve that controls the normal heart beat.

Andy will have out-patient surgery in about 6 weeks to cut the nerve responsible. Then the SVT should stop.

He just called to tell me all this, and he's being discharged this afternoon.

[Grumpy Old Guy]

36. Thanks for the update dear Peggy!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

37. You're so very welcome, my dear Grumpy!

You can imagine my relief when he told me that he hadn't had a heart attack!

[Beartracks]

40. Oh, wow.

I've got some family members with atrial fibrillation (a-fib), but I'm given to understand that v-tach is more serious, I think.

Some a-fib cases are also triggered from a nerve cluster, and it, too, can be fixed by a surgical procedure -- an ablation that destroys the offending nerve(s). It could also be managed with a drug that simply prevents the erratic impulses, but I don't know if that's a possibility with v-tach.

I wish AndyS the best with his surgery, and will keep him in my prayers.

============

[CaliforniaPeggy]

46. Thanks for your good thoughts, my dear Beartracks!

However, allow me to clear up the difference between Vtach and SVT. They are very different.
And Andy doesn't have atrial fibrillation either.

SVT (supraventricular tachycardia) is an abnormal rhythm that originates in the upper chamber of the heart. It causes the heart to beat very rapidly at rates above 100 beats per minute.
This will be controlled surgically: the nerve causing it will be cut, leaving the good nerve to work as it should.

Hope this helps!

[Grasswire2]

43. SVT is fairly common phenomenon, and treatable.

Not only are there meds that lessen the chances, but there are techniques that can stop the tach.

Vagal techniques. Take a deep deep breath, hold it as long as you can, then exhale as long as you can. Repeat. That is called the Valsalva Maneuver.
There are variations: get a bowl of ice water, hold a deep breath while immersing your face into the ice water and hold it as long as you can. Pull face out of water and exhale deeply. Repeat as necessary.
Another variation involves taking a deep breath, then blowing into a drinking straw with the other end pinched off by your fingers. Hold it as long as you can, then exhale. Repeat as necessary.

Those are a few techniques.

Long history here of SVT. Long, long history.

A little gadget called a pulse oximeter is a good thing to have. It clips on your fingertip, and shows your pulse and also your oxygen level. About twenty bucks at any pharmacy or on amazon.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

47. Thanks for all these details, my dear Grasswire2!

You obviously have been there and done that. I am glad you're still here.

I am sure Andy will appreciate all your wisdom.

[Grasswire2]

53. Usually a beta blocker med will be prescribed.

Carvedilol, atenolol, something similar.

[ancianita]

44. Thank you so much. I'm so glad his problem is fixable.

I've learned so much from him, and was afraid we'd lost him.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

48. I was afraid we'd lost him too, my dear ancianita. Scared me half to death!

The problem is definitely fixable and he will be fine.

Thank you for your good thoughts!

[MLAA]

52. Great news! Thanks for the update and all the best to AndyS!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

56. Thanks for your wonderful reply, my dear MLAA! It's such good news. ♥

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

72. So good to hear!

[SYFROYH]

34. Get well soon AndyS

You're my favorite gun controller I'll go easy on you when you get back

[sinkingfeeling]

35. Here's to a good fix and speedy recovery.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

39. Thanks for your respose, my dear sinkingfeeling! nt

[CaliforniaPeggy]

38. Thank you for responding, SYFROYH!

[TexasDem69]

41. Hope he's ok!

We clash on gun control issues but he’s very thoughtful about the issue. Get well soon!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

49. Thank you, TexasDem69 . . . I know he'll appreciate your good thoughts. nt

[niyad]

42. Vibes for healing and strength and a full and swift recovery headed your way, AndyS.

Dear Miss Peggy, I just saw this. Thank you so much for keeping us posted. Hope you can relax a bit now. I know that you were worried.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

50. Thank you so much, my dear niyad!

I thought all his friends here would want to know about this.
And since he's much better now, with a cure in the works, you can bet I'm a lot more relaxed!

Thank you again.

[George McGovern]

45. Thank You Peggy! Best wishes to Andy!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

51. Thank you for your lovely response, my dear George! Andy certainly appreciates your thoughts as well. ♥

[Ilsa]

57. I'm so glad he made it through this scare and got a diagnosis!

Wishing only the best for him, and an easy surgical outcome.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

58. You and me both, my dear Ilsa!

I so very relieved to hear his good news today.

I suspect it will be a lot easier from here on out.
Thank you for your very kind remarks!

[Skittles]

59. he really should not have driven anywhere!

hope he will be OK

[CaliforniaPeggy]

60. It's true, my dear Skittles, but there was nobody to help him. And the first hospital was close by.

I am sure that he will be OK!

[HAB911]

61. Sending all the positive energy possible!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

63. Thanks so much, my dear HAB911! Very kind of you. ♥

[Goddessartist]

62. Wow! So glad he was diagnosed and it can be taken care of!

I had a heart attack last year, Broken Heart Syndrome, and have POTS (Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) and Dysautonomia. I'm so very glad he can get the surgery to repair!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

64. Wow, my dear Goddessartist! Thank you so much for your remarks.

Yikes! You've really been through it and then some. Best of luck to you as well.
I am likewise relieved that there will be surgery to fix his situation.

[Goddessartist]

67. Well it all seems like a dream....thank you! Just tell him to take it easy until the surgery!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

68. Will do! ♥

[MontanaMama]

65. Wow! I'm so happy to hear AndyS can get this problem resolved.

I am traveling and haven’t been checking in on DU regularly and when I read the original OP, it worried me. Glad to read the update post #30. This is welcome good news. Thank you CaliforniaPeggy for being a friend to AndyS. 🙏

[CaliforniaPeggy]

66. Thank you so much for your lovely words, my dear MontanaMama!

I was pretty worried too, until Andy told me they'd figured out what happened and how to fix it.
It's a huge relief!

[SWBTATTReg]

69. Goodness...I'm glad that they came up w/ a diagnosis, often times, these can be hard to figure out.

Next time, perhaps instead of driving himself, he should have a buddy on call, to take him. I was nervous thinking about what if a repeat episode occurred while he was driving there? As it turned out, all is well as he got there aok. As to the diagnosis, like I said, at least now they know what's going on, and can take the appropriate meds etc. to handle it. I had a Afib condition most of my life, and finally after being monitored a whole month (w/ a mobile heart monitor), they finally figured out what was going on, that I was having AFIB attacks literally everyday, and didn't know it.

Listen to your heart! It may save your life!

Thanks Calif Peggy for the news update...

[CaliforniaPeggy]

70. Thank you for your great supportive thoughts, my dear SWBTATTReg! My pleasure to share. ♥

[MagickMuffin]

71. Thanks CaliforniaPeggy, and Healing Light to Andy

I might be able to help provide transportation if there isn’t a conflict in my schedule, and it’s needed.


Andy glad you’re doing better and will be released soon!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

73. Thanks for your offers of help and for your thoughtful remarks, my dear MagickMuffin!

Actually, Andy went home yesterday afternoon.