My heart is healthy and the Cardiologist said "Chocolate is good for you"!!!

oh that's obvious - any more than a couple of pounds is clearly overdoing it

Thanks, fwidman! The doc only said "moderation" but, well, you know, an elephant could probably pack away some chocolate! So, I'll eat what would be "moderate" to an elephant. It's a relevance thing, you know.

I honestly wasn't surprised to find nothing wrong with my heart because no one else in my family has ever had heart issues, to my knowledge. I believed all along that it was stress, which is why I waited a week or so before seeing my doctor. He's the one who freaked and sent me right to the ER, which didn't do me any good because he had me freaking!

It's just that these non-stop palpitations and erratic pulse came on so suddenly. That's why I was a good girl and did what I was told, going through all these tests.

Oh, by the way, some people have told me that the stress test is HORRIBLE but it's not so bad. I managed. I wasn't smiling through it, but I managed. Actually, I think I do remember joking during the last stage, where the treadmill speeds up and the incline is heightened. I said, "I'm NEVER going mountain climbing!"

So, it's off to the store now for more chocolate. I've already gone through what I already had here since coming from the cardiologist's office and need to restock. Gotta stay healthy, right? (Just kidding... I don't eat much chocolate as it is, it's just that, when the urge strikes, ya gotta have it!)

I would say moderation is more like one small piece of chocolate every few weeks LOL

Yeah, I thought it was important to get the word out that a bona fied cardiologist said that chocolate is okay to eat. Not just your ordinary, every day doctor, but a CARDIOLOGIST! YEAH!!! (I want HIM as my PCP!!!)

Wow! I had never heard of that before, even though when I was a typesetter, I worked for a year on a series of textbooks called, "The Heart". I thought I knew everything there was to know about it, even things that could be mistaken for heart problems. That sounds like it is awfully painful, especially when your chest is constantly moving from breathing! Does it flare often?

I was once stung by a hornet on my toe. Pain went all the way up to my hip. Man, it hurt! My mother was freaking and insisted on taking me to the ER because I am allergic to spider venom. When the ER doctor came in he asked me what I was doing there. I said, "Wishing I was home!" He got a chuckle out of it, said that I was having a very typical reaction to a full dose of hornet venom, gave me a secanol (sp?) and told me it was going to itch like crazy once the stinging stopped. (It did!)

Sometimes, I guess we just have to do what we're told just to calm THEM down. This time, it was my doctor I had to calm down, although I've had a horrible two weeks trying to get it through his thick skull that I needed him to set up a stress test, not a 30-day event monitor, not another echocardiogram and not another Holter monitor, the idiot! (Yeah, they really were screwed up... he even tried to send me to another cardiologist AFTER sending me to the first one.) This is the doctor I've had issues with but he was the only one I could see within a week and I didn't feel like going to the ER. After this mix-up, I've already started filing complaints against his practice with the medical board because this is the third time I've had major issues with him and his staff. He's potentially dangerous! I have an appointment with my new (and MUCH better) doctor on August 10th.

But, at least I know for certain now that my heart is healthy AND I can still eat chocolate!

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Stress sure can do some strange things to us, can't it? I'm happy to hear that yours went away, WITHOUT needing to see a psychiatrist! Weddings can certainly be stressful! I remember my mother lost about 25 pounds just trying to get my sister's wedding put together.

I'm still having the palpitations, although I don't feel the least bit stressed right now. I've been battling a seven-year war with Social Security to approve me for disability and, after my last hearing in the middle of February, there's no way they CAN'T deny me again, so I've been waiting, every day, for some word to come in the mail. When it doesn't, day after day, week after week, the stress has been building. Bills, especially medical bills, are pouring in and I can't pay them. That adds more stress. Of course, there's my husband who can be a total jerk at times, adding to my stress level. He's behaving himself now because he was worried that I might have serious heart problems and that he may have caused them. So, he's been treating me like gold... well, silver, anyway.

