I couldn't make this up if I wanted to.

[gatorsmom]

You guys are all going to think I have one of those disorders where I make up problems to post about and get attention. I swear, I'm not creative enough to come up with this stuff.

On top of taking care of my dad with his cancer stuff, and our nanny which has given notice, and now Greenbean with his ever-worsening sensory issues, this morning, I had ANOTHER heart-arhythmia episode. I rarely get them- about once or twice a year. My heart starts pounding like Im running a race at full speed. And it won't stop even when i'm sitting down. And I'm under the care of a cardiologist who taught me how to do vagual nerve (sp??) manuevers to bring my heart back to a normal rhythm when this occurs. Since I only have these episodes once or twice a year- NORMALLY- this is all I really need. A vagual manuever is as simple as massaging the nerve in my neck, or pressing on my eyelids. I've done this a couple of times and my heartbeat went right back to normal.

Except this morning. Nothing worked. Not even jumping into a cold shower (I've heard that jumping in a pool of water can restart the rhythm). So, I yelled at DH that he had to drive me to the ER so I could get Adenosine (my doc told me that's what to ask for if ever I couldn't get the manuevers to work). But on the way there, my heart just went back to it's normal rhythm. So, we turned around and went home.

Normally, I wouldn't worry. Like I said, I've been able to stop these the 1 or 2 times a year they happen. But, I just had an episode a month ago. I got rid of that one. This one I'm not sure I got rid of it or it stopped on its own. So, to be safe, I'm going to go to a new cardiologist. They aren't serious, but my cardiologist predicted a few years ago that it's likely they will get worse. they could eventually turn into something serious. But maybe I won't have another episode for 6 months, right?

But, man, I just dont' need ONE MORE THING to think about right now, ya know?

Ok, just venting here. I"ve been all in a tizzy since this happened this morning and I needed to vent. Thanks for listening (again!).

[DietCokeLover]

Seriously, bless your heart! (no pun intended)

You have so much going on, I don't know how you are managing. Please take care of yourself in the midst of taking care of so many others.

Prayers coming your way as soon as I hit "submit reply".

[Fairy]

Another thing you can do is when it starts, bear down really hard, like you're constipated or you're pushing out a baby. That should stop them immdiately.

I'm so sorry. This sucks for you. You cannot get a break. It sounds like the arrithmia (totally spelled wrong) might be stress-related. Of course, you should probably go get checked out by a cardiologist, blah blah blah, you're not a dummy, I'm not telling you anything you don't know. But I know what it is -- I know what it is -- to have positively no time for yet one more thing. Try bearing down. I hope it helps.

[HIU8]

Yes, I agree with bearing down. My cardiologist told me to bear down or cough. If that doesn't work then go to the ER. Although I have not experienced an arythmia in several months, I have always been able to return my heart rhythm to normal.

[zag95]

Wow Lisa- Hopefully Feb is going to be a better month for you in 2011!

I would definitely get to a cardiologist- maybe there are other alt measures or a different approach. I am sure that all the stress you've been under is contributing to your situation :(.

If you have a racing heart- will you need to have a something done at the EP Lab (Electrophysiology lab)? My mom had that issue- and basically had a "treatment done" where they go in and "disrupt" the racing so that it doesn't happen- I think it's called an ablation. It was a non-invasive procedure- I want to say that she has had it sometime in the last 10 yrs (like that fuzzy memory?!)

Once she had this, mom hasn't had any more issues- and apparently she had the heart racing at different times prior to the procedure......


At any rate- I hope you take care and get feeling more normal. Take care of yourself- hard to do I know with all that is going on. :grouphug:

[salsah]

i wish i had something comforting/meaningful to say, but you are going thru so much, i think the best i can offer is :hug5: and some p&pt.

hang in there Lisa.

[DebbieJ]

Oh no! When it rains, it pours, huh?

[Melaine]

Oh dear! I'm sorry Lisa. I have had issues with this also and my cardiologist says it is just related to my GAD. For me, none of the things mentioned will stop an episode once it has started. I know that bearing down, cold shower, slow-breathing techniques are supposed to help but they don't in the moment. It seems I either need medication or preventative therapy (cold showers have worked in a preventative capacity). But I do know how scary and frustrating it can be so I hope you won't be having any more of these spells.

