Thread: Got an enlarged heart? Get it checked out

Struth Rocker....

Hope it all works out, when is this to happen?

Hi Rocker

Sorry to hear about that but just to assure you I had open heart surgery with a quadruple bypass two years ago and celebrated my 67th birthday whilst there. Today open heart surgery to them is about as complicated as an appendix operation and the recovery time in hospital is about the same.

I had mine in Greenslopes Private Hospital and can't recommend it highly enough.

Cliff,

Not sure yet; I hope to hear this week. With luck before the end of the year.

Barry,

Thanks for the reassuring words. I am just hoping the surgery won't conflict with the next Forum gtg. I want to get some testing done of various types of mitre joints.

Rocker

open heart surgery is a piece of cake these days, they kick you out after 5 days,prince charles is one of the best hospitals in the world to have it done at,and i have heard that caboolture do them (not confirmed ) but nice and close to home. good luck with what ever happens.bob

Rocker, my wife had a series of fainting spells/ collapses etc early last year. After a few goes in hospital a quack ordered a TOE (transoesophageal echocardiography) done and guess what they found the Hole in her heart that was causing all the little occasions. She had it plugged in July, last year and I cannot slow her down now. The surgury was done via catheter, out of hospital 2 days after surgury, 2 weeks recouperation, back to full duties as a theatre nurse. If you are in a position to get it done privately, to minimise the wait, get it done.

(Not a crack at the public system, just I understand that you may have to wait a while and you may wish to get on with your life, not wait for surgury.)

Rocker
Heart surgery is not something that I would recommend by choice but as the others have said it is pretty much routine nowadays.
I had quad bypass done 9 years ago on one Monday afternoon and was home for lunch on the following Monday.
It has not stopped me doing whatever I want since - been overseas 4 times (miserable sods make you pay extra for travel insurance), climbed Kings Canyon in NT, hot air ballooning etc.
Take care and if there is a cardiac rehab course available to you, do it as that was the best thing I did after the surgery

G'Day Rocker,
How are you?.......................OK!!! Not the correct Greeting.
Sorry to hear.

Just to tell you that I also had a echocardiogram,
just over a month ago.
I have a "Galloping" Heart"
and it will compensate by enlarging to some degree.

The Good news, or perhaps BAD News........

Something ELSE will Kill me.................
Perhaps my EX.............

or my Bike riding [Lack of] Skills

Pat,

Many thanks for that reassuring news about your wife's good result from catheter surgery.

Ivan,

You are already immortalised in Woodcraft Magazine, but it is good to hear that your heart's fluttering is not considered lethal.

Rocker

Rocker, sounds and reads that you have been getting some good advice.

Please keep all your friends posted, and dont fret about the woodwork, I recall you usually shut down around now for a few months.

Hope trust the bad news is turned around into a wonderfully successful result, so you can keep kicking our ass with your excellent skills in the 'shop.

Best of luck David

Dennis

SWMBO had heart problems for years.It was only through her dogged persitance and Internet research to provide backup that anything happened.
Finally discovered hole in the heart - a PFO. Closed at Prince Charles by the wonderful Dr. Con Arrone using an amplatzer inserted via catheter through the groin.

Was because of her insistance that I had a Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring test that picked up arterial blockages later confirmed by Angiogram and Perfusion test.

An Echocardiogram today showed I have no heart muscle ( heart wall )damage but that is pure luck as apart from some shortness of breath I had no symptons. Nothing was ever picked up in routine check ups by various doctors or in any ECGs.

This should be a warning to all of us not to wait until it is too late, AND to pester your doctor. I feel it is important to know that all is well just as much as it is to know that all is not well.
Hope all you fellow sufferers and Partners are well and that any problems will be fixed before it is too late.

Hi Rocker, I hope this all goes smoothly as I'm sure it will

I would like to point out my dismay that the bloody radiologist or the original doctor that ordered the Xray didn't alert you to the fact that you usually have an enlarged heart because it is working over time to compensate for constricted blood flow!

The medical profession really make you wonder sometimes don't they.

However having said that I must admit that when it comes to the crunch I would rather be ill in this country than any other and that once they eventually discover the problem they are great at fixing it and the care you recieve whilst in hospital is first rate.

All the best.

Sheeze David i just caught on to this thread, and i hope all is and will be ok. I have wondered why you have been quiet latley. Hope all goes well and you and your fam have a good Xmass

Artme,

Hope all goes well with your bypass on Monday; I am really looking forward to getting my septal defect mended next week, and hopefully getting a new lease of life I agree with you that we need to be more pro-active in looking after our health.

Bleeding Thumb,

Yes; GPs still seem to be focused on curative rather than preventative medicine. It seems to me that there should be a series of tests that we should all undergo at suitable intervals to try to catch potential problems with the heart, bowel, prostate, breast, cervix, etc, before they become serious and more difficult to treat. Most laymen don't have sufficient knowledge to know what tests to ask for and how frequently they are appropriate.

Lignum,

I am afraid I haven't spent much time in the shed for the last two or three months, mainly because the house is choc a bloc with furniture, but partly because I didn't want any more arguments with my table saw, if I had a fainting attack. However, I am looking forward to the gtg at Teejay's place in January, when, hopefully, I should be restored to my ususal sprightly self

Rocker