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December 2010 Moms
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Cardiac Event Monitor (long)
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Maybe some of you remember a couple of months ago I started having episodes where my heart would race and pound and I would have to lay down to make it stop. At the time my OB thought that I was having panic attacks, but since has told me it is most likely PVC (premature ventricular contractions) which he told me are normal during pregnancy.
However, I've been having 2-3 episodes a day EVERY day which I don't think is normal. The HR dept at my work would not give me a place to lay down when it happens, so I would have to sit at my desk and just try to work through it, while it would go on for hours sometimes. I would end up completely exhausted. So I ended up taking a lot of time off of work to be at home where I could lay down and deal with it.
It's been a stressful nightmare dealing with the HR dept and my doctor to get an FMLA form filled out because my OB says he didn't realize it was so severe, even though I complained of numerous times and told him it took me hours to get it under control. So he won't sign any paperwork for anything that happened in the past.
After that happened the HR dept. told me they would either have to terminate me for unexcused absences or I would have to be at work every single day until I had the baby. So I forced myself to come in every single day and completely overdid it, and had to miss work again.
I am not one to call my OBs office every time I have a question, but I was so stressed out over everything last night and feeling like this was NOT normal that I called my OB. He decided that I should not be forcing myself to work and took me off for a week. I'm going in today to be fitted with a Cardiac Event Monitor to track what is happening with my heart to see if it is an organ problem or a chemical problem.
I'm still uber stressed about work and what is going to happen to my job. I understand their point of view and that they have policies and everything. I just feel really inexperienced and naive in all of this. I've never had to deal with doctors notes, or FMLA or being ill for an extended period of time.
Anyway.. there's a lot more to the story, but that's all I can bear to type for now. Thanks for letting me share. ?
I used to be a big deal. Now I'm just old.
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Re: Cardiac Event Monitor (long)
Oh, girl! I'm so sorry. I've been dealing with a racing/pounding heart and it is very uncomfortable and even scary, but I think I'm in the pretty normal category. I don't know how I'd be dealing if I had your severe problem. That's not very helpful, but it sounds like you're doing everything you can and your doctor is a major doofus for not catching this sooner and helping you more.
Where are you in Eugene?
Ugh, I'm sorry that all of this is going on. I just got to take my cardiac event monitor off after 2 weeks of having it because I was experiencing something similar, SVT (supraventricular tachycardia). My Dr determined mine wasn't severe enough to warrant taking beta blockers to regulate it, but at least I know for sure that's what it is now.
I hope that once they monitor you they can determine if there's anything they can do to regulate it for you.
I'm sorry I can't give you any advice about the fmla stuff...but I hope that this all gets better!
Kellog - Thanks for the support. ? I'm in West Eugene, Bethel area, are you familiar with it?
That sucks that they couldn't regulate it for you! I have no idea what will happen with mine, I just hope that there isn't a problem with my heart. I've always had strange beats that leave me breathless, but haven't really worried about them until now.
Was the monitor a pain to wear? Are they going to stick those little pads all over my chest? lol
The monitor wasn't bad, no (of course, I wore a Zofran pump for a couple months before that which required me to stick myself with needles every other day- so anything is better than that! :-P)
I got one through a company called CardioNet. Basically, there's 3 leads, red, black and white (white on right, red on ribs, black on left) and you will probably have the change the sticky pads every couple days (you have to wash the skin under them or the adhesive can irritate you). The little "sensor" hangs around your neck or you can put it in your pocket like I did. Then there's an actual even recorder that goes into a docking station that will hook up to one of your phone lines. That's what sends the data to whoever monitors you. The monitor is wireless when it's not in the station and you take it with you if you leave the house. If you leave the house without it- the sensor will beep and go crazy and make people think you're on house arrest. Woops! Did that once! :-P
It really didn't bother me too much to sleep with- just be careful to put the sensor on your ribs to the front instead of more towards the side because it can get sore if you sleep on it. The event recorder is about the size of an iPhone but thicker and the sensor that's on you us really small, half the size of that. The Dr said they're all pretty much the same so I'm sure your setup will be more or less like this. It's not that bad though, don't worry
Once you're done wearing it they'll have all the info they need. Are they sending you for a full ecg? They also did that for me... they setup the same kind of leads and did an ultrasound of my heart to make sure everything is healthy with the heart itself. I really hope they can either correct it for you or at least give you peace of mind!!! Update us, I'll be thinking about you!
Eep! Sorry I wrote a book!
Kellog - We had Cafe Yumm for dinner on Monday! We LOVE it!
Juliet - That doesn't sound too bad, I'll only have to wear it for one week. I'm just glad that it doesn't involve needles, I'm not too fond of them. I'm not sure how the docking station thing will work though because we don't have a house phone, only cell phones. But they probably have other options for that.
I don't think they're giving me an ecg/ekg, but I go in for my appointment this afternoon, so we'll see! Thanks for the heads up on everything, I was a little concerned what everything would entail.
Cafe Yumm is going to conquer the world with its deliciousness.
Seriously, though, GL with everything! I hope your HR dept develops some empathy and you get properly monitored and treated.
Who is working with you ladies that are doing EKGs? Your PCP, OB or a specialist?
I have heart palpitations on most mornings and evenings for a few minutes which don't worry me because I feel fine. Last week though I had three days that it seemed like I was having hot flashes. I had to take off my top and the heart palpitations were loud and obvious to me. Just walking into the next room would leave me exhausted and out of breath. I nearly fainted the first time because I didn't lay down soon enough.
The nurse at the OB said to go to a PCP to run an EKG the next time it's happening since it's unlikely I'm anemic or dehydrated. Which is wild because it's a real possibly that I faint on the way there.
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Oh no!!! Please keep us updated. A doc of mine wanted to run the monitor a while back (like 7 years or so), but it all went away on its own.
Regarding your work... isn't their stance, like, illegal? *eyebrow* I know next to nothing about any of those laws, but it really sounds like they're being unreasonable.