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Seamstress
Trad climber
Yacolt, WA
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46 is young. You can make up for lost time soon. Just let them know that sitting around, waiting, is not a prescription you can follow indefinitely. Doctors are supposed to help you live, not simply prevent you from dying.
I hear plenty of life left in you. Best wishes for a rapid recovery.
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MH2
climber
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Thanks for telling us this. The condition doesn't seem to affect your smarts, your affirmative nature, or your funny-bone. May the surgical outcome be good.
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Zander
climber
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Best of luck Crimper. We are rooting for you.
Z
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Ezra Ellis
Trad climber
WA, & NC & Idaho
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I would definitely have the ablation. Most do well with ablation. Honestly, I know very little about the details of the procedure, but strongly believe it is the only potential cure. Best of Luck and I know you will do well. You have the right attitude and a great support network!
Best!
-Ezra
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Ken M
Mountain climber
Los Angeles, Ca
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There is a possibility (very small) of a pacemaker. (My grandma had one for her arrhythmia). My understanding is that this would happen only if during the ablation the AV node (I think it was the AV node) is damaged. (Medical people - please dive in and correct me if I'm talking crazy here). I'll be surprised to wake up and discover that is the case, but it could be.
Yep, you've got the idea. There is a very remote possibility of knocking out the normal beating mechanism, in which case a pacer might be needed.
While it happens, I've never seen a case in 30 years, and the gears/skill is much greater these days than in older times.
When it is over, you'll be able to go back to doing anything.
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Dr.Sprock
Boulder climber
I'm James Brown, Bi-atch!
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jim, do you know the solo to "i believe in magic" by the loovin spoonfuull?
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Lynne Leichtfuss
Trad climber
Will know soon
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Crimpie, So Sorry !
Lots of Body Part Problems going down lately. Hope and pray yours resolves quickly. You are a pretty climber. Know while you heal a speical task will come into your life and while you are healing you will be a blessing.
Big Cheers From Lynne and Friends.
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reddirt
climber
PNW
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A physician friend of mine started v-tach-ing in the middle of a climb. Had ablation weeks (or a few months) after. They are doing well. I've let them know about this thread, perhaps they'll chime in & inject some credible info in the discussion.... but in any case, they are doing ok now : )
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Ken M
Mountain climber
Los Angeles, Ca
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Oh, Reddirt, I am a physician. But she knew that, I didn't mention it for those that don't know me.
Off in a few hours to shovel trail dirt. But I won't worry about you, CG. :)
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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hey here say, crimpie... sorry i did not see this sooner...
say, well, my spirit is here, as to well wishes, even if i was late, :))
i am babysitting a little boy, since last ngiht, so i been on-and-off, and can't leave him ...
i will be praying, too, and say, my dad had something like that, but it may have been settled, as to the issue, etc...
but: he had a bad diet for while, and had to get heart bi-pass, too...
he is OKAY NOW and is EIGHTY :)
WELL, got to go...
back, later and see how it's going... :)
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 5, 2011 - 10:57am PT
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Again, thanks to all for the nice thoughts. Clean arteries are a good thing! Lots of clean artery celebrating here (BN just got his physical report of 0% plaque too).
I wished we could do this procedure sooner than having to wait another month. Tired of feeling puny (and the headaches, oy). Still, happy to live now versus 100 years ago where one just lived with it. Misery.
Does anyone have a sense whether this is more prevalent in the cycling community than the climbing community? It may be that there are just many more cyclists, but it seems not uncommon there. Can't find any literature on that.
True LEB, not fun to be on a table going for the angiogram and having the interventionist telling me that if a lot of arteries are clogged they'll have to do a bypass. ME!?!?! Happy to wake up with just a cut (and landscaped) groin. (There is a great story associated with that work, done by a male nurse, but I'll only tell it in person.)
For the ekg aficionados - I present my first "I must have asthma" ekg. BTW, the ekg is an amazing tool:
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Ezra Ellis
Trad climber
WA, & NC & Idaho
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Leb,
I have a friend and colleague who is 51 years old fit as a whistle and just biked 120 miles nonstop with 12,000 vertical gain in a bike race this summer (death valley to something),
He had an 90% LAD blockage and required stenting 12 weeks ago. Bad genetics= never rule out heart disease!
