HER2 person seeking a heart disease forum like this

sarah · 02-29-2012, 07:26 AM

Hello,
I'm HER2+++ and this forum has helped me over the many, many years and relapses but now I need to find a heart forum like this quickly and don't seem to find one.
Due to the heavy radiation I had for my BC, I have a blocked artery and today I read that angioplasty/stent is not helpful for coronary artery disease however since my artery problem was caused by radiation not plaque, I'd like to ask some questions but I don't know where to turn.
I'm set to have angioplasty and stent put in in April.
So if anyone's had this problem or knows where I could turn to, I'd appreciate it.
Radiation also caused fibrosis in my lung!
Please excuse my off subject question but it was caused by the treatment for my invasive HER2 cancer
health and happiness
sarah

rhondalea · 02-29-2012, 08:11 AM

I'm so sorry you're having to deal with this.

I've found a couple of forums that might be helpful. The first is at Angioplasty.Org:

http://www.ptca.org/forumtopics/forumtopics.html

Here's another from the Heart Health section of about.com:

http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum....disease&lgnF=y

I looked in Yahoo Groups but couldn't find much because I'm not well enough versed in the subject to construct good search phrases.

There is a Yahoo group for EECP (Enhanced External CounterPulsation), although it doesn't appear to be very active.

The procedure itself looks interesting:

http://www.surgery.com/procedure/cor...g/alternatives

"Enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) may be a treatment option for patients who are not candidates for interventional procedures or coronary artery bypass graft surgery. During EECP, a set of cuffs is wrapped around the patient's calves, thighs, and buttocks. These cuffs gently but firmly compress the blood vessels in the lower limbs to increase blood flow to the heart. The inflation and deflation of the cuffs are electronically synchronized with the heartbeat and blood pressure using electrocardiography and blood pressure monitors. EECP may encourage blood vessels to open small channels to eventually bypass blocked vessels and improve blood flow to the heart. Not all patients are candidates for this procedure, and treatments, lasting one to two hours, must be repeated about five times a week for up to seven weeks."

sarah · 02-29-2012, 10:45 AM

Thanks Rhonda,
will look into these. Many thanks, I was definitely not searching well and getting confused.
What an adorable baby!
Hope your treatment will continue well.
Health and happiness
love sarah

rhondalea · 02-29-2012, 12:38 PM

It appears that your best search term will be "radiation-induced CAD." You can also add "treatment" to the search. I found a link to a lymphoma forum dating from last year in which the affected individual had a stent placed, and here seems to be a ton of information if you use the right search terms. If I find anything else worth looking at, I'll post it.

The baby is my grandson. The picture was taken six months after his first birthday (before I was diagnosed). He'll be three this St. Patrick's Day.

sarah · 03-01-2012, 05:25 AM

they grow up fast!
Thanks will use that search name.
love sarah

Pray · 03-01-2012, 06:01 AM

Sarah, I am so sorry you have to go through this! I will keep you in my prayers.

Gods blessings to you and your family.

Nancy

sarah · 03-01-2012, 06:09 AM

thanks Nancy and Rhonda,
Rhonda found quite a lot of info thanks to your search suggestion.
take care
love sarah

Rich66 · 03-01-2012, 11:14 AM

http://www.inspire.com/groups/heart-disease/

sarah · 03-02-2012, 02:31 AM

Thanks Rich,
I guess I need to join another group as well!
good health
sarah

sarah · 03-03-2012, 06:14 AM

Through that site, I reached a forum and posted a question which answered mine right away:
http://www.ptca.org/forumtopics/topic_heartattack.html
so once again, you guys at HER2 come through!
Thanks
Sarah

tricia keegan · 03-04-2012, 01:01 PM

Sending good wishes Sarah and sorry you have to deal with this..

sarah · 03-04-2012, 01:30 PM

thanks, I don't think it's a big deal just a bore!
love sarah

Rich66 · 03-04-2012, 05:36 PM

Now your heart is in the right place...

rhondalea · 03-04-2012, 07:11 PM

Rich,

Have you ever read Spider Robinson? If not, you should. You are clearly a guy after his own heart.

(And no, that wasn't intentional, but I'm not going to change it either.)

Rich66 · 03-05-2012, 11:37 PM

This guy?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider_Robinson

Though I have never (professionally) monitored a sewer, I feel like I have put in some volunteer hours..at least metaphorically.

rhondalea · 03-06-2012, 07:44 AM

Yeah, that guy.

I'd forgotten about his sewer duty. One supposes it's where he honed his sense of humor.

The Wikipedia article is bizarre in that it makes no mention of the puns for which Spider is (in)famous. (If you google "Spider Robinson puns," the results go on forever.)

Because you are this group's resident paronomasiac, I hope you one day have the opportunity to read Callahan's Crosstime Saloon.

Rich66 · 03-07-2012, 02:36 PM

Kind of like if life gives you lemons...

I had to investigate "paronomasiac" in case there was a cure on the horizon. Turns out it can only be managed as a chronic condition. I can live with that