I was born with a bicuspid aortic valve and have had it monitored regularly. My next echocardiogram is scheduled for early November, followed by a same day appointment with the cardiologist. The stipulation always is "contact us sooner if you notice any warning signs".
The problem is that warning signs aren't always that dramatic and can very often be caused by other things.
For example, I was gardening with a friend in late May/early June (forget the exact date) and he tends to be very much a talker/planner/change in midstream type of guy whereas I am a "let's get it done" guy in my approach. So I steadily dug, tilled, planted, and watered for over 8 hours that day. Later that week, I ended up with a pain on my right side, which includes the right side of my chest. It's still sore and is exacerbated by certain movements, showing that it's more than likely a muscle strain more than anything else. Just not so sure why it's hanging on so long.
After that time, I was careful to be watchful when I was working up a sweat on the treadmill, but never any chest pains, light headedness, or other signs of heart failure, which gives further credence to the muscle strain thought.
Lately, however, I've noticed other things. Before I spell out the other things, it's important to know that my mom is in a nursing home and has been on a downward slope in the past eight months, especially the past three months. It's difficult and stressful to watch someone suffer this way, which has certainly adversely affected my blood pressure and stress levels. Without question, it is bothering me more and more every time I go to the nursing home (five out of seven days per week). I feel tired and depressed and sometimes nap afterwards.
Recently, while visiting my mom, I had to get up out of the chair and was very dizzy for a few minutes. This only happened once. Other times I'm there, and I can literally feel my blood pressure rising when my mom is in pain and is in need of help. It's circumstantial, which points to stress.
This past week, I find that I'm tired all the time and sometimes drive to the gym but am too tired to go in. Today, I did indeed went in, got changed, walked laps in the gym for about 20 minutes with no problem, then hopped on the treadmill to try to work up a sweat. I made it just over five minutes and had to give up. I was just too exhausted, so I came home and took a nap. I feel better now so I'm contemplating trying to go back to the gym and giving the treadmill to see if I can work up a sweat for 30-40 minutes and get a proper workout in this week.
For the first time ever last fall, my echocardiogram showed some progression with aortic stenosis, so my cardiologist moved me from biannual Echocardiogram to annual echos, with the caveat that I contact them early if I see any "signs".
Seems like all of my signs are attributable to other causes, but its not something I want to be wrong about. So I'm trying to decide whether to stick it out until appointments with my GP (in early October) and my cardiologist (in early November) or to contact them and let them know what's going on even though I think the potential "warnings"--if indeed that is what they are--come from issues other than my heart.
Thoughts?
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Garth Wadleigh
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