Another Heart Related Question. Could I have done This?

The reasons I think this is a blood flow problem are several.

One is what happened 5 years ago and the Stress test I failed while in the hospital. Heart disease also runs in my family. I have a prolapsed Mitral valve, and I read the report of the last sonogram of my heart. My heart has many small defects. Nothing major, but many things like a thickening of some areas and all the valves are regurgitating a little.

I also have High Cholesterol, but listen to this. The total # is higher than normal, but not a lot. However, the Bad cholesterol is not what makes it high. It's the good cholesterol that causes the total # to be so high. My doc says there is no research on people with such readings, so he's reluctant to put me on cholesterol meds. Besides, he feels I"m on too many meds already, and I agree.

I have these burning feet and a guy named Dave said something about that but I can't find the post he made me where he explained it.

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Lastly, I went to the Lung doc 4 years ago and my PFT was not good, but it wasn't bad. The doc said my lungs can't explain why I am always tired and why I get out of breath so easily. I then went to him again the next year. My PFT had actually slightly improved. He said I have copd and I have the beginnings of emphysema. But again, he was emphatic that my lungs are not making me short of breath or exhausted so easily. I then said, "well if it isn't my lungs then why am I like this?" He exclaimed and insisted, It's Your Heart. He said shortness of breath and easy exhaustion come from either the heart or the lungs. He said it isn't my lungs. So ... I went my way, and I have been not good, but OK these past 2 years. Actually being on opiates has allowed me to function. If I stop them, or even cut down on them, I get pains in my chest and I can hardly breath at all. But I do take opiates everyday so I have been OK. And then 1 month ago I became much, much worse over 2 nights. Literally. I thought that was strange. Since I don't know a cardiologist I think is decent I went to the lung doc. This year I did terrible on the PFT. So he put me on Symbicort and it has helped. But I question why I became so much worse in 2 nights. I also have the pain in my lower legs and burning feet. That pain dies down when I keep my feet up.

And all this is why I think this is a heart thing. I mean it's a lung thing too. I have always heard that smoking and drinking cause heart and lung problems. The lung part has been dx'ed by what I think is a pretty good doc. Bit I have not been able to find a decent heart doc to save my life.

Oh, another thing is I have a 10 year older cousin who had 3 stents done so far. He's the only one his age, no one else is even close to 68. I also have edema if I don't take 40 mg of Lasix a day.

All this points to the heart, don't you think so? But since I was able to climb the steps with 20 or 30 lbs of groceries I'm thinking it isn't so critical as to need immediate attention. I think if I was in critical condition I would have never made it up the steps.

I want honest opinions. I don't want people to say what they think I want to hear. Nor do I want everyone to make me panic. I don't want another angiogram done by the hospital cardiac internist. I want it done by a doc who at least knows me a little bit.

And quite honestly, my hesitation is all about a lack of money. If only that I had a relative who offered to help me out, I would call a certain cardiologist I know of tomorrow. I went to his Father in 1993. The son is said to be just as good as his Father was. I believe he takes my insurance, but I need $115 to activate it. And that would only be for the rest of Oct. In Nov I need another $115. So I'm thinking I will probably be OK until Nov.

You said you know a lot about medicine Ellen, so I explained all this. I do too. So you're in good company with me, and I hope I am with you too.

Thor

I stopped because the bags were cutting into my hands, and just plain ole too heavy. I was a little winded, but I have been worse with no bags. This thing varies a lot. I think I was fairly well rested today. I spent most of the day in bed. Not sleeping all the time, but a lot of rest.

You seem to agree with what I think. I know I need an angiogram done as soon as I can figure out a way to get it done. I wish I didn't need all the money to fix my car and to pay back the utilities. I have to make sure my electricity doesn't get turned off. And if I lose the phone, I lose the Internet and all of you. I don't want to lose all of you again. I just went through 10 days with no phone.

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But as soon as I can pay the $115 for the co-pay insurance, I'm calling a certain cardiologist I heard good things about. I'm sick and tired of not feeling well. It's kinda weird because as I get older and older, in my mind I feel younger and younger. And it PO's me that age is preventing me from doing certain things. But is it age, or is it illness? I think it's illness. 59 is just NOT all that old. And here I am, a person who was stifled all my life by using drugs to try and escape the bad feelings I keep talking about. The bad feelings that I consider to be the main symptoms of the brain illness known so badly as addiction. (that's a horrible name for a disease) Well now I'm on Bupe and that disease no longer plagues me. I am now able to do things I could never do before. At least I should be. But I get exhausted and out of breath too easily. If they can fix me, I want to be fixed.

