Question:
PS….I’ve also had Pet Scans and that’s how we knew that my cancer recur [11/02] had not gone beyond the breast. I’ve also had Abdominal CT and Bone Scans that have settled questions about somewhat elevated blood levels. It’s been proven time after time that these tests are very beneficial to alot of people. The fact that so many of us are still here is testimony to the testing procedures that are available to us now. Again, I’m sorry that things have not gone well for you…but please don’t trash what goes on in other states and facilities that you know nothing about seeing as how you are only familiar with the conditions in one area of Texas. New posters are logging on everyday and you’re not helping, all you’re doing is scaring them into either not trusting anyone, therefore not going for treatments or exams to find out what’s going on, or not taking the treatments that are being suggested to them by their doctors. Please try believing in someone, so you can get your life on a better path. And just because what you know of religion and Christians has been less then a favorable expierence, please don’t judge everyone, based on a few. We’re not them! annie
Response:
New posters are logging on everyday and you’re not helping, all you’re doing is scaring them into either not trusting anyone, therefore not going for treatments or exams to find out what’s going on, or not taking the treatments that are being suggested to them by their doctors.
I’ve said this before, thanks, Annie, for your support. The other people on the group, especially newcomers who are frightened and don’t know where to turn, are the people we should be thinking of more than anything else. Mary
Response:
I’m sorry that you feel as you do about these tests, that these tests are not useful in the detection of heart conditions. Obviously, alot of know they are because people are being successfully treated everyday for various heart related conditions. They are lving very healthy fulfilling lives as a result of being dx and treated promptly. My mother for one, and other relatives have been given these scans to rule things out as well. I’ve had a Muga Scan prior to starting AC. This is required here. You can’t have chemo unless you have this scan. They need to know what the extraction rate is, as Adrimycin is very toxic to the heart. My extraction rate after my scan was done was 78%, which my onco nurse told me was very good. Average is around 50%-65%. It has to be above 55% for you to recieve Adrimycin for your treatment. Were you given a Muga Scan prior to your chemo treatments? You more then likely had a heart condition prior to your treatments as others have mentioned in regards to your previous posts over the past few years. This should have been done so you would’ve have known that you perhaps had the beginings of heart problems. Alot of us even with having had the Muga Scan can develop heart problems in the future [usually 4-5 years later] according to the reading material they given you prior to begining treatments. But the higher the extraction rate from your scan results, the lower or higher your risk might be in relation to heart problems in the future. You’ve also mentioned some medical facilities in Texas, that from everything I’ve heard are some the very best this country has to offer. M.D Anderson, Herman Hospital,and the others you named. Many people that have posted to several bc news groups over the last 4-5 years have said they considered themselves fortunate to have had these medical [cancer] centers available to them. Long time poster to WebMd’s message boards had all of her care there several years ago and still posts occassionally to give us updates. I’m sorry you’ve not had the care you should’ve gotten when you were first aware that something wasn’t right. But! that doesn’t automatically make every doctor, every hospital, and every technician evil and sloppy in regards to their work. I’m fully aware that medical care is not what it should be in some areas, but that doesn’t mean that everyone should be distrustful of their doctors and hospital staff. I’m also sure that if you didn’t have all the other stuff going on in your life that you tell us about, it probably has made everything else seem less then adequate. Then again, there are some people that are never happy, no matter what’s going on in their lives. And I’m afraid to say that this is the way you come across in your posts. And when we’ve tried to be supportive to you in the past, and make suggestion after suggestion about getting things done, you’ve attacked us if we didn’t see things your way. I can’t blame anyone for not wanting to help you, if you conduct yourself in real life as you do in here. My grandmother always told us "God helps those who help themselves" Things are not as we would want them to be for alot of us,in regards to after effects of chemo and various treatments, but we do the best we can without taking it out on innocent people, who have absolutely ZIP to do with our personal/private troubles. As I’ve said in the past and you’ve attacked me for saying this…Take care. God bless. I do hope things get better for you, so you can live a little more