GP Appointment - My Poor Heart | Arthritis Information

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Well... it kinda sucks. But I am not down about any of it, already kinda knew.

 
When I got called to the back and she asked me why I was there I told her because my RD told me I needed to come. She asked why I told her because my pulse was 120 & my BP was 180 over something. Then she looked kinda horrified and asked me when that was I told her last Monday. She said ok.
 
Well... my pulse was 130 this time, but my BP was fine.
 
He came in and asked me if I was having chest pains, I told him no. He said have you ever had chest pains, I said no. Then he said oh ok. Then he talked about my RA and got an update of the list of meds I am on. And then he said "All these meds, you must have a lot of pain?" I replied back with "Yeah, most times, but not much right now." Then he commented on how RA had messed my hands up. He said "It been uncontrolled for a long time?" I said "Yep."
 
Doctor had me do an EKG while I was there. And then after I got a little set up attached to me for 24 hours. I guess it is monitoring my heart?
 
He checked my urine to see if I had a bladder infection again, because my lower right side has been having an achey dull pain in it constantly and I have been being light-headed most of the day for about 3 weeks now, which he said I felt like that probably when my pulse is high. Which was the same symptoms I had when I had the bladder infections. He said my urine was fine; no bacteria, no protein.
 
Said he was going to recheck my thyroid levels again. So... bloodwork
 
Now... I have 3 more appointments tagged on to the ones I made Monday.
 
I have to go get an echo cardiogram done and get an ultrasound done of my heart and right kidney on another day. Then I have to go back to see him in 2 weeks.
 
See... never any good news, always more APPOINTMENTS!Well Joonie my friend, they are being cautious, and they should be. 
Well.  I guess those wise encouraging words from me helped huh?  Sorry I can't do more than say useless things to you. :(  It'll be ok though.  mark my words.
Yeah... I know. That is why I am not so down about it. It kinda upset my hubby though. I came out with wires hanging out from under my shirt and when I looked at him he just looked like really shocked and then asked what the wires were for. Then of course, he went into being angry. But I tried to make light of it. But then he got even more upset when he heard me setting up the appointments for the echo & ultrasounds. It took him a while to not be so grumpy. I tried to show him it did not bother me, so it should not bother him LOL! Only thing I complained about was of course the bloodwork and of course he poked fun at me. After that he was fine.
 
My mom was upset by it though. I went and visited her for a few hours.
 
Doctor thinks it is either Thyroid or Kidney Stone, or some blockage in my right kidney. I am not sure which one I want out of that short list
 
I get out of the house just about everyday, unless I do not feel good meaning like light-headed or like I am coming down with something. The swelling and pain does not really keep me house bound. I am weird... I go more places when I am flaring and can hardly move and every joint in my body is swelled to the max and fibro has got most of my muscels tightened and I will go to a wal-mart 45 mins away, when we have one 7 mins away.
Man... Freak-Mart is the BEST on a Saturday night! Oh and Sunday afternoons are the worst!
 
NO did not think to take my baby picture with me. Heck I always wore my slippers to my appointment. I put them on to keep my socks from getting dirty and then MIL came to get us and I walked out the door talking to her and got in the car and looked down and I still had on my slippers. I was like I cannot go with slippers! I went back in the house to slipped my shoes on and off we went to pick hubby up from work.
 
I have actually been to 2 Freak-Marts today! And today I was not one of the Freaks! I am actually looking pretty normal when walking... I look at my reflection in the sliding door windows and I looked more "normal" than I normally do. And was actually able to keep up with my daughter. But I do not think that helped my high pulse much
 
 
Oh and the nurse told me I could not take a shower or bath. Then she said for me to stay away from water.  I was like that means I cannot wash dishes?! *big smile* She said probably. I said then it is a good thing it is not to rain?! She laughed and said sure thing! Then we got to where my mom lives and there were gray clouds and looking like it was going to rain and I was thinking... GREAT! Now I am going to get electricuted!
 