-E
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Happy to wake up with just a cut (and landscaped) groin. (There is a great story associated with that work, done by a male nurse, but I'll only tell it in person.)
Hey, if you tell your medical groin story, I'll tell mine.
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Crimpergirl
Sport climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 5, 2011 - 12:12pm PT
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Family members have died from pretty much everything. Across the board.
Of course an ekg is just one tool they use and it's more an art than anything. My understanding is it has to be read in conjunction with the specific patient and other symptoms. I've had a million dollar work-up for sure.
Lots of ekgs (two were even normal). echocardiograms. angiogram. stress tests. pulmonary tests. Multiple monitors. CTs. Contrast. No contrast. Lots of cardiologists. Lots of blood drawn.
More segments of ekgs for fun. The PSVT is clear in these.
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Callie
You're KNOTT gunna die, at least knott prematurely.
(we're all gunna die sometime). . .
Hang in there, yer gonna git better!!!!
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philo
Trad climber
Somewhere halfway over the rainbow
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Crimps, iffn yer havin trouble keepin yer chin up you can allees borry my cervical collar.
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raymond phule
climber
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Does anyone have a sense whether this is more prevalent in the cycling community than the climbing community? It may be that there are just many more cyclists, but it seems not uncommon there. Can't find any literature on that.
I haven't read much of the thread so this might be about the wrong heart problem but I know there have been a resent large study about heart problems in xc skiers that have participated in vasaloppet. It was published in a conferance this summer.
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the goat
climber
north central WA
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Crimp,
Sounds like you're way ahead of the curve in dealing with it- healthy lifestyle, acknowledgement of the problem and a positive attitude in addressing it, "OK, this ain't right, let's deal with it!" Keep up the good work and positive thoughts, you'll get through it and come back even better.
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Bargainhunter
climber
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Crimp,
I'm an ER physician and I had an ablation last year (I'm the guy Reddirt was talking about).
At first my symptoms (palpitations and dizzyness) occurred periodically during stressful overnight shifts, compounded by my propensity to drink 2 french presses of coffee chased by a couple of Monsters per shift, or so I thought.
I pretty much wrote the symptoms off to too much caffeine/stress, but I do like my coffee... then.... last summer I was scrambling in the Tetons and noticed above the lower saddle and on the bellycrawl periodic sudden severe weakness with palpitations and nearly passing out. I retreated and rested for a few days, but the symps returned while hiking up Teewinot, and persisted for the next two days even while resting, to the point I had to sit down each time it occurred otherwise risk fainting.
When I returned home, I called the cardiologist specializing in electrophysiology. I was on the ablation table a few days later. What we both thought was going to be routine PSVT, turned out to be V-tach (!) It suprised the cardiologist to the point that he actually weaned the sedation off and woke me up to discuss proceeding. We looked over my EKGs and rhythm patterns, he called a couple of colleagues, and I said let's got for it! He mapped the origin as best as possible then burned away what he could. In fact when I was in recovery describing the dull ache in my chest, he said laughing, "That’s beacuse I burned the crap out of your heart!" (We are friends, btw.)
The recovery was nothing. Mild aching for 2 days. I eased back into normal exertion and postponed heavy exercise for a few weeks/months. Afterward, I did have occasional palpitations, but much less frequently. It has been months since I can recall any symptoms, and I am returning to baseline heavy exertion now. Last week, in darkness and alone, I hiked up Half Dome twice and to Glacier Point in the 2.5 days I was there, while carrying a heavy pack to support climber friends (who were doing the "double free" - Freerider and Regular Route) in a 30 hour push. It was strenuous going up the downed cables with a pack full of rope, water and bivy gear, but not once did my palpitations flare up. A year ago I would not have done that due to my concern of fainting/dying once the palpitations kicked in.
You rhythm (PSVT) btw, is the most amenable to ablation. I am sure that it will go smoothly. Good luck!
PS: For those dirtbags out there who don’t have health insurance, my bills from this procedure and overnight hospital stay were $69K. Cuidado!
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