[boolady]

I have also, in the past, suffered with panic attacks/anxiety attacks that manifested themselves this way. I never believed that was what they were until a doctor told me that you often have them when you're NOT thinking about whatever happens to be stressful at that time. I went through a bunch of cardiac tests and they found nothing wrong, and I had other symptoms of anxiety attacks. Honestly, with everything that you're dealing with, I think there's a good chance it could be anxiety; however, get it checked out, b/c with me, the additional anxiety of worrying about what was going on with my heart was additional stress. I'm sorry you've got so many weighty things going on right now.

[lhafer]

So Sorry!

I have a cardiac arrythmia that started out of the blue one day about a year ago. I went to a cardiologist and had to get put on medication.

Those episodes are horrible. You feel so out of control of your body. And when the rest of your world is turning upside down, that's the LAST feeling you want to be feeling.

:hug: to you! Having so much change, pressure, anxiety, confusion, and stress lately in your life likely is what brought this on.

Your life recently:
moved (this alone is enough stress for some people!)
your father has cancer
the nanny has decided to quit
preschool issues
Greenbeans' sensory issues
need I go on?

Any ONE of these things is enough stress for one person. Let alone ALL of them happening within months of each other.

Try to take it easy, try to get a little rest (I know, easier said than done), and know we are all here for you any time you want/need a shoulder to lean on!
:grouphug:

[WatchingThemGrow]

P&PT for you, Lisa. Hope you get the care you need and that things smooth out so it does not happen again.

[hellokitty]

:hug: Sounds like in your stressed out state is causing you to have more episodes than usual. I hope that you can get things back to, "normal."

[gatorsmom]

You guys are awesome. thank you for the support. Boolady, I'm sorry you had those anxiety issues. The cardiologist I saw did a series of tests and it's not anxiety, it is actually an arrhythmia. I wore a monitor for a month and it showed up on there. The specific term is "AV Nodal Reentry Tachycardia" it's a type of superventricular tachycardia (SVT). And believe it or not, the last few times it happened, I wasn't in a stressful situation at all. Ok, last month it was stressful but the time before that I was at the zoo with my cousin on a beautiful day sitting down and waiting for the bird show. The time before that we were having a picnic. And before that I was dancing with the kids at the Children's Museum when I noticed my heart was going way faster than it should have been for just waving some ribbons around. It reallly would help to know what caused it. But even my cardiologist doesn't have a clue.

And unfortunatly, zag 95, the cardiologist DID recommend ablation therapy just like what your aunt went through. But I'm saving that as a last resort since they thread a needle through an artery in your leg, go up to your heart, and use electrolysis to kill off the heart cells that are creating the random electrical pulse. I really don't want anyone tampering with my heart if I don't need to. I'll just keep doing the manuevers until they absolutely don't work anymore. Ablation therapy seems a little too invasive for episodes that happen twice a year, kwim?

Thanks for the suggestions to bear down. That is one I haven't tried, although I do remember the doctor telling me about that one now too. If the vagual (sp??) nerve thing doesn't work next time, I"ll try that one.

[gatorsmom]

Your life recently:
moved (this alone is enough stress for some people!)
your father has cancer
the nanny has decided to quit
preschool issues
Greenbeans' sensory issues
need I go on?

:grouphug:

LOL. Yes, this is a pretty accurate summary. When it rains, it really does pour!

[wellyes]

Good gosh, and aren't you just in your 20s too? Slow down with the troubles already!!

:hug:

[gatorsmom]

Good gosh, and aren't you just in your 20s too? Slow down with the troubles already!!

:hug:

39. Perfect age to start falling apart. :shake: (or at least I've been told that this is when it starts.)

[JTsMom]

:hug::hug::hug::hug:

I just hope that once things settle down for you, they stay calm for a looooooong time. You deserve a nice, long break. I'm here to listen if you ever want to vent. One more :hug:.

[MommyAllison]

And unfortunatly, zag 95, the cardiologist DID recommend ablation therapy just like what your aunt went through. But I'm saving that as a last resort since they thread a needle through an artery in your leg, go up to your heart, and use electrolysis to kill off the heart cells that are creating the random electrical pulse. I really don't want anyone tampering with my heart if I don't need to. I'll just keep doing the manuevers until they absolutely don't work anymore. Ablation therapy seems a little too invasive for episodes that happen twice a year, kwim?

My DH had a different type of tachycardia (PAT) and had an ablation done when he was 18. His situation was a little different, in that he had been on beta blockers for over 10 years to control the PAT, and had to avoid all types of caffeine, including chocolate(!), so it was impacting his life on a daily basis. But if you end up needing an ablation, his experience was that it was a super easy, outpatient procedure.

