Wellness

[Mom2Dogs]

@Poodlepet2....wow, that was a scary situation, glad you are doing much better.

My dh was diagonsed with A-Fib last summer, it was a complete surprise to him.  He now can tell when his heart is beating to fast, he feels 'something' different in his stomach.

I am wondering if he should purhase a pulse oximeter as well, what brand did you buy?

[Poodlepet2]

Hi Momtodogs: I too am a doggy mama and I love our pups! To answer your question, anybody with a cardiac or pulmonary history should have a pulse oximeter: there use is widespread among everybody from physical therapists to MDs. Check, a couple of months ago, I was at my cardiologist and his well-seasoned nurse had a hard time getting my pulse, so she whipped out her handy pulse oximeter. They run around $25 or less and can be found in pharmacies-and I have two: one for my purse, and one for my bedside. A Fib is serious as you well know-and we are lucky if we do feel symptoms and can get help, but the possibility of asymptomatic A Fib is there: when in doubt, check it out. Relion is the name of the brand I use, and checking it against the telemetry readings, it was spot on.

Poodlepet2

[hckynut]

@Mom2Dogs

The brand I use is Digit and I don't remember the cost as I bought way over 20 years ago. Accurate to every hospital machine I have been hooked to, and that is a ton of them.

For Heart Rate I prefer the chest strap Polar brand, my oldest being well over 30 years. I have several as they came as part of my Sole Treadmill and NuStep packages. Got so I don't even know I have it on anymore.

Good to have all 3: BP Monitor/Oximeter and Heart Rate Monitor on hand. All are priced very reasonably.

hckynut(john)

[MomCat]

Thrilled to hear you are doing better!  Very scary.  I'm not sure you meant that your husband drove you to the ER, or he arranged the ambulance, but hopefully you called 911.  I will never forget driving my father to the ER when he had chest pains, and those people told me to never do that again.  They were correct, of course, and my father ended up being ok, thank goodness.

[Poodlepet2]

MomCat, you are right-no disputing it. We are five minutes away from the hospital, and he thought he was saving time....I have anxiety thinking about what could have happened. We had the discussion about "next time"-and if there is, I am insisting on an ambulance.

Poodlepet2

[hckynut]

@Poodlepet2

We also live about 5 minutes from our 2nd home, the hospital. Drive to the ER with chest pain? You have to register/wait your turn if others were there before you/show your ID/Insurance Card and then sign and initial the paper work.

Next you sit down and wait until you are called to go into a cubicle/wait for a nurse/wait for the ER doctor on duty and then? Hope by then you haven't died as little by little your heart muscle tissue IS DYING.

Call 911? About 5 minute wait for Rescue Unit/hooked immediately to an EKG/IV inserted in your arm, all the while you are driving towards that same hospital.

Get there and the rescue unit drives directly into the ER garage/nurses and attendants immediately get you into a cubicle/by then they know you are having a heart attack and start treatment until a Cardiologist arrives. 

Both my heart attacks I went via rescue units. 1st one I probably would have died had my wife driven me that 5 minutes to the hospital, because I also was Aspirating fluids into my lungs.

2nd heart attack. Home alone/mentioned tests I did in other post/called 911. Time from Onset of Pain till Artery Cleared? 52 minutes.

Everyone that reads this?  Think about which choice you would choose. 

hckynut(john)

[MKR14]

@Poodlepet2  So glad you are doing well. I would miss you here. I also have A-Fib and you do know when your body is off. I am very watchful of my blood pressure and how low that it gets. All of us that have a family history of heart problems have to be our own advocate.  Please take care of yourself and Thank You for posting.

You may have saved a person with your post. Take care.

[Poodlepet2]

MKR, THANK you so much for the kind words....I have said this before to you on other forums that we seem to like the same things-now I wonder if you are a long lost family member-like my twin???!!!

John, I am not just saying this, but we would all do well to listen to your 77 years of life that you share with all of us: you are a treasure.

[MKR14]

@Poodlepet2 Thanks. I know many of us retired to do the things we never got time to do. Well going to the doctors once or twice a month was not really on my list. The reason I retired was because I was so tired. Being in my 60's I just thought it was just that but boy was I wrong. I had my right leg start to swell on the inside a few days ago and when it didn't go away I had to go get it checked due to my heart problems. Thank God it was bursitis and rest and a heating pad should make it better. The doctor said if I didn't come in she would have asked me to. That is another thing that we make sure to have checked out as it could have been a blood clot. Better safe than sorry. I am just using a heating pad-that came from QVC- and working on finishing up an "afghan stitch" crocheted afghan. I told my husband I better finish it while I am alive as no one else knows how to finish it. He laughed.

I do think we could be related somewhere. One of my new favorite shows is Long Lost Family as I love to see loved ones united. Then Little Big Shots with Steve Harvey makes me laugh. Kids say it like it is. I think I'll try that someday.

[dooBdoo]

         @Poodlepet2, I'm so glad you're okay.  Thanks, so much, for taking time to share with everyone.  I agree with others...  you might've saved a life by alerting everyone.  Please, take good care of yourself.  Sending prayers and positive thoughts to you.