For the first time I was able to meet the Cardiologist there at the Mayo Hospital. He informed me that the heart is healthy for the most part and that in about 1-3 years I will need to have a pacemaker and/or ablations. He stated that the arrhythmias are caused by the slow heart rate and low blood pressure. He stated that I have autonomic deficiency, the start of autonomic neuropathy. The treatment for this is medication, problem one – allergic to the one medication, problem two – beta-blocker, which I can not take since I have one kidney, low blood pressure, and low heart rate. So, he said the best thing for me is to start my exercising back up slowly and take salt tablets (10-20 a day). He did inform me that I am still more physically fit than most my age that do not have any health problems. He gathered this from the fact I can go 12.8 minutes on a treadmill with incline. I guess most can only do 9-10 minutes. Connie, I guess those work outs and runs actually paid off. Thanks!
I then had to go to the Mayo Clinic to see Dr. Krotser, the Consultive medicine doctor. He informed me that I have a volume deficiency, just mean that I do not retain water and salt properly. This then causes me to have even lower heart rate and blood pressure. He also told me to follow up with a gastroenterologist about every 6 months to watch the esophageal spasms that I am having. One could medicate these but since they are not the cause of chest pain we are not going to do that. He feels that in the future I will have to have medication to control it so I can eat, but for now it will be done with diet.
Over all this all means I have a few things going on:
1. autonomic deficiency (ties all the following together)
2. esophageal spasms (when I eat I have spasms when swallowing food)
3. volume deficiency (not retaining water and salt properly and easy to sweat)
4. gastroparesis (this has become a lot better in the last 2 years and he was amazed that I did it with out medications)
The treatment is to follow up with the doctors (gastroenterologist and cardiologist), take a salt tablets, diet, working out, and later will come the medications. I am supposed to go back to the Mayo Clinic Monday to meet with a dietitian and the medical board, no worries if I don’t go they send it by mail. I like this a bit more and will do that instead.
Over all this was a great gift for Christmas, the diagnosis and how it can be treated. Bad part is they say it will take about 3 months to regulate and take full effect. This will also take care of the constant fatigue, since that is caused from the volume deficiency. I am so excited to have this and know what I can do to take care of it over the next few years till I have to have medication, my personal goal is to see if I can go 10 years with out medication and beat it with diet, food, and salt. I will have to watch what activities I do and elevation. I have been educated on what to do in prep for flying and I can start that again in about 1-2 months if things go well. I am excited to see what happens!! Hope and faith is what I will keep through this.
I have to say thank you to the Fleming family that welcomed me in there home and loved me as if I was one of them. I was so blessed to learn so much from them. I will always hold them close to my heart and will look forward to visiting them again soon. Thank you all for your love and help during this time, I could not have felt more at home then I did there. You are all so amazing!!!
Here is a picture of the Fleming Family!
Once I was done I had a wonderful lunch with Angel and had a sad moment when I realized that short formed friendship will be at a distance now. I was very blessed to have met her and hope that we will see each other again one day. It is amazing how we are blessed to cross paths with some and have it change our lives forever. After that I was on the road to California for Christmas dinner and being with family!
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