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Anxiety Community
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i'm a wreck. ryan, please help!
by lisaloo820, Jun 14, 2007 12:00AM
me again. i'm so sorry but your help is invaluable. to review, i'm scheduled for cataract surgery. at my pre-op they found something they didn't like on the EKG and sent me for an echo/stress. i believe i did well. i went 11 minutes to a fairly high level and could've gone more. the technician was very positive. the doctor, however, called and said they're concerned about one area that could have a narrowing, i guess it is. i am thin. i exercise regularly. i do not smoke. i am 53. my parents are of good health - age 82 though my dad has atrial fibralation. i am a complete wreck. i am a very emotional person and stress easily. i freak out at doctors. now i'm going through this and she's already talking about an angiogram. they haven't even checked my cholesterol yet. i'm doing that today. my questions are: would i have symptoms if i have a blocked artery like shortness of breath and pain? i have neither. are they jumpint the gun here by not trying various medications first. isn't surgery worst case scenario or are doctors just so quick to suggest that? i am getting more and more stressed because of this. i know that can't help. what do i do? i will see the cardiologist tomorrow and will get several opinions. can you suggest anything to ease my mind for the moment? how do i calm down? obviouvsly i will do whatever i have to for my health but i have so many questions and concerns. THANK YOU.
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Best wishes...
Depending on what that one "area" is, it may be an artifact (flaw), or actual narrowing. The fact that you don't have any symptoms such as chest pain and shortness of breath is good. Even so, often times there are no symptoms (even with significant blockage). Therefore, it would be difficult to determine the significance of this finding without performing the angiogram (or at the minimum, a 64-slice CT scan).
Cardiologists always "jump the gun" when they find something abnormal. If you do have a blockage at this point, measuring the Cholesterol or taking medicine will not improve the blockage (but it may prevent further blockage).
My thought is that the test is a false-positive, but there really is no way to be 100% certain. Even if you do have a mild to moderate blockage, surgery is unlikely to be suggested. If anything, a stent or angioplasty would be performed at the time of the angiogram (and these are interventions, not surgery). Bypass surgery is usually only performed when multiple arteries are involved, and when they are near 100% blocked.
I wouldn't dwell over any of this, as mentioned above, it is likely an artifact. I would seek out two or three opinions, and if all three opinions suggest an angiogram, I'd have the angiogram. You might also want to repeat the stress test, to see if it reveals an identical result.
If you do need the angiogram, it isn't a horrible procedure.
-Ryan
Good luck. If you want to vent more, feel free to do so!
The surgery that I need is elective and minor. I am getting a tubal ligation. I have tried birth control but it does not agree with my body. I used the ortho evra patch about 2 years ago and I suffered every single side effect listed in the fine print except DEATH! The women in my family are very fertile (LOL) My older sister "accidentally" got pregnant at the age of 39 with her 4th son! My other sister also has 4 kids. I have 7 brothers and sisters. My mother has 21 grandchildren. So you see why I feel like I need to do this? I can't have anymore kids (I have 2) I can't handle anymore mentally or emotionally. I have always been somewhat of a hypochondriac and I suffer from OCD. However, I had a healthscare last summer and now I get extremely nervous and anxious everytime I have to go in to see the doctor or get medical tests. It goes beyond simple worrying. I worry myself ill. My doctor told me yesterday that when he performs the surgery, he is also gonna check for things like endometriosis and other stuff, like maybe cancer... So I am anxious about that. I am trying to get my mind on other things that is why I have been on this forum a lot today.
Anyway, hope that helped you get your mind off your problems if only for a minute or two. Good luck with everything!
I am 54 years old, and I have been diagnosed with congestive heart failure, it runs in my family thick.My dad died of a massive coronary about 20 years ago.
I have had a EKG done, and they sent me to a cardiologist, there we did cholesteral screening,(ok) , echo cardiogram(ok), and stress, test.Dr says I am ok, just need to loose some weight, and I keep having these episodes where I turn pale, and my heart races. He told me to buy support hose ,and said I could do water arobics.
They put me on
ATENOLOL 50 mg's 1x daily
FUROSEMIDE20 MG 1X daily
This shortness of breath, and heaviness around my heart, makes me feel like I could pass out.
My friends mother has atrial fibralation, she is wondering if this is what could be going on with me.
I have started a 1200 calorie diet, and I am walking up to 3300 steps a day, from 816,
I don't want to over do myself if I am getting the wrong diagnosis.
I need some help!
Can you please advise me.
LibbyE