I've just taken my first dose of my new medications so I'll have to see how I'm feeling tomorrow, or a week from now. I'm to have blood work done in two months to see if my cholesterol level is down (it's not too bad, only 260) and I have an appointment on August 10 with a new doctor, one who has been my rheumatologist but is also an internist. I like her a LOT better than my old doctor.

Thank you... uhh... do I call you Dr. Scoop or Dr. Dogg? I thought it was stress, too, but my doctor had me worrying. I'm almost ashamed to say that I went to the same doctor I've had problems with in the past, though. My new doctor, who has been my rheumatologist, could not see me until August 10th, and I wanted to have these palpitations checked out sooner than that so I went to my old doctor.

You won't believe the screw-ups he and his staff have caused in the past two weeks! He sent me to the ER, the ER doctor had me wear a Holter monitor and told me to have him set up a stress test and echocardiogram. They set up the echocardiogram but forgot the stress test. I called and left a message. They never responded. I called again, still no response. My husband finally went there and pretty much gave 'em hell for ignoring my phone calls. They finally called me and asked what it was I wanted. I told them, AGAIN, that I needed a stress test set up. They called me a couple of days later with the results of the Holter monitor and to tell me that they had an order for the echocardiogram and wanted me to see "Dr. Kahn." I said I had already HAD the echocardiogram and asked, "Who is Dr. Kahn?" They said he was a cardiologist. I said, "You already SENT me to a cardiologist, Dr. Virmani." The order, when picked up, was finally requesting a stress test but also a Holter monitor, which I had already had AND which they had just called me about the results of!

Needless to say, I will NEVER go back to him. I've already submitted one complaint against his practice to the medical board and am working on two more. That doctor needs to have his license revoked for total incompetency!

Guess you're my new doctor. It'll just take me awhile to get to any appointments to see you... gotta renew my passport, get visas, air fare... GEEZ you're a hard doctor to see!

You're right about those other problems, doc, and I'm working on them now. A friend of mine used to work at Social Security and, although she's in Maryland and my case has been transferred to Virginia, she may know somebody who knows somebody who can maybe get the ball rolling. It's a long shot but better than nothing, huh? Also, hubby has been kissing up to me something fierce lately. I'm not counting on it lasting, though... I'm a realist. I'm making plans for becoming self-sufficient in case he starts acting like a total boob again.

Yep, no more major stress for me!

I'm exactly like you, Pam. I can't stand dark chocolate but LOVE milk chocolate and white chocolate! The cardiologist did NOT specify dark chocolate, though. He simply said "chocolate".

It's really like most other things... anything in moderation. I agree wholeheartedly that a person has to have chocolate! It's cheaper and easier to get than antidepressants and everyone knows what chocolate does to our endorphins!

Hee hee

Since he's the heart guy, I'll take his word for it. Look out chocolate, here I come!

I'm hoping that I'll be approved for disability before these bills start rolling in! With the disability, I should be approved for Medicare and that should cover every single medical bill I've incurred in the past 9 years, because I should have been approved from the start.

I can sympathize with you about the fibromyalgia, IBS and high blood pressure because I have them, too. My BP is totally controlled by medication, thankfully. My blood sugar is borderline, hovering between 93 and 103 but, even at 103, it's nothing to worry about, or so I've been told.

It's probably higher right now because I was told to take it easy until they could determine what was causing my heart problems and I've put on 8 pounds in the last 4 weeks because I haven't been able to be as active as I usually am. Thankfully, I was given the okay to resume my normal activities so, hopefully, I'll be able to take those 8 pounds back off as fast as I put them on.

I was concerned about my heart problems being caused by Lupus because my rheumatologist said that I may have a mild case of it, which causes inflammation of various organs. I was very glad to hear that wasn't the case.

It's purely stress. Once I'm approved for disability, most of my stress will disappear.

