Thread Drift

**Lise** · 08-09-2006, 05:59 PM

Yeah, yeah...blech. It is impossible to say "when this started" because I've had similar feelings before, just attributed it to other things, like gallstones, heat, fatigue. The doc said she thought it was benign, and probably due to hormonal changes of peri-menopause. I'm going to do some searching in the medical literature about PVCs/menopause/athletes. It is wierd to see the EKG. I'm no expert, but I know what normal looks like. So mine looks like ... normal, normal, normal, wiggley!, normal, normal... I want to smack myself in the chest like the old Marcus Welby episode.

Kind of makes me feel a bit better about not feeling great in the chest when I run--if my heart's skipping all those beats, how could I feel good? I'm still doing the Pleasant Prairie Tri (unless the echo shows I shouldn't for some reason), but I'm going to take it easier on the run. Not be ashamed if I can't run the whole thing. I suck at the swim--that's always just survive and get out of the water--I love the bike, so no problem there--and, well, if I can't run much, I can't run much. We shall see. I'm praying for relatively cool weather that weekend. That will help.
........................
Ironically, I think "Team Danger" came about because various members would be ruled out from donating bone marrow, or put on some "maybe, maybe not" list. Mine was gallstones at the time. Now we can add Wiggley! heartrate to my qualifications as a Team Danger member. I'm not even going near those Team Emboli girls. They might be recruiting.

**winddance** · 08-09-2006, 06:06 PM

Lise, what's a PVC?

**Lise** · 08-09-2006, 06:20 PM

Originally Posted by winddance

Lise, what's a PVC?

Ah, sorry. Premature Ventricular Contraction.

From my old anatomy text: "A form of arrhythmia which arises when a small region of the heart becomes more excitable than normal, causing an occasional abnormal impulse to be generated between normal impulses. The region from which the abnormal impulse is generated is called an ectopic focus...ectopic foci may be caused by emotional stress, excessive intake of stimulants such as caffeine or nicotine, lack of sleep, and local ischemic areas of cardiac muscle."

Doesn't say anything about peri-menopause, but the book was published in 1984...

I've got some research to do in the current literature.

So...let's review. Emotional stress? Check. Blame that stupid guy from April.

Excessive intake of caffeine? Well, some intake, at least. No nicotine, of course. Lack of sleep? Well, duh! I'm a midwife! Ischemic areas of cardiac muscle? I certainly hope not. I'd think that would be painful. The echocardiogram next Tuesday is an ultrasound of the heart muscle. It will show if there are any structural reasons for this.

I am used to just pushing through things--we have a saying in midwifery, "You can do anything for 12 hours." (Most of us have worked both 24 and 12 hour shifts. 12 is better.) But...not really. As SK and MP know, you can't control some things. Heck, I know this from my endometriosis and infertility. But my heart? You kind of count on that to just keep steady on. I'll keep you guys (and yes, my doc, too!) posted. Thanks for your loving concern. L.

**KnottedYet** · 08-09-2006, 06:51 PM

Giving up caffiene? NO. Give up running? OK.

Just leave me the caffiene!

Glad you're tracking this one down, Lise. (I keep seeing PVC and thinking "polyvinyl chloride")

**Lise** · 08-09-2006, 06:59 PM

Originally Posted by KnottedYet

Giving up caffiene? NO. Give up running? OK.

Just leave me the caffiene!

Glad you're tracking this one down, Lise. (I keep seeing PVC and thinking "polyvinyl chloride")

I just did a search, and appearantly they're called VPBs (ventricular premature beats) nowadays. (You know health care. Gotta change up the abbreviations every so often

) I found a good patient ed handout...and...can't figure out how to attach it here. Anyways, basically said what my anatomy text said. Not dangerous unless you have a weak heart muscle, can be annoying. My doc said that exercise can *help* them, so keep on. They certainly are not *helping* me exercise!

I wonder if this is a consequence of 13 years of the crazy life in midwifery...18 years in obstetrics (5 as a nurse before becoming a midwife). Too many jolts of adrenaline to the heart.

**winddance** · 08-09-2006, 07:00 PM

I think of pipes. Shows you how much I know.

Lise, I'm glad you're tracking this one down, too. There are lots of things that you can do without lots of other things, but hearts are important. Take care of yourself!

**Nanci** · 08-10-2006, 03:52 AM

Doesn't this make you want a baby???

**Lise** · 08-10-2006, 04:03 AM

um, it's a baby what? Having seen Milly's baby pictures, I'm thinking pigeon (a good guess with Nanci, anyways!) I saw a picture of a newborn baby panda--very pink and bristley.

Gooood news--I got 7 hours of sleep here in the call room! Not one page. I woke up several times to look at the clock, as usual, but I slept in between, and was horizontal the whole time. YAY! I'm going to see some ladies who had their babies yesterday, and then I'm off at 10. Performance Bike, though not the greatest shopping experience, *is* just down the street from the hospital. I'm going to go see what the tail end of their sale looks like.

See y'all later...

**betagirl** · 08-10-2006, 04:18 AM

Giving up caffiene? NO. Give up running? OK.

I agree totally.

So I'm reading about this foiled terror plot in the UK, and have to laugh at the pictures of Heathrow on CNN.com and the "chaos". Has anyone ever flown out of Heathrow? It always looks like that. Nothing travels smoothly or quickly through there. CDG in Paris is worse. Those are probably stock photos.

I also have problems with the "death on an unimaginable scale" comment. 20 planes, 300 people each on average is 6000. Yes that's 6000 too many. But I surely think if you read a little history of countries in, say, Africa you can imagine more than 6000. I'm sure more than 6000 people have been killed in Iraq.

Sorry, political rant over. I just can't stand the sensationalism of these news stories. Would I fly to London today? Absolultely. I have some ziploc bags.

My friend just told me they're going to have "milk testers". I wonder if Napoleon Dynammite will be there. "This one tastes like the cow got into an onion patch."

**Bicyclette** · 08-10-2006, 05:01 AM

I just read that too - about the milk - I read that if you're taking milk for your baby you have to have someone who will sample it.

Would I fly to London today?? NO!!! but then I won't fly anyday if I don't have to - I hate, hate, hate to fly - not because of terrorist incidents but because of crashing

- I'm abdolutely phobic - so much so that my husband and I are discussing a transatlantic cruise for the next time we go back to the states

**Trek420** · 08-10-2006, 05:01 AM

betagirl, I agree totally. And .... I always question the timing.

"My friend just told me they're going to have "milk testers"."

Alrighty, "you're flying with some French wine? Some British Ale? Step to the side, I have to try that. It's for Homeland security precaution of course"

Nanci, uh, no, that doesn't make me want to have kids but it is cute.

Off to pump the tires, got my shorts on, might as well ride to work.

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