heather
07-03-2008, 10:16 PM
I recently requested my records from the Mayo clinic in Rochester. They sent me about 20 pages and told me they were a brief synopsis and if I wanted the rest I needed to send $120. Wow! There must be a lot! Anyway, brief history, I visted the Mayo in Nov. of 2002 with severe symptoms of SOB, mild syncope, a-fib w/ uncontrolled rates. I am so thankful I went there. After reading my records, I was in pretty bad shape, which I knew this but it can be easy to forget when you're feeling better over the years. I know it is good to have these records for my files and for my children in the future, but some of the info on there was scary to read. My mom says to remember that's when I was so sick and that some of it has gotten better since they have me in a normal rhythm now. Some of the things I read was severe dystolic dysfunction, secondary pulmonary hypertension, hypokenisis (?), enlargement of the left atrium and right atrium, dilated and restrictive morphology, end stage, and so much more. They labeled me as non-obstructive concentric hypertrophy. They also questioned a test they ran for thrombosis that was "slightly" positive, but they noted that it could've been positive because they had just resolved a large thrombi in my left atrium. I know post AICD and being out of a-fib my local cardiologist said my measurements had gone down quite a bit, almost back to normal. Here I am 6 yrs. later, still feeling relatively well, but worried after reading all this! I almost wish I had never seen these. I do have an appt. next week for my annual echo and ekg and am hoping all is well after my scare w/ the boys last week and the tech there saying "you're pretty enlarged all the way around, and a little dilated" somewhere.......I can't remember exactly what she said. I can't complain of any changes in symptoms other than the brain fog I experience from time to time. That has been going on for nearly a year. I think I am just getting more and more nervous as my appt. approaches. I know I will be scheduling an AICD replacement as my last Carelink showed my battery very low. I also read that I have a dual chamber pacer w/ a-fib system. I wasn't sure what I had. My great-uncle just got a bi-ventricular pacer for a-fib. He actually is my dad's uncle from his mother's side, not even the side w/ HCM and he's had a-fib for the past 5 yrs. and they said his heart is severly enlarged from it. Gosh, I'm thinking my dad might have gotten hit from both sides. At least my mom is healthy. Sorry for the whine. I just needed to vent!!!