comfortably. I truly hope someday you can see that we’re trying to help you and not attqack you, but as you’ve said in the past yourself, it’s a "discussion group and not everyones going to agree all the time, that’s what this is all about, free and open debate" [this is not a direct quote just a general gist of what your posts have contained at times] Attack if you must, I’m just happy to be alive and see each new day as a gift, and life’s to short to be this b*tchy all the time. We all have problems. My MIL passed away on Jan 18th. My father passed away less 3 weeks later on Feb 6th, after more then 3 weeks in the hospital. Gene’s uncle died the day after my father. So you see things have not been all that good here, but we’re moving on with strength and our faith in God. And btw I’m not a "KKK Christian" annie – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – ECHOcardiogram Does Work It’s like an ultrasound of the heart. Heart Tests That Do NOT Work When you go to an MD, most will try to use you as a cash cow, ….. will try to churn you or your insurance company for maximum money, for as many years as possible. It’s NOT about your getting any legitimate health care. The heart-type tests the docs will do, which do NOT show heart damage, …. even when you’re in congestive heart failure, when your lungs are full or fluid, & when you’re drowning are: Blood oxygen levels: This is something they clip on your finger. Then they say, if your blood oxygen levels are good, then nothing can be wrong, & they refuse to do further rtesting. This it TOTAL BS. EKG (?): This is the machine whose leads they attack to your chest, & get a print-out. They use this test to justify, their refusal to do legtimate testing. The EKG still shows nothing, when you are in congestive heart failure, drowning, dying. MUGA: Shows nothing. Blood pressure: Shows nothing wrong when you are in congestive heart failure. Blood tests: Usually show nothing wrong, when you are in congestive heart failure. CAT scan: Usually shows nothing wrong, no matter what is wrong, even huge hematomas (internal bleeding), huge cancerous lumps, strokes, etc. PET scan: Ditto. Nothing. It seems that the ONLY test that will show major congestive heart failure, is the ECHO, echocardiogram. You have to ask for this test, & keep insisting on it, to ever get it. Even though I had major congestive heart failure, it took from Monday at the ER, to Friday to get an ECHO done, …… to confirm how bad the heart damage is, & my need for medical care for it. In Texas & Louisiana, there is no emergency care, no matter how bad your condition, …… & it’s a constant job/work, to try to find & get any legitimate medical care of any kind. Most docs here in East Texas & West Louisiana, will work very hard to see you get no legitimate medical care. The ER doc in Longview, didn’t tell me what CHF was. After I was wheeled back to my truck, I read that it was Congestive Heart Failure. The health care in Texas & Louisiana, is so extremely sub-standard, that most docs seem to work overtime trying to make sure most patients don’t survive, & can never fight back, sue them. The laws have been changed here, to overly protect the doctors, regardless. It’s a rip-off, fraud. Susan, Su_Texas my opinions
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – You’ve also mentioned some medical facilities in Texas, that from everything I’ve heard are some the very best this country has to offer. M.D Anderson, Herman Hospital,and the others you named. Many people that have posted to several bc news groups over the last 4-5 years have said they considered themselves fortunate to have had these medical [cancer] centers available to them. Long time poster to WebMd’s message boards had all of her care there several years ago and still posts occassionally to give us updates. I’m sorry you’ve not had the care you should’ve gotten when you were first aware that something wasn’t right. But! that doesn’t automatically make every doctor, every hospital, and every technician evil and sloppy in regards to their work. I’m fully aware that medical care is not what it should be in some areas, but that doesn’t mean that everyone should be distrustful of their doctors and hospital staff. I’m also sure that if you didn’t have all the other stuff going on in your life that you tell us about, it probably has made everything else seem less then adequate. Then again, there are some people that are never happy, no matter what’s going on in their lives. And I’m afraid to say that this is the way you come across in your posts. And when we’ve tried to be supportive to you in the past, and make suggestion after suggestion about getting things done, you’ve attacked us if we didn’t see things your way. I can’t blame anyone for not wanting to help you, if you conduct yourself in real life as you do in here. My grandmother always told us "God helps those who help themselves" Things are not as we would want them to be for alot of us,in regards to after effects of chemo and various treatments, but we do the best we can without taking it out on innocent people, who have absolutely ZIP to do with our personal/private troubles. We all have problems.