Thor, have you looked into community resources to maybe help you so that you can free up some money to get your health care? I do case management and part of what we do is to provide people with these community resources. Out here there are church groups and family services that help people with things like utilities assistance, food boxes, transportation etc. It is a pain in the butt to get together the paperwork to get the assistance but if you are able to get help with your utilities or get a food box then you could pull that money that you would have used for that to putting it toward your healthcare. Do you have Medicare or Medicaid? If you do, call them to see if you have a casemanager assigned to you or see if you can get one. If they can put you in touch with a social worker they can be a very valuable help because they know the community resources inside and out. Our social wokers are fantastic! They might be able to help you in ways you never thought of.

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Most people who have Medicaid or state assistance have one assigned to them even if you have never heard from them. It might be worth a try to see if you can get this kind of help.

Hi Jamie,

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I'm sorry to hear about you and your sister. I have never tried to say my problems are worse than anyone else's. I didn't mean to imply that at all. I know there are many people younger than me and worse off than me. That's why I hate to complain. That's why I prefer to try and do favors for people rather than try to milk the system. I was down at SS 2 months ago and there was a young woman there screaming for help with her electric bill. Actually she already has them paying it, and she was screaming because they paid it late. I don't mean to judge her, but I was looking at her and couldn't help but notice the way she was dressed. She had very nice clothes on, very tight, and she was dressed to kill. She also had a man who was waiting for her. Meanwhile I have holes in my clothes and my sneakers. I bet she was milking the system, and I wouldn't even want to. And on a day like today, I feel too sick to even go anywhere. I do need to go the 2 blocks to buy food. I really feel like crap today. I keep wondering if I waited too long since my last Bupe dose, but I doubt it. Nevertheless, I took some. It doesn't seem to be helping.

Yeah, all this causes stress. The fear that I will lose what little I have left is stress. But maybe the biggest stress is being alone. I really don't know how this happened. I never had a lot of friends, but I always had a few. I guess other people don't like you when you become sick. They're afraid if they associate with you, your bad luck will rub off on them. I guess. All I know is over the last 12 years everyone I knew has either died or went their way. This is a big stress factor and I can't do anything about it. I have tried.

I really don't feel well today. I almost feel like I have a fever, but I don't. I don't know what to make of this. I really want to just get better. I don't like having to ask people for help who don't want to help me. And I don't want to be a beggar in the streets. I really would rather just die. I try and fight this depression but how do I fight it when I keep feeling sicker. I'm not sure what to do now. I felt so much better last night. I just don't understand this.

Thor I really do know how you feel most of the people I use to associate with I don't either bad statement actually I dont talk to any of them at all. and as of my sisters and my brother well i talk to my brother maybe twice a year for 5 min my sisters 1 as i said is a work-a-holic she has her own probs the other two dont really care to talk to they only care of themselves anybody else is not in their vocabulary. my dad passed away 8years ago i invited my mom to stay with me to help her grieve but the woman is 57years old in good physical health but i wish honestly i could get her psychiatric help but that is pointless and my brothers and sister would rather not deal with her nice to her but as long as its not them she lives with dont get me wrong she works and could take care of herself but just would rather stress me out and complain all the time.

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i do have my husband and my two girls though so im not by myself and i am very thankful for that! but I also understand what you mean about people who take advantage of the system and people like us who really wanna just do the best we can and be real honest people are shoved aside like we are doing the wrong things and not able to get what we need. since i am 35 when i got on disability almost 2 years ago i thought id be able to get help paying medical bills and see drs for the ms but they said no you are to young for medicare and since your husband has a job and your children are his stepchildren you cant get a medical card or anything. divorce him and you can get help.my thought was fu ill get another divorce the day i feel i should not because the goverment thinks my husband is not a real dad. he takes care of them when they are sick makes sure they have food clothes shelter love and not good enough for the gov that he didnt conceive them that is bs. if i could id be right there for you id help with driving you to the store or to talk with you when you need an ear im gonna send you a pq please respond when you can id like to talk to you more but i can talk all day. this rambling is going on and on..your friend