chest pain and hard to breathe, I need some help here

[retnav7696]

Oh by the way, you guys can get a look at some of me if you have access to the Nuc medicine book. Some doctor in Dallas put me in there when then Navy screwed up removing my gallbladder in 1991. Its called Hale something. They (the Navy) punched 2 holes through my liver,sliced my liver open, collapsed my right lung and blew a hole through in my common bile duct when they took my gallbladder out with a laser. The doc in Dallas got the pictures and put me in the book I guess to show what NOT to do. LOL. So as you can see I have not had very good luck with the military doctors

 

[Cruisin Home]

unfortunately a very common story although I know of many great and passionate military docs.
It might be a good time to get a full medical history, please send me a summary when you email me your CT scans. I am assuming you had SPECT scans to measure your bile production and flow both pre and post gall bladder removal.

Good luck

 

[TSandM]

You know, the more time that passes with the OP still having symptoms, the more difficulty I have coming up with a likely diagnosis that would be made by CT. Initially, the possibility of pneumothorax or pulmonary embolism was there . . . but the clearly exertional nature of the symptoms and their persistence over several weeks really puts both of those possibilities significantly lower on the list. I think the doc's decision to proceed with cath is precisely the right one; if no diagnosis is made there, then other diagnostic studies will be indicated.

 

[Cruisin Home]

TSand M

I certainly think the heart is the correct place to start and should have been totally ruled out before, in fact a cardiac CT scan would have been a good non-interventional diagnostic. It should be clear from going back that I have been all over this from the beginning. But knowing the clinical sitiuation in his city like I do, his only chance would have been with the Medical university hospital. The VA as I am aware is not capable of performing this cutting edge scan. It is more than likely that he has a coronary stenosis which I hope can be resolved during his procedure.
But I am jumping ahead for the man in case his Cath is clean. He most certainly should have had a CT by now. There are several other possibilities you havent mentioned that for sake of adding to his stress I will not mention right now. Athough a minor one could still be a hiatal hernia, given his surgical experience that he just mentioned, that would not be unlikely. Certainly the PE and pneumothorax are now considered low just due to the elapsed time.

 

[retnav7696]

I have just got back from the doc. It is MUSC doctors that are going to be doing the procedure on me. Their plan is to go in through my wrist to do the cath. After that is done their plan is to take pictures of my heart with ultrasound because I am the only one scheduled for tomorrow. I assume they plan on practicing on me. Hopefully I will have some kind of answer tomorrow. They also gave me 600 mg of Plavix to take tonight and another 75 mg to take in the morning before the procedure. Back in 1991 when I had the gallbladder stuff they put dye in me to see the leaks and it looked like the 4th of July on the screen. They put a stent in the bile duct and went back in to get it out 30 days later (I will never forget that banana tasting spray that they shot into my throat)I assume that is the SPECT scan your talking about!

 

[SC_Hoaty]

Retnav - if it eases your mind any, I know several folks who are pleased with the cardiac care they received at MUSC. Laser ablation for atrial fibrulation, and other delicate stuff like that. Given that MCG is hours closer, and they still went to MUSC, I think that speaks well of the care to be had there. Looking forward to your report! Best wishes for your procedure tomorrow.

 

[ScubaNurse758]

Retnav - Hope everything goes well today with your procedure. Sounds like what the doctors are planning to do is an IVUS (Intravascular ultrasound) which can give them a better idea of the percentage of blockage in the lumen of the vessels inside your heart. Sounds like they are making sure they cover all the bases while they are in there. Hope everything goes well.

 

[retnav7696]

I AM ALIVE! They did the cath and now I have 2 medicated stents inside me. One main vessel on the right front of my heart was almost completely clogged. The doctor said it took them 30 minutes plus to get it opened and they decided to fix another one that was maybe 70 % blocked since they were in there already. They are getting me a CD of the procedure and I can pick it up next week. I will uploaded it and send it to whomever wants to see it. They did not do the ultrasound because in the one doctors words ( WE FOUND THE CULPRIT) so to put it through the test I ran down 3 flights of stairs and back up and felt great. No pain, no shortness of breath, and no problems in the chest at all. I do plan on going back into my charts and see who the idiots were in the beginning that missed the blockage in the first place! I have to take plavix for a year and some other stuff. After I get the disc and send it then we can talk diving maybe next summer, hopefully!

 

[SC_Hoaty]

Fantastic news! Glad they took good care of you. And running the day after a heart cath - wow!

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

I AM ALIVE! They did the cath and now I have 2 medicated stents inside me. One main vessel on the right front of my heart was almost completely clogged. The doctor said it took them 30 minutes plus to get it opened and they decided to fix another one that was maybe 70 % blocked since they were in there already. They are getting me a CD of the procedure and I can pick it up next week. I will uploaded it and send it to whomever wants to see it. They did not do the ultrasound because in the one doctors words ( WE FOUND THE CULPRIT) so to put it through the test I ran down 3 flights of stairs and back up and felt great. No pain, no shortness of breath, and no problems in the chest at all. I do plan on going back into my charts and see who the idiots were in the beginning that missed the blockage in the first place! I have to take plavix for a year and some other stuff. After I get the disc and send it then we can talk diving maybe next summer, hopefully!

Hoo ya! Great news! Thanks so much for updating us. I guess that if you were able to run up and down stairs you've recovered from the procedure. I can't tell you how glad I am that you got the care that you needed. I'd be interested to hear exactly which vessels they stented.