Well said, Annie. Mary
Response:
The Liar Docs I just got a phone call from the cardiologist’s office, & they scheduled a heart cath for tomorrow, Friday. When I said that I was too sick & weak to do that tomorrow, & would have to wait until I was strong enough to make the long drive to Tyler & do it, …… I was informed that I’d have to be driven there by someone else. I informed the doctor up-front (last Friday), that I had no one to help, ….. was in severe poverty conditions (hauling & toting water, no A/C), ….. was in danger from birth-family abuse (partly due to their robbing trust funds), ….. was in danger from the corrupt DAs, judges, sheriff & such here, had no safety & protection, ….. that I had dogs to care for, responsibilities, ……. …. & that he (the cardiologist) needed to be very truthful with me about the heart cath, & about any treatments, ….. because he’d put my life & that of my pets, my ability to survive in this hell-hole-sewer of a community, ….. in serious jeopardy if he didn’t, if he disregarded what I said. I was reluctant to say this, & tried to be as brief as possible, ….. but tried to get the message across, that he needed to be truthful about the heart-cath & treatments he was suggesting, …… about the seriousness of his being honest with me, & the harm he would do if he weren’t. So many docs have now lied & done harm, that there’s no trust up-front. Either the doc proves truthful, or that’s it. Most docs here have a HUGE problem in dealing with truth, facts, …… in being practical, rational, logical, ……. in choosing to help (not further harm!) the patients. And most can’t re-focus, can Not do the right thing, no matter what. Somehow, they’re programmed to harm. It’s like dealing this total jack-a*s doctor (surgeon) in Houston, at I went to him for the neck injuries, but he demanded I let him do back surgery on multiple discs, & tried to force this. [I'd been referred to him as being the best neck injury specialist in Houston, which proved a lie. He was a nasty, sadistic, incompetent shill for the universities.] He assured me that I’d be OK right after surgery, …… be able to get up immediately afterwards, get a bus back to East Texas, …… be able to tote water OK & such. And then he stood there, smirked & snickered. He inspired no confidence whatsoever. He was looking for victims for the UT students to practice on, then dump the mangled bodies. that this sucked off his profits so he didn’t believe in it, …… that the big money was in the surgery, which was all he’d do. He said that he cut people open, then looked to see what was wrong, what he might want to fix. Since my spine was injured top to bottom, this didn’t sound good, reasonable. which seems to be what UT, Baylor, LSU, A&M (Scott & White in Temple) look for & value in profs in their medical schools. The worst mindset & morals possible, and/or whoever can bring in the most grant money from the PHARMA companies. At the universities, the docs will lie, cheat & steal, to get whatever bodies they can, for the students to practice on. It’s vile, disgusting beyond belief. for nor wanted. When a doc lies up-front, it’s important to drop him & run. ever met. In Texas, because things are so incredibly bad & corrupt here, the docs/etc. want to label people as being mentally ill, ….. as another weapon to use against them, to do harm. This is also another excuse to push drugs for the PHARMA companies, INSTEAD of offering any legitimate medical testing or care for injuries, breast cancer & such. When the med student was wasting my time (I was exhausted, in severe pain, there only for testing & diagnosis of neck injuries), …… questioning me about dates, politicians now in office & such, ….. ….. the student didn’t even know that Bush was governor, or that Rick Perry was lt. gov. He didn’t know the answers to the questions he was asking! And he said my answers were wrong. He tried to mark me down as being Not OK, because he said I should have known that Bush was no longer in office, that he was no longer president. It took a lot to explaining to try to convince him, that I never said Bush was still president. I said that Dubya Bush was governor. As far as I can tell, there’s no way to re-focus a determinedly-dumb & dastardly mind & mindset, or to convince it of anything. These are the forever-stupid. And UT actually lets these total dumb-f*cks cut people open, & cut up their spines. ?! Last Friday, the cardiologist assured me, that I could drive to Tyler in the morning, get the heart cath or whatever done, then drive home in the afternoon. That didn’t sound right, which is why I asked about it here, if it were true. It’s obviously not true. I’ve learned that once a doctor lies, & tries to put you in further jeopardy, further danger, ….. it’s best to walk away. It’s a very disgusting & alarming experience each time, when I realized I’ve stepped in more doc-doo, been lied to again & betrayed. I’ve asked the GP/FP doctor, for referral to another cardiologist, who will hear what I say, answer honestly, work with me, …… instead of churning my insurance for $$$, & trying to further harm & handicap me. Susan, Su_Texas my opinions PS Last Friday, the doc told me to go by his office & get a copy of his report. When I spoke with his assistant this morning, she didn’t seem to know anything about this. As soon as I can get up & go to his office, I’ll see if he lied about this too.
Response:
Correction: Susan, Su_Texas my opinions
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – IF Su had a long term personal Dr. (internist, family practice , etc.) they would be able to identify problems as they came up. I see my internist every 6 months. He treats me for high blood pressure, and has for several years. He knows me fairly well. Believe me, he notices weight gain or loss and asks about it. He doesn’t hesitate to refer me if he feels a specialist could treat me better. (or for something like surgery). He notices mood and other things. I don’t have to fight with him. Back in 2000 Susan published on her web page, a list of about 100 Drs., therapists, hospitals and other institutions that she would not recