Wow. My heart's not broken.

[kitanzi]

Have you ever completely convinced yourself that you weren't the least bit worried about something - and then only realized how worried the back of your head had been when the worry went away?

I had my yearly physical a week before Tday, and among other things the doctor said "You have a heart murmur. A pretty big one. I want you to go see a cardiologist." Um, ok. I've had doctors send me to cardiologists before on suspicion of a heart murmur, but both times I was told it was fine, there was no murmur after all. Okay, this should be no big deal, right? Those doctors could have been mistaken, my current doctor could have been mistaken, it could be a lot less serious than she made it sound, or... it could be something that is gradually deteriorating. Guess which of these my idiot brain grabbed onto.

So I made an appointment and I went in last week, and lo and behold. I have a heart murmur. The specialist didn't sound excessively worried but he definitely wanted me to have an echocardiogram and something to check my carotid artery wasn't leaking. Unfortunately, he was an hour and a half late for my appointment due to an emergency at the hospital (it's hard to argue with that, really) and couldn't get it done that day. Believe me, I asked. So after some dithering with work I scheduled it for today.

I spend the weekend Not Worrying. I was Not Worrying so hard that I may have sprained something. The filk was a great distraction, and so was a lovely lunch date yesterday. I actually forgot about the appointment until this morning, but I got into work, busted ass to get things done, then flew out the door to the appointment.

The doctor was not away on an emergency, no, but they took an hour to find my file. *sigh*

Anyhow, long story short (too late!), they did all of the tech stuff (which was rather more uncomfortable than I remembered it being but it was fascinating watching the monitor) and two hours later I was sent off with a clean bill of health, a reminder to get antibiotics with dental work, and a form with a great many numbers circled on it for codes I have no clue about. It also has a reminder to get checked again next year, so I suppose this is part of the yearly routine now, but it's okay. I'm okay. Damn, that feels good.

Comments

[anaisdjuna.livejournal.com]

You've got a big heart. Glad to hear it's not broken. :-)

(btw... that really is my heartbeat on my icon)

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

I like the icon! And thanks, dear. :) *hug*

[anaisdjuna.livejournal.com]

*smile y hug*

[catalana.livejournal.com]

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! I'm glad to hear that everything is fine! *big hugs* And I totally understand about Not Worrying (TM). I've done that plenty myself.

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

yeah - it's exhausting, isn't it?

[thatcrazycajun.livejournal.com]

I am glad your heart is not broken, too. It's been very big towards me and mine, and I am grateful. (Though probably not as glad as ACat is...)

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

Awwww, you've got a good heart yourself. :)

[gingicat]

Hurray for good health! May it long continue.

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

Amen to that!

[annonynous.livejournal.com]

You're OK, but. I'm glad the murmur is on the benign side, but it's still there. So do keep this in mind for a year from now at your next physical. Did the cardiologist say anything about what was causing the murmur? Generally it's one of the valves not opening or closing quite right. This can cause some back-flow of blood (regurgitation), which is what is heard. It can also be a tiny hole in the wall between the left and right sides of the heart. Either situation causes a sound other than the normal lubb dubb of the valves closing. The heart is working a little harder to pump blood because of the back-flow.

Chosen One had a murmur that was detected long ago by her primary care physician when it was very faint. It eventually got loud enough to be confirmed by her cardiologist. She had both aortic valve and more serious mitral valve problems, which I think is why she always took doses of antibiotics before and after any dental work, including regular check-ups. Apparently misfiring valves are more subject to infection, which can easily be carried by the blood from the mouth to the heart.

"something to check my carotid artery wasn't leaking"

Carotid artery? I think that (they, it divides on the way up) is in the neck and head. I don't think you'd get a heart murmur from that. Perhaps the cardiologist meant the aorta (which is the main exit for blood from the heart after it's been through the lungs) or, more likely, the aortic valve (from the heart to the aorta)?

I don't think there's anything to be done about a murmur, other than taking care your arteries don't get plaque build-up from eating too many fat grams, which would make the heart work harder still.

"a form with a great many numbers"

Were there 8 by 12 glossy photographs, with circles and arrows and numbers on the back? Oh, wait, no. It was an echocardiogram, which is sound-based. Never mind. [g] I've seen things like that, from both cardiology and pulmonology tests. And no, I have no friggin' idea what any of them mean.

"it's okay. I'm okay. Damn, that feels good"

I bet it does. Here, here! Or, since it was a sound based test, hear, hear? :)

Ann O. (not a health care professional)

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

I left the form at work, but I think it was a mitral valve regurgitation. The artery check was definitely carotid - she ran the sensor along both sides of my neck, pressing hard enough that I WAS dizzy when I got up after. There are apparently no issues there, though. No photos, no, or at least none I got. The monitor was fascinating to watch, since it showed bloodflow in real time, color coded in some fashion to reflect the way it flowed. Very cool!

[annonynous.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Chosen One always wanted to see, whether it was an endoscopy, a strobe-o-gram (not its real name :) of her vocal cords or whatever. But then she *was* a health care professional. Me, I'll pass on the visuals, thank you. (:-/

I wonder why the carotid artery check. That sounds somewhat unrelated to a heart murmur. But negative is good.

"bloodflow in real time, color coded in some fashion to reflect the way it flowed"

Red-shifted and blue-shifted? Hee.

Ann O.

[davehogg.livejournal.com]

Yay!

I have some weird heartbeat thing that makes it sound weird to people who have their head resting on my chest, but is actually just a harmless echo.

[kitanzi.livejournal.com]

I'll have to listen for it sometime. :) *hug*

[davehogg.livejournal.com]

I was hoping you would say that... :)

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

GOOD.

*hugs you warmly*

[celticdragonfly.livejournal.com]

I'm so very glad things are okay.

You're a filker, so you're syncopated!

[bercilakslady.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you're okay. *hugs*

[bardling.livejournal.com]

I'm rather glad your heart's not broken, too, in any of the senses! *hugs*