Still scared :/
Hi my name is kate and i am new here, i am so glad there is a forum that i can actually relate to people. in 2009 i was diagnosed with Brugada syndrome and i had an ICD put in. i am now 20 years old and i still have so many questions and concerns. i have had so much anxiety and its really taking a toll on me. i have been to numerus phycologists and it just wont stop it seems when im going to bed is the worst i fear not waking up. i am currently in school to become a medical assistant and i want to be an RN so ill continue school after that. My biggest fear is that my anxiety/condition will keep my from my passion.if anyone has words of wisdom for me i will greatly appreciate it.
In advance thank you for your support!
7 Comments
brugada
by supergas - 2011-02-20 11:02:21
By the way, having fever seems to increase the likelihood of developing ventricular fibrillation (the arrhythmia the disorder causes), so, if you have Brugada, keep a bottle of Tylenol around.
Question
by ElectricFrank - 2011-02-21 02:02:23
I can raise issues that the medical professionals generally avoid ethically.
How was the brugada diagnosed. From what I read it is a relatively new discovery and the diagnosis is anything but solid either way. Any of these syndromes that are diagnosed by meeting a certain number of criteria leave a lot of questions to be answered.
At the very least the tests and diagnosis should be done by a expert E.P. and I would also want it to be confirmed by a second opinion.
In any case having the ICD will greatly lower the chances of sudden death.
And finally have any of the psychologists approached things by addressing your attitude and fear of death. It seems strange, but not waking up is the least of our worries. If it happens you won't know about it nor even be aware of what you missed by dying young. If you continue your career you will be attending patients who are facing the same situation with a lot more certainty and who will need your support.
best wishes,
frank
thank you
by Katyb777 - 2011-02-21 02:02:51
Thats where it gets tricky i had more than 2 opinions i had 3 E.P's and a handful of interns on my case so i had plenty of opinions and it was diagnosed in the ER on my oringinal visit via ECG that showed the Brugada pattern i then had an ep study done and they decided an ICD would be my best option. After the implant i had genetic testing done and it came back negative but only 20% of patients with brugada come back positive so they told me they have to go about treating me as if i have brugada syndrome. It sends me into V-tach with bpm over 200 that only last >1 sec to 1 sec long. Since i increased my dose of meds my arrythmias have been cut in half which is good news.
ICD may tell you more
by ElectricFrank - 2011-02-21 11:02:16
If any serious or life threatening arrythmias occur the ICD should fire. This would not only prevent an arrest, but also give you an unmistakable diagnostic indication. By the time you wear out your first ICD if you haven't had it initiate therapy then you may want to re-evaluate needing it.
These are always the difficult decisions to make. It it my nature to gather all the information I can and then make my own decision rather than letting someone else make it for me. This is a matter of personal preference though.
frank
dealing with things
by jimkirschvink - 2011-02-22 01:02:56
hi kate - I can understand how you feel. It's great you want to go into the medical field.
If you are having trouble dealing with stuff, I would recommend taking a class called the Landmark Forum. They offer it all over the world. Just google it. It will blow you away, and you will forget your troubles very fast. I guarantee it!
Jim Jim
Relax
by lahbigbro6 - 2011-02-23 06:02:13
Relax ... Sometimes I suffer from anxiety now since I have a pacemaker for 8 years, never had it before that. Take care, you always have friends here. I exercise to help with anxiety and try to keep busy. Good luck with your studies !
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brugada
by supergas - 2011-02-20 11:02:17
Although I know nothing about you, my suspicion is that you have little to worry about. This disorder is relatively rare and is well known to affect males 8:1 relative to females and it is far more common among asian males (google "lai tai" for an interesting story about young Thai males). There is still current debate about how this disorder should be treated -in effect, implant or no implant- because there is no other form of therapy.
We look to "risk factors" to aid in this decision:
+family history (of brugada, not sudden death), male, asian, syncope, a "type I" brugada ECG and a + EP study.
The biggest risk factor (leading to the recommendation for ICD implantation) are spontaneous type ECG and two of the following: +EP study, +family history, syncope.
Can't go into the detail about what a "type I" ECG pattern is but at least you would have undergone a test (using either the drugs flecainide or procainamide) to turn what may have been a type 2 or 3 ECG into a type I -even then it's still iffy.