Suffering but in silence.
- by bunnykin
- 2008-10-29 07:10:14
- 888 views
- 6 comments
Hi dear friends,
Been sometime since I've posted. Have been getting quite a rough time intermittently with VT and another rarer arrhythmia and I'm at tether's end; ( I think my EP too unfortunately!).
Tried many many medications and recently a new antiarrhythmic agent that resulted in lots of respiratory problems as side effects. Drug terminated. In search of another....and on and on it goes I assume.?
At this time I'm just wondering...do any of you here feel that sometimes we become withdrawn and suffer in silence rather than complaining? The old chinese saying...an old illness yields very few comforters/care-givers. That may hold some truth. I've stopped complaining for sometime for fear of worrying family members, etc; Sometimes very obstinate and rare arrhythmias can be so stifling and grappling both for doc and patient alike. Hence today I'm here asking if anybody might also share my views. Thanks. Warm regards.
bunnykin
6 Comments
Basically not whiner/complainer.
by bunnykin - 2008-10-29 01:10:11
Many thanks for your comments/opinions. I'm basically not a whiner nor a complainer. In fact I know that I really should sometimes; My EP would've liked me to report my symptoms more diligently to him. I've had a narrow escape 2 yrs ago when I had not reported symptoms of painful diaphragmatic stimulation. Frankly I didn't really know if it was significant enough to complain so had kept quiet about it. When the dr accidentally auscultated one visit later in months, it was too late...the ventricular lead had already perforated the heart wall & so an emergency op to extract and replace lead was done. Right now I guess I'm in one of those similar predicament, albeit not the same problem as before, but bad enough to wonder about what step should one take...some friends said perhaps I'm in denial or simply scared of knowing the outcome. They don't understand that if I can avoid worrying family members, I'd try not to breathe a word at all about the discomfort. As always, praying and hoping that it'll go away..Oh well, we'll see...thanks for your views.
bunnykin
ditto from me
by walkerd - 2008-10-29 01:10:32
It is so true what everyone has said. Bunny I know what you mean that you dont want to worry your family and friends, Just think of what you will put them thru if you dont say anything about pain,ect... and the worse happens, sorry. And also by not telling docotors wheather they dont believe it or not they cant help the condition. Im not shy about harping at my docs, they sometimes probably get sick of my phone calls but I really dont care. And anyways my wife would kill me if i didnt tell her if anything was wrong expecially now. Remember they love us and want us around, even if sometimes they dont act like it.lol. Please dont keep the sfuff to yourself bunny, PLEASE.......
DAVE
suffering
by Tracey_E - 2008-10-29 09:10:07
I'm so sorry to hear you've been having a rough time. There is a difference between vocalizing a problem in order to find a solution, letting people know you are not ok, and whining. The first two are ok, in my opinion, the latter is not. If you have a problem that needs fixed, by all means, do not suffer in silence. Your family needs to know what's wrong and your doctors need to keep work on fixing it, however frustrating it may be. If you keep it to yourself, you'll never find an answer. But I don't believe in fussing about something that can't be fixed, in that case I usually do keep it to myself. I may say no I'm not up to that today, but I try my best not to go on and on about it and let on how bad I really feel. Chronic complainers get on my nerves and I don't ever want to become one.
Advocate
by scadnama - 2008-10-29 10:10:24
If there is anything that I have learned since the journey with my health started, it is that you must be your own advocate. Dr.'s simply do an examination, a test or two, and if everything is normal, they send you home. It took me 4 months of constant Dr. appointments and tests to finally get in the hands of the right Dr. And, once you find that Dr., you must let them know exactly what's going on. I had a pacemaker put in for NCS and SSS, but now I have developed IST and I have been struggling with my Dr.'s since January to get it taken care of.
If you need help, you must ask! I always try in the niceset way possible to let them know that I am still having issues and that something must be done. If you whine, they don't take you seriously, and if you are ugly with them, then they just don't care.
When it comes to family and friends, I always play it off. My husband knows how I feel, but I rarely ever let my true concerns get beyond my husband and I and my Dr.'s. Other people don't understand what it's like to live with a heart condition...we usually "look" fine, so that is all they see. If I don't feel up to something, I just let them know that I'm having a bad day.
Please, take good care of yourself! If you feel like your doctor is at a loss, get another opinion. The more Dr.'s you have on your side, the more likely you are to receive the proper treatment!
Amanda
You know you're wired when...
You trust technology more than your heart.
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wshling it away
by Tracey_E - 2008-10-29 01:10:05
Willing it away won't make it go away so please don't procrastinate and put yourself in danger. It sounds like your doctor knows you aren't a hypochondriac who lists every tiny little complaint, your track record on that speaks for itself! When in doubt with the doctor, I always start my sentence with "it's probably nothing but ..." . I tell him that's his prompt to smile and nod and tell me it's nothing ;o)
Informing your family is not the same as worrying your family. They love you so they will worry regardless. My grandpa never tells us anything because he doesn't want us to worry... that makes us worry MORE because we always wonder what he's not telling us. He's a crafty old bugger, lol.