Tweaking

The monthly NP meeting this evening was a presentation on ablations by an EP tonight. Very interesting. Had a delightful conversation with the EP and a St Jude's rep, who assured me they could tweak my settings for running and encouraged me to come in and get it done. So once my ortho says I can run again I will definitely give them a try. After a very encouraging conversation with them I have new hope. They seemed like they actually want their patients to stay active and want to help them optimize settings. Night and day difference with what I have been dealing with. And they were nice! Keeping my fingers crossed I can get my knee fixed, get my pm tweaked, and be running again soon.

13 Comments

At least it wasn't an Ortho ...

by donr - 2014-02-12 01:02:20

...talking about trauma & the first slide while you are eating your cherry pie for dessert is an amputation below the knee.

Sounds like you are riding a winner.

Don

Glitch:(

by Bostonstrong - 2014-02-12 01:02:21

I checked my insurance and of course they are out of network. I wouldn't mind paying a few hundred out of pocket for tweaking visits but eventually this puppy will need to be replaced and I can't do that kind of expense out of pocket. Also if the SVT gets worse and I need an ablation, or a lead would fracture or other complications that might occurI could not afford to get taken care of out of network. I even called my insurance company and laid it on the line that the ones in THEIR network are bad doctors (ie poking a hole in the heart) and worse people (verbally abusive spawn of Satan covering ER). Bad doctors and really bad people! Still no exemption. Crud. These insurance people are tough. Time to win the lottery!

ugh

by Tracey_E - 2014-02-12 04:02:25

It's never easy, is it?! I would still go to the new dr for your checks, at least until you get to feeling good again. Once the settings are good, it shouldn't need adjusted much after that unless your heart changes again. You can always refer to someone in-network when it needs replaced. Who knows what insurance will be like then, anyway, and maybe Nice New Dr will have a better person to refer to.

Are you on beta blockers? Minimal dose got my svt under control.

Hi Boston

by IAN MC - 2014-02-12 06:02:45

Please keep us informed ! I have always suspected that there is some magical tweak, designed especially for runners, which they like to keep secret !

I guess they don't want too many people doing 4 minute miles !

Ian

Tracey

by Bostonstrong - 2014-02-12 07:02:38

Hi, no beta blockers. The EP prescribed Diltiazem after the pm implant. If the SVT gets worse I might take them...I know, I'm a really really BAD patient. There's probably an EP on the phone to my insurance company now saying PLEASE send her out of network.....

Speaking of 4 min Miles

by donr - 2014-02-12 09:02:07

Ian - would you believe that Roger Bannister has finished his Med training, entered practice & retired after a full career since the day he did that in May 1954? Long ago, eh?

Never saw the man run, but did have the opportunity to see Ron Delany run here in the US in the spring of 1957 while he was a student at Villanova Univ in Philadelphia. He made our best miler look like he was crawling on his belly, but only turned in about a 4:07 mile - no real competition. Watching Delany was like watching a man run for a mile while threatening to take his last breath at any point. Most contorted, uncomfortable looking runner I've ever seen - but he was FAST.

While living in fantasy land here for a moment, Consider what the Mile would have looked like in London in 1948 if Bannister had thought he could run then & Louie Zamperini, the Yank, had been able to recover from WW-II POW conditions to run. They ARE the same age today & (obviously) still living.

Don

nah, not bad

by Tracey_E - 2014-02-12 09:02:53

LOL re: your last sentence :o)

I really hate drugs. When my dr first suggested them, I laughed and said no way. The second time he suggested them, I said I researched some natural solutions, gonna try supplements and cutting out caffeine first. The third time suggested them, I said I'll just back off when it gets too high (mine is mostly exercise induced)... after two years I got to the point I was backing off more than I was sweating so my workouts sucked. I very crankily accepted the prescrip, said gimme the one with the fewest side effects and the lowest possible dose.

There are some side effects, but being able to work out definitely outweighs it. My rate stays around 150 when I work out now so the pm can handle it (before atria went over 175, the max the pm would pace the ventricles) I still hate drugs, I really really hate the thought of being on them for life, but hey, I can work out so I suck it up and mostly shut up about it. Mostly :P Drugs suck, but they can work.

What's the diltiazem for?

Drugs

by Bostonstrong - 2014-02-12 10:02:18

I think we are soul sisters. My way, no really my way, my way, my way...until it doesn't work then we are just practical. I have asthma so beta blockers would be really bad for me. But they are good for some people. I only had 2 episodes of SVT on my last interrogation, both very brief so it's not enough of a problem now to worry about. The Diltiazem is a calcium channel blocker for the tachy part of tachy brady after I got the pm. Had a steely eyed discussion in the hospital with the EP who said I am giving you something to slow you down since you have the pm now. Fire coming out my ears, smoke out the nostrils, slit eyed steely look, I glared at him and said I am NOT taking a beta blocker! He slitted his eyes right back at me and said "I am not GIVING you a beta blocker. Oh.
Jealous of your heart rate! Other than the very rare, brief spurts of SVT I can't seem to get my heart rate up much past 90 even when working out hard and overdoing the caffeine. Or maybe I'm not working as hard as I think I am.

YAY!!!

by Tracey_E - 2014-02-12 10:02:24

How wonderful to find someone to listen!!!!!!! Someone nice. Maybe even someone who returns calls :)

Boston

by Grateful Heart - 2014-02-12 11:02:32

What Tracey said. It is so important to have faith, trust and be able to communicate with your Doctor. Stay with the new guys. Worry about the replacement when the time comes.

You can also speak to the new Doctors about participating with your health care insurance.

Grateful Heart

Boston

by jeanlancour - 2014-02-12 12:02:26

Sounds good, keep my fingers crossed and prayers coming. Excited for you. summers coming and know you will want to be out there running, Hoping to hear about that knee next. Good luck Jean

Alleliua!!!

by Moner - 2014-02-12 12:02:35

Hi Boston,

That's good news, awhile back I know you were in the market for a new EP, will you be going to him from now on!!!

It's a beautiful thing, when you can trust your doctor.

Moner

>^,,^<

Absolutely

by Moner - 2014-02-13 12:02:58

Hi Boston,

What a bummer, but I would take Tracey's advice and stick with the newer EP.

Who the heck knows where this insurance business is going anyway.

And as Tracey said, maybe this new EP can refer you to someone in your network.

I hope you're thawing out by now.

We're all gearing up for the storm tomorrow.

Moner
>^..^<

You know you're wired when...

You have a $50,000 chest.

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