I guess it's my turn.

[granfire]

Good to hear you didn't ahve a heart attack!

Sending more well wishes your way!

 

[K-man]

Good to hear it wasn't a heart attack. Hopefully it was a 'one off' and you won't have a recurrence. All the best. (I would have put up a popcorn smiley but it wouldn't be good for you)

 

[aedrasteia]

hey there

yep, thinking of you and promising to find really bad jokes.

cause ya know we love ya, right??

 

[Cryozombie]

Whew! Glad it wasn't somthing more serious!

 

[oftheherd1]

Glad it seems you are OK with your heart. That's good news. Whatever is causing the elevated BP should be addressed and will also help. Best of luck with it all.

I went through bypass surgery a little over ten years ago. If you want to discuss anything, don't hesitate to PM me.

 

[seasoned]

So far so good, glad to hear things are looking better.
Sometimes easier said then done, but, chill out and relax..............

 

[shesulsa]

"G" Are you under stress, short term or long term? Like being a worried mother, dealing with a start up business, or dealing with being a landlord?

Yes.

"G" Bob never asked me back even in jest.

I guess I'm just spayshul. :barf:

"G" have them run the tests and make sure. Check your BP your self when you get out in the morning and evening to see if it is high before or after sleep. Track it and let your doctor know. More data should be good for him.

I'm off right now to buy a cuff. And some more puzzle mats. ;-)

Stay relaxed and breath in and out slowly. Get well soon.

I plan on returning to the daily practice of meditation and relaxation breathing. It simply MUST be the priority. I think I can give up one or two facebook games to accomplish this feat. :lol2:

Thanks Rich!

 

[granfire]

Start with one game, don't stress yourself trying 2 all at once! :roflmao:

 

[CoryKS]

Yikes! Glad you're okay. Take care of yourself!

btw, hi everybody! I've been away for a while.

 

[jks9199]

Just a thought -- but a quiet walk in the woods can do a lot of good, in my experience. If you want to get fancy, use rhythmic breathing synced with your steps: inhale for 3 steps, hold for 3, exhale for 3 steps, hold for 3, and repeat. And it's mild cardio, too...

 

[Xue Sheng]

Thanks for the well-wishes, everyone!

I'm very glad the ticker is tocking in good form! I eat my share of cheeseburgers (which will be a more scarce occurrence from here on in) and am overweight, so ... I'll save the "PHEW" for when my lipid results come back.

I made the follow-up appointment and am going to schedule a procedure to reduce my monthly bleeding (should help abate the anemia). Looking up the GERD eating plan now. You know, just in case.

Glad to hear the heart is ok

 

[Randy Strausbaugh]

Glad to hear you're doing OK, hope you do even better in the future.

Please remember that whatever your condition, you can usually make improvement. In January, my EF was between 15-20 (the docs said that they couldn't accurately measure it when it is that low). One of the nurses in cardiac rehab said that she'd never heard of someone with such a low EF who wasn't bedridden. In June, after rehab and weight loss, my EF is up to 45. Still below normal, but improving. Listen to your doctors, know that you can get better, and start from where you are, not from where you were when you were younger. And take your meds, even if you think you don't have to .

Thank you for keeping us updated, and please continue to do so in the future. Best of health!

 

[shesulsa]

Glad to hear you're doing OK, hope you do even better in the future.

Please remember that whatever your condition, you can usually make improvement. In January, my EF was between 15-20 (the docs said that they couldn't accurately measure it when it is that low). One of the nurses in cardiac rehab said that she'd never heard of someone with such a low EF who wasn't bedridden. In June, after rehab and weight loss, my EF is up to 45. Still below normal, but improving. Listen to your doctors, know that you can get better, and start from where you are, not from where you were when you were younger. And take your meds, even if you think you don't have to .

Thank you for keeping us updated, and please continue to do so in the future. Best of health!

What is "EF"?

 

[Sukerkin]

I think it stands for Ejection Fraction - something to do with the ratio of pumping your heart does in comparison to what it should be able to do.

Tinternet says:

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/heart/disorders/heartfailure/ejectionfraction.aspx

 

[Dirty Dog]

What is "EF"?

Ejection Fraction. The atriums (and gravity...) fill the ventricles, in this case specifically the left ventricle. The EF is what percentage of that blood is then pumped out of the ventricle to the body. This should be 55-70%. An EF of less than 25% is one of the criteria for a heart transplant.

 

[shesulsa]

I was toolin' around my subscriptions and totally forgot to update this thread!

Well, my BP hovered around 140/100 often through the week following the hospitalization. At the doc's office one week later it was 127/80.

Since the incident took place not long after eating and since I have a long history of heartburn and acid indigestion I've been placed on Pepcid AC and birth control pills (to help abate the anemia issue). I've given up coffee - for realsies this time - am eating better and more often, am either meditating or doing my tai chi form each day. I've already dropped about 7 lbs. I also cut out most alcohol consumption.

The working diagnosis is GERD with a possibility of anxiety (PTSD, anyone?) and have an appointment for a consultation for an upper GI scope. Still haven't gotten my lipids results, tho.

I'm taking an iron supplement that doesn't bother my stomach but will have to address the typical side effects of iron supplementation. I was told my bones won't heal well (as in my *foot* problem) if my blood can't carry oxygen well. My red blood cells are now small, indicating I've been anemic for YEARS ... as in, a decade. 8-O

Been focusing much on letting go of residual stress and making some better choices in activities. I've gotten back into energy movement and am getting some really good results.

Thanks for your concern and support, everyone!

 

[Sukerkin]

Very glad to hear that some progress is being made to ameliorate your problems, my friend :hugs:. Fingers crossed that things continue to improve.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

my BP fluctuates all over the place during the day. It's "up" right now, 144/90/69 but I haven't taken my meds, and just got done with breakfast. Should settle in an hour.

 

[Tames D]

I missed this thread the first time around. I wish you all the best Georgia. I'm glad to see you're working on lowering your stress levels. That's important. Meditation works. We want you to be around for a long time.

 

[shesulsa]

Blood pressure today at the doctor's office - 114/80. =) Scheduled my upper endoscopy for 9/11.