I hope life gives you a break very soon! Hang in there! :hug:

[lmwbasye]

Girl...you are my HERO!!

Seriously...you are such an inspiration to me. I cannot tell you how many times I think about you through my days and think I need to be as strong as gatorsmom, LOL!

Praying you get a break soon. And...as hard as it is....take care of yourself and make it a TOP priority. If you aren't doing well...you are in no condition to take care of anyone else.

BIG HUGS!!!

[gatorsmom]

Girl...you are my HERO!!

Seriously...you are such an inspiration to me. I cannot tell you how many times I think about you through my days and think I need to be as strong as gatorsmom, LOL!



That is really sweet of you. But I feel spread so thin that I'm doing a half-a$$ed job of everything. I'm not so good at multi-tasking.

I think about you military families the same way. Like, how in the world do they do it?

But oh, well, you can only just keep trying to do your best, right?

[hopeful_mama]

You guys are all going to think I have one of those disorders where I make up problems to post about and get attention. I swear, I'm not creative enough to come up with this stuff.

:ROTFLMAO: Ok, definitely not laughing at the situation, but how you put it sounds really funny. You poor thing to have all this thrown at you at once.

I hope you can find a good cardiologist that you're comfortable with. No arrythmia here but lots of experience with tachycardia, palpitations etc; when it really feels out of control it can definitely be disconcerting. A bit of trivia, one other vagal maneuver you probably didn't know: bearing down to push out a baby also counts - but I don't recommend you try that with everything else you have going on! I think blowing forcefully into a tube is another, or perhaps even tensing up your muscles as though you were going to do that, but keeping your mouth shut. Easy ones to try at least.

PT that the dr will be able to reassure you it's just the stress and you can at least put this part behind you (and I'm rooting for a Mary Poppins to show up, too!).

As for feeling spread too thin that you're not doing a good enough job...some days it's enough just to keep everyone alive and fed, you know? :hug:

[wellyes]

39. Perfect age to start falling apart. :shake: (or at least I've been told that this is when it starts.)

Oh! All this time, whenever I read your posts, I picture you looking exactly like Reese Witherspoon. Now I suppose I will picture you as a slightly more mature version.

Hope that cheers you up a bit!

[mommylamb]

I've had that happen from time to time. Scary.:hug:

[firemama]

I am so sorry for all you are going through. Like a PP said, when it rains it pours.

I hope everything gets better real soon!

[DrSally]

I'm so sorry, how scary! I hope it's not getting worse/progressing, but just a temporary stress exacerbation.

[mousemom]

Sounds scary! More P&PT thoughts coming your way!

[vludmilla]

Wow, you certainly have enough on your plate. I hope nothing else gets added to it!

[twowhat?]

If it's not one thing, it's another:( Big hugs going your way!

[craftysierra]

Readig your posts I just wanted to send hugs your way. I know your life can not slow down to calm right now, mine with just the 4 kids part is constand chaos but I hope you find a rytham that works for your life right now.

Sierra

[jenfromnj]

Eek, I give you credit for getting out of bed in the morning at this rate! I hope you're feeling better soon, and things start getting a bit easier for you.

[MamaMolly]

oooh! Lisa's got Munchausens! Lisa's got Munchausen's! (in a sing-songy teasing voice)

Ok, only kidding. I was going to say 'gee, stressed much??' but picking on you was so much more fun... plus I got to Google how to spell Munchausen's. My spell check still doesn't like it, though.

On the helpful side, my uncle and FIL have both had the cool tip ablation. For FIL it was a huge big deal because he has all kinds of cardiac issues (2 open heart surgeries and congestive heart failure, for example) but for my uncle it wasn't a bad procedure at all. I think he said he left the hospital with a band-aid over the hole in his leg, though that seems impossible, you know? Both of them had relief from their arrhythmia. Once things settle down for you guys and you have room to breathe you may want to reconsider doing it.

[gatorsmom]

oooh! Lisa's got Munchausens! Lisa's got Munchausen's! (in a sing-songy teasing voice).

:ROTFLMAO: I couldn't remember how to spell it either. I might prefer that over a heart condition though, depending n the severity.

[boolady]

oooh! Lisa's got Munchausens! Lisa's got Munchausen's! (in a sing-songy teasing voice)

This is only so funny b/c it's so clearly not true--Lisa, I didn't realize you had a cardiac diagnosis. I'm sorry you have this to deal with on top of everything else. If there was something I'd do from here in NJ, I surely would. I think about everything you're dealing with from time to time and I just don't know how you do it.