I'm glad to hear that you don't have to worry about medical bills! At least that's one thing you have that I don't. We're supposed to get health care reform in the very near future but who knows if or when that will happen. It will probably go into effect the day I'm approved for disability and Medicare!

Life, huh? Wishing you well on all your health issues! May they soon find cures for each one of them.

well I hope you get your disabiity and the medicare both are important to everyone who needs them

Hehehehe you devil, you! There is one thing I can always count on you for and that's making me laugh and forgetting my troubles. For that, I am forever grateful!

But, like I said elsewhere, I'll be visiting Aussieland, hopefully in the near future so you'd better watch what you say because you may have to make good on your words!

Over the time there has been much I love about you.

I don't travel well when a friend is ill, so I joke. I pain through it all and it saddens me greatly as I know there is nothing that I can do to resolve the problem, one feels helpless of it all.

I do hope you get that dream and I would be happy to share that with you.

My House is open to you and yours anytime you pass this way.

xxoo W

HICCUP/

Thank you so much, Lori! I was ecstatic when I got the good news this morning! When the cardiologist said he wants to see me back in a year, I started clapping! Although I do have to take two new meds, it's a small price to pay for the awesome diagnosis and great news I received!!! I almost hugged the doctor. LOL

I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOO glad to hear that you were able to get away from your ex and all that stress!!! Believe me, I do know how much stress our insignificant others can cause! My first husband was physically and emotionally abusive, almost killing me several times and our baby son once. When I made him get out (I owned the house we lived in), I got so depressed, I dropped down to 80 pounds. I looked like a walking cadaver! I was so thankful that I got him out of my life and out of my heart. (He's the ex who has since stopped drinking and drugs and has asked me and our son for forgiveness and has honestly been trying to do his best to prove that he's sincere.)

The cardiologist explained these drugs in detail, but he was using terms that just flew over my head or in one ear and right out the other. The one to stop the palpitations is also for high blood pressure and I did question him about that since I'm already on blood pressure medication. He told me to keep taking the other one, but he reduced the dosage so my BP wouldn't drop too low.

I'm glad that he gave me something to help reduce my cholesterol. Mine is 260, not extremely high, but I just can't get enough exercise to bring it down under 200. I changed my eating habits a year ago and dropped 25 pounds but still can't get enough exercise. I have, however, decided to eat more foods that are known to reduce cholesterol, like Cheerios and oatmeal. I've also started taking garlic pills. They'll help bring down my cholesterol, keep bugs off me AND keep the vampires at bay!


Thanks again, Lori. I'll be sure to take your advice next time!

Marti

Thank you so much, neil. I'm so happy to know that my heart is fine and my problem is mostly stress. It's scary to think that you may have heart problems because that's a serious thing!

We really don't have the funds for these tests. My husband has health insurance through his job, but we have to pay $400.00 a month for this insurance and so far it has barely paid for anything. It paid $14.00 of a bill for $150.00, and $121.00 of a bill that was $400.00, but has paid for nothing else. They keep telling us that they don't feel that these tests or doctor's visits are necessary. That's the major problem we have in this country. Health insurance companies decide what they will pay and what they won't. They don't care what the doctors say. Hopefully, that will be resolved soon in this country. I fully expect to receive even more bills for these new tests. We already owe over $5,000.00 in medical expenses that we can't pay. If I'm ever approved for disability, they should pay these medical bills. I just have no idea when, or even IF, I'll ever be approved.

I'm sending you a PM because I have something to say to you that I'd rather not say here.

I think medical insurance runs almost the same with yours. There are lots of insurance agencies, medical insurance rather, and they are doing not exactly the same. I mean, one insurance company has this kind of package, only for dental or only for accident, and so on. Mostly, we are just paying for the premiums, but those insured never used them. Another year will just come after a year, and you have to pay again for another year.

BTW, I already received your message and I guess you already received my reply by this time. Take care my dear friend...