Tag Archives: EKG

Dance, baby, dance . . .

12 May

It is now almost 3:30 in the morning, haven’t slept yet . . . unfortunately, sleepless nights have been a pretty standard occurrence for the past year and few months. I am tired of being tired.

But, perhaps the most tiresome is the constant dance that this disease makes you do . . . cancer is that cruel cowboy that fires a gun at your feet and says, “Dance”!

I have clear scans, something I am so grateful for, so grateful. And now I am supposed to have reconstructive surgery next Monday. However, I am not cleared for surgery yet – my pre-admission screening included an EKG, chest X-ray and bloodwork. The chest X-ray and bloodwork came back fine. The EKG did not. Scary. I also had an echocardiogram. I do not know the results of that test yet. Hopefully the echocardiogram is fine.

I am very worried about the abnormal EKG because herceptin has the potential to damage the heart. I recall not feeling well the day of the EKG. I was definitely feeling some distress. But, I did not expect what I felt to show up on an EKG. And, I don’t know if that has anything to do with it anyway.

I am just worried. Anyone who has to undergo chemotherapy worries about simply surviving the treatment. I am hoping, of course, that all is well. I have just never had an abnormal EKG before.

Tomorrow I will see my cardiologist’s nurse practitioner. She will conduct another EKG and she should be able to tell me the results of the echocardiogram. I just hope that the results are good. My appointment is at 4:00 pm. So, I guess I will know more soon.

Please say some prayers, I greatly appreciate it.

Love and Peace,

Lisa

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Surgery scheduled . . . abnormal EKG . . .

11 May

I have a new surgery date – May 17th. I haven’t written because I have been trying to get everything done in time for the new date – take care of pending things, arrange for caretakers post surgery (I will need to have a person stay with me for a week after surgery), dog care, cleaning, and soon – some cooking (probably this weekend – I eat organic food as much as possible – so I plan on preparing some meals ahead and freezing these so as to make everything easier post-op).

Yesterday was taken up with phone calls – literally 6 hours of my day yesterday was spent on the phone with medical providers. At one time, in an effort to speed things up – I was on two phones – on hold with UCLA Oncology and on hold with Hoag. It proved to save me a few minutes, I guess. Although, I am not sure that the in-stereo-hold-music was worth it.

So now I have new surgery date, but, it may not go . . . my pre-op EKG came back abnormal. So, now it is off to see a cardiologist – only my cardiologist is not available until . . . yep, you guessed it . . . May 17th. Charming.

Instead, I have an appointment with a nurse practitioner who is board certified to do pre-op clearances in cardiology. I am not too keen on this option. But, it is what it is.

The drug herceptin has cardiopathic potential – meaning that it can cause damage to the heart. I was on herceptin infusions for over a year. It was something I was worried about before I embarked on my treatment plan last year. But, while there is a risk that herceptin will damage the heart – the risk of not taking herceptin is certain – without herceptin the cancer would go unchecked, unstopped by even the most drastic of chemotherapy protocols. So, really, there was no choice.

While on herceptin a patient is monitored by a cardiologist. I have echocardiograms about every three months. So far these have all come back normal. I am waiting on the results from the most recent echo (I had this test last week). So, hopefully everything will turn out fine.

When I had the EKG last week, it was on the same day the I got lost trying to park, ugh. I was very distressed by the time I found my way to the pre-admission screening at Hoag, so maybe that is why the EKG was abnormal? I don’t know much about this stuff. And, I am hoping that I do not have to learn much about it either! 🙂

So, maybe I will have surgery on the 17th and maybe it will be postponed.

Hopefully everything will be fine.

Please say some prayers, I really appreciate it.

Love and peace,

Lisa

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