I will be back in a few, we have to go pick up MIL at work.
You are tougher than me Joonie. I am exhausted and have been on a cleaning frenzy scince friday. But i have to take a vicoden every six hours. I was taking one every twelve and i was worthless. Last night i fell asleep and missed my third pain pill for the day. And it was wal-mart day. I did it all by myself. But i was just glad it was over. I hope the heart test come out alright. Maybe a medicine is causing some of this. I have only ever had high blood pressure once from an ear ache and from antidepresants. All of the rest of my life i have had low blood pressure. I am praying for you to have good test results.i am proud of you for doing all you need to do.  and you are a tough cookie.  i will be praying all the tests go well and you can sleep tonight. wonderwoman

On our way home from my mommy's house, we saw their spring carnival and I told hubby we should go and let me get on a ride and then when I went back to the doctor for them to have the monitor back, they would probably ask me what I was doing about 8:15pm. LMAO!! And then say I rode the Scrambler  Hi Joonie,

 
There are a multitude of causes of rapid heart rate but if I had to pick from your short list, I'd take the hyperthyroidism.  I was diagosed with Thyrotoxicosis, namely Grave's Disease several years ago.  I began to notice a rapid pulse.  Then came the stranger symptoms: eating like a pig but loosing weight, fine tremors in my hands, aggitation & hyperactivity, flushing (like hot flashes if you're old enough to feel me on that one) in my upper body, neck and face. It was like all my systems were on super-GO all the time.  I had a couple of simple blood tests to measure my thyroid levels (Ft4 & TSH).  When they came back abnormal, I had a thyroid scan (easy as pie) and was diagnosed with Grave's.  I then had three options:  medication daily for a year, iodine treatments in my thyroid or total ablation (removal of the thyroid entirely and synthetic med replacement for life).  I chose to try the medication. Duh!  It worked and after a year I was "normal" again.  Grave's is another in the long list of autoimmune diseases. 
 
I've also had Holter Monitor placement for 24 & 48 hours and a couple times for an entire month so I know a little about that.  My biggest problem was rash & itching from the gel on the lead patches.  When you are "Holterized" (ha) for a month, you have to move the leads around a little to avoid irritating your skin.  I remember having very little assigned space left to move them into after a while.  Holter can be a useful tool in diagnosing cardiac rythm abnormalities. 
I'm surprised they didn't ask you right off the bat if you're using coke, meth or Ritalin.
K. 

Well... mine is missing it holter! They gave so many of them out today, that I got the one that was missing the strap. The monitor is in my pants pocket. And guess what? I am out of pants with pockets LOL! I am still trying to figure out how I am going to carry it around tomorrow. Might be too hot for sweat pants with pockets temp today was 77!

My thyroid was checked way back at the end of August '07. Came back normal. I have been having palpatations way before that thyroid test was done. I just figured it was from me being in pain or me over working my body. I know I should have gotten it seen about way back when it started, but I was more worried about getting RA straightened out, because the palpatations went away and came back and then went away. Just figured it was caused by the pain & inflammation.
 
But the high pulse is a new thing. Probably what was making me feel my heart beating when I laid down at night is probably what is causing the high pulse now. Some times I can lay down and I can feel my heart beating, like it is moving my whole body. And then like it slows down and then skips a beat and then that is when I can feel my heart and it feel like it is moving my body.
 
My MIL, who is a PN, checked my pulse the night I came back from my Remicade infusion, and she said it felt like I was skipping a beat. I done felt my pulse too, and it would go fast and then start to slow and then no beat and then back to beating again. It was like every 3rd beat she said is when it would skip a beat.
 
Like I said I just thought it was all from the pain, because that is about the same time I started having the palpatations.
 
I am a bad girl, I know. Hi Joonie, there is a lot going on for sure.  I am so pleased you seem to have a thorough GP, we definitely need one of those with our problems.  I felt like a suicide bomber when I had to wear a thing one day for a camera that you swallow and it takes 8 hours to finish, all the while it is taking pictures, this really thick waistcoat is flashing, what a hoot!!  I am sure you are on the right track - all the best and we are all here for you always.  Hugs Janie.
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