Relapse?

Hi guys

I had sextuplet CABG with mitral repair back in June/10. Had a medtronics ICD implanted at the same time also. According to my EP it has never fired so far, from what Ive read here, I understand I'd know it if it did anway.

Here's my dilemma; I seem to be going backwards on recovery/health. Since I got home last summer, Ive never really felt "terrific" but could tell I was improving gradually so it gave me optimism, until around Thanksgiving when the colder air rolled in. I am having difficulty with being winded. I can become winded pretty easily sometimes and wondered if low temps (40-50's- in SoCal) and low humidity play a part in this?.....This is my first winter with all the new plumbing work. Im watching the humidity report and trying to draw some parallels..so far, not its working very good.

I asked my primary cardio 4 weeks ago if this is unusual and he didnt even miss a beat and said "yeah, cold weather makes it harder" and that was pretty much it, I wasnt pressing him for more as I figured if he saw something on the EEG that raised an eyebrow he'd let me know, I wasnt emotionally up for "bad news" if he didnt say anything, I wasnt going to ask further either....dumb on my part, but I see him again in 2 weeks for my echo-cardiogram. I'll know a lot more then.....

Have any of you experienced a "relapse" after 8 months or so post op?

Thanks guys, this forum gives me lots to ponder when Im up at 0300AM and cant sleep because im worried about my health.

SK

3 Comments

Thanks guys!

by Skyking - 2011-02-26 03:02:58

I do have CHF and had my first heart attack 11 yrs ago at 38yrs old.....did well till last June when breathing was a problem.

After the surgery, the breathing became an issue after about 4-5 months when it cooled down. Im VERY glad to hear that others are experiencing similar symptoms cuz it makes me think there is still a chance for me to NOT go back under the knife for more procedures.

Frank, I agree with you, my doc was not really paying attention to what I was saying... he was preoccupied with paperwork.

CABG PATCH- Im hoping that my ICD never fires in anger or necessity ;)

Cardio's take on it

by ElectricFrank - 2011-02-26 12:02:02

My guess is if you had said it was worse in hot weather, or wet weather, or on Friday's his response would have been the same.

Having said that it is true that breathing cold air into the lungs affects some of the dynamics of breathing. I've experienced that myself, but not in what S Calif calls cold. I lived in Idaho where I was waslking to my office in deep snow and zero degree weather. That tended to make me winded even BP (before pacer).

frank

Klor-con

by Skyking - 2011-02-27 02:02:59

I forgot to mention I am taking a diuretic, Bumex and also taking klor-con (nasty stuff, huge pill) for the potassium loss.

there is a cance that myu shortness of breath could be from the klor-con (m20) as it is a listed side effect...anybody had any trouble from klor-con?

Besides the diuretic, I dont have any other meds that I take. blood pressure, normal, cholesterol, normal/low/good side, so nothing was ever prescribed after its initial RX expiration when I got out of the hospital

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