You Never Know What's In Store For You

[rmaynard 15,434]

As I read about our friend Glen Pettit and his recovery from a stroke, I am compelled to fill you in on my recent personal health scare. Back in February, I was awakened by a dull pain in my left side. As time went on it got worse, and having had kidney stones before, I knew what was happening. I ended up in the ER and a CT scan revealed several stones in my left kidney and ureter. Over the next several months, I underwent several procedures that involved long tubes, cameras, lasers and...well I won't go into all the details. Having recovered from this incident, my urologist put me on a medication that interacted with one of my blood pressure medications and I had a brief but scary A-Fib attack. I stopped taking that medication and seemed to be okay. Then on May 8, I woke up to another A-Fib attack. This one was different. My heartbeat was so irregular that I couldn't even take my pulse. My heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of my chest. Woke the wife and off to the ER we went. Where I live it is only 5 minutes to the hospital. Waiting for EMS would have taken three times as long. So I was immediately seen and treated as if I was having a heart attack. They loaded me up with drugs and six hours later I was back in normal sinus rhythm. Cardiologist released me but put me on Eliquis (blood thinner that costs $500/mo.) and Cardizem. Yesterday I had a nuclear stress test but have not gotten the results back.

 

So, the bottom line is A-Fib is dangerous. Uncontrolled you are very likely to have a stroke, and seeing what our good friend Glen and others have been through, I am grateful that I am not a victim. 

 

As the title of this post says, "You Never Know What's In Store For You". 

 

 

[AMC RULES 37,130]

Figured something was up...glad to hear you're back, on the mend Bob. 

[oliver2-44 9,724]

 Good to hear you will be getting back in the saddle. 

You are so correct about never knowing whats in store for yourself or loved ones. 

 

My 92 year old step father had a hear attack last October, 1st one he thought. Dr put in 5 stems (max they can do at one time) and said he had previously had several he never recognized.  With this heart attack he lost most of his eye sight.  Last month he took another ambulance ride, but all was OK.  Now my 90 year old Mom has had two ambulance rides for "Low" blood pressure and irregular hear beat in the last 6 weeks.  Dr put her on some medicine and said they could cauterize the heart nerve that is throwing thing out of rhythm, but at her age best to live with it.  I'm fortunate that my sister lives very near them and gets them loaded up for the 1-1/2 hr ambulance ride to the big city hospital.  Since I'm retired, she calls me and I live an hour in the other direction, so I can meet them at the ER and stay with them.  They've  both slowed down quite a bit about around age  85, but have been fairly healthy with minor problems considering there age. A big step up in there health issues and care needs seems to be here.

 

I suspect many of us here are caring for elderly parents, its just what we do as responsible grown-up kids!

[roadapples 6,983]

Glad things are looking up Bob. Hope to see you at the show...

[JAinVA 4,619]

My cardiologist has had me on Eliquis for several years.I guess it helps but I ended up bruising very easily.Just scratching a mosquito bite makes massive splotches.They had me on Tikosyn for years to control my A-fib and eventually it stopped working.The first dosage level made me so dizzy I could not walk a straight line.It took 3 months before I could get the dose lowered.What I wasn't told about Tikosyn was that you have to be admitted to a hospital for observation for 3 days and most pharmacies don't stock it.If you run out, you go back to the hospital for observation again.It ain't cheap either.I hope everyone heals up.

Edited May 31, 2019 by JAinVA

[elcamino/wheelhorse 9,297]

Bob glad you going better . Health problems seem to be the theme this year in our household also.

[dcrage 628]

“What I wasn't told about Tikosyn was that you have to be admitted to a hospital for observation for 3 days and most pharmacies don't stock it.”

 

My EP indicated that most all of the meds to correct heart beat irregularities need hospitalization. (I have been on four.) That includes changing from one to another. The one exception is Multaq. No hospitalization required however it is expensive even with insurance. 

[Sparky-(Admin) 21,314]

Glad to hear you have things under control Bob!

  Lookin forward to seeing ya at the show 

[953 nut 55,155]

Bob, so glad to hear things have been stabilized. Medical interactions and side effects with new medications seem to be worse than the problem they were intended to cure.

Our own Glen Pettit has been blessed with one of the best outcomes I am aware of. Stroke is such a frightening occurrence and as we get older it seems that more and more of our family and friends fall victim to them.

Continue your recovery and looking forward to seeing you in a couple weeks.

[dclarke 4,032]

Hate to hear this, Bob and glad you're feeling better. Thanks for letting us know. 

[tunahead72 2,411]

Good Lord Bob, sorry to hear about all this.  Please take care of yourself, we all need to see your bright smiling face at the big show every year! 

[formariz 11,987]

@rmaynardMissed this altogether. Glad to hear everything is working out. Just like many other symptoms for a variety of things that we constantly ignore until finally they cannot be ignored any more. I think more of us should read this section more often . Definitely a lot to keep in mind here.