Good morning friends!
Today is 4 weeks exactly since my bout with myocarditis. I've seen all the doctors, and am cleared for activity as tolerated. Today is another attempt to get things back on track. My toleration of exercise is still in the "work back to it" stage, but I'm getting there.
As I sit here this morning sipping my coffee; which I can taste again Praise God!, I'm filled with a lot of different emotions. I'm happy, relieved, mad, and VINDICATED!
3 years ago this past August when I had that heart attack, I had lost 63 lbs. My cholesterol was awesome. I had no blockages, and yet I've spent the past 3 years fighting with doctors who kept pushing drugs on me. Drugs that had side effects. Those side effects kept me fearful that first year after, and it's been down hill from there. I felt like I was banging my head against a wall. After a year, I was finally off of them by my choice, but each doctor visit it would be "suggested" that I really need to get my cholesterol down. It made no sense to me.
Kinda like everyone needs to get the vaccination cause the vaccinated need protecting from the unvaccinated, cause the vaccination doesn't work? Okay, that's another rant.
Onto my story! My OBGYN did suggest Magnesium, so I've been taking that for the past 2 years. Still, every doctor visit was stressful. I finally went back to a NP who supported my initial desire of diet and exercise after my heart attack. Only now, I don't see her, because of my myocarditis. It's crazy.
I needed a new primary care physician. Relying on urgent care is not an effective tool. They don't know you, and really, you get the feeling you're just a number. I needed someone who would oversee all of my care regardless of what specialty I was going too. Above that, I wanted someone who would be open minded and independent. I wanted someone to listen. A friend recommended a primary care physician about 20 minutes away. He files no insurance. You pay at the time of service. He isn't in a group. It's his own practice. He's been a doctor for 40 years. I went to see him.
THANK THE LORD ALMIGHTY! This Doctor is the most thorough doctor I've ever seen. I was the only patient scheduled for that time period. There is no over booking for appointments. His clinic is open various hours in order for people that work during the day to come see him when they're off in the evening. His nurse was in there during the physical exam, taking notes as he dictated them. He actually read the medical questionnaire(10 pages) I filled out from his office. He questioned me about everything.
We get to the subject of my heart attack. I had already talked to him about my migraines. I also have raynaud's syndrome which is where the capillaries in my finger tips close in the cold weather. It's genetic. A lot of women have this. He begins to clarify: " You had no blockages?". I answer no. I tell him my cholesterol was fine as well. He says" Okay, you had a vasospasm". I told him that's what I was told. It means my artery closed temporarily on it's own. He points to my hands and says " Raynaud's is a vasospasm". He points to my head "Your migraines are a vasospasm". He points to my heart and says "Your heart attack was a vasospasm". "What you have is a vascular issue". "The only thing you should have been started on after your heart attack was Magnesium". "Your OB had it right". I went ahead and shared with him that my migraines seem to occur during hormonal fluctuations. I'm premenopausal, so there's a lot of chaos. My heart attack occurred during a time of hormonal fluctuations. Could that be linked? I've asked this question to every doctor I've seen in the past 3 years. I get a smile and a "No". Isn't it cute she thinks she's a doctor. His response? "Yes". Apparently it isn't the hormones themselves that are the issue. It's the wild fluctuations that are the problem. He said it's hard on kids going into puberty, and it's hard coming out. He said many children have migraines and such during puberty. My case isn't any different.
FINALLY! I feel like this weight has been lifted! On the other hand I could, in the words of my mom" beat those other docs til I'm tired". Not really guys. It's just a figure of expression. Nobody call the cops please. I'm just so mad, that I lost 3 years of my life over all this! At a time when I was at my best! Grrrrr!
So, you start where you are. This morning I've done 30 minutes on the treadmill. I have another 30 to do to compensate for a less intense workout. My new doctor has all my labs, Dr's notes, etc. from every visit and hospital stay in the last few months as well as those from my heart attack. In a week or so, we will meet to formulate a plan moving forward. I'm in good hands.
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