Just got home from the hospital

[Cheryl44]

Hi Everyone:

Sometimes I can't believe just how kind everyone is on this board. The time you all take to respond to these posts are so wonderful.

Well, here I am again needing advice, support etc. You know after I was first diagnosed I felt stronger emotionally than I do at this point. The past couple of months I have stayed away from all things "cancer" (boards, books, etc.) just kept my nose to the grindstone and gone to my chemo appointments. I have just not wanted to think about CANCER! Then, after chemo this past Friday (my 7th. of 12 weekly Taxol/Herceptin) ran some errands and came home. Well, when I got home I sat down for a little while and when I got up I got dizzy, lightheaded and almost blacked out. I made it to the bedroom and had to lay down. I started having pain in my throat and perspiring and breathing heavily. Long story short, I ended up in the ER with my heart rate at 180. I ended up staying in the hospital for two nights until my heart rate converted back to below 100 and stayed there.

Now a cardiologist tells me that I will have to stay on this oral Diltiazem until after chemo and that I have a minor leak in one of my valves, so I will have to take an antibiotic anytime I ever have my teeth cleaned for the rest of my life. I know that taking an antibiotic is a minor thing, I guess I am just trying to wrap my mind around my body changing and negative news. I was so healthy before being diagnosed.

I don't mean to whine, or maybe I do. Has anyone gone through this heart issue?

Thanks for taking the time to read this, I really do appreciate it.

Cheryl

[Grace]

Cheryll,

Sounds like you have mitral valve prolapse, which usually is not serious. I've had one probably all my life but it wasn't diagnosed until a year ago. My husband, 55, has had it all his life. My mother had it, and at least three close friends have it. Of course, some are worse than others, but I hope you won't let this worry you too much. It's very common and you may have had it since birth, just wasn't diagnosed until now.

About the other condition, I can't speak to it. But the chemo should be over soon and you can start getting back to normal.

[kacey]

I have had a murmur for a long time and found out three years ago that my brother and his son also have it. It's a little leak of the aortic valve and I also take an antibiotic before the dentist---usually 500 to 600 mg of azithromycin. No problem.
Kacey

[Karen Weixel]

I have mitral valve prolapse, too. I found out in my early 20's and have taken the proper precautions since, ie; antibiotics when I get my teeth cleaned and always tell the nurse when you are going to have surgery so they can give you antibiotics, etc.

Anyway, it is a pretty benign condition. I also suffered from dizzy spells when I was on Herceptin. It got to the point where I felt like I was always at the docs or having a scan. It will and it does get better.

Stay strong.

Karen

[MJo]

I was hospitalized during chemo, but not for heart issues. Respiratory infection. Frankly, I felt so sick from AC that I welcomed some TLC from the nurses. Take good care of yourself and your ticker. After chemo ended I felt my body start to heal, and I was awed by our power to recuperate. Good health to you. MJO

[janet11]

Boy Cheryl, you sure make me feel lucky.

I nearly blacked out several times during cycle 5 of TCH. Had a rush MUGA scan that was normal. Turns out that my high blood pressure (for which I had been on daily pills for years) was suddenly and without warning.. very LOW blood pressure.

Very strange. Now per my primary care dr, I take a BP pill only when my BP is too high (over 150 for the first number). As a result, I've only taken about one pill every 4-5 weeks for the last 6 months. Isn't that a wierd side effect of chemo?

It may have simply aggravated a condition you've had but never known about. It's good you have it under control.

[pffida]

I, too, experienced wide swings in blood pressure after starting chemo. In January, when I started A-C, I also had spells of light headedness and almost fainting. I bought a monitor and noticed that my previously high blood pressure, for which I had been taking medication for about five years, was pretty low. I gradually weaned myself off the BP meds.

Then, strangely, when I started Taxol-Herceptin, I had a week where the BP just shot up. It got to 164/100 and I rushed to the GP. He prescribed BP drugs again. Now, as I approach my 4th and last Taxol-Herceptin, I am again only taking the BP meds a couple of times a week.

Both the GP and oncologist swear they've never heard of chemo affecting BP. I don't know what else it could be and am glad to hear I'm not the only one it affected.

[Bev]

Mine went down during AC too, but not dramatically. It has since crept up to borderline high. My thought was it was a result of all those missing RBCs, WBC's and platelets. It would seem less dense blood would exert less outward pressure.

And yes Cheryl I guess we all mourn our loss of our healthy selves. It does get better with time. Good luck with the valve. Bev

[Shell]

Cheryl-

I'm glad you're safely home from the hospital. And it's not whining- I know exactly how you feel about being healthy before, and now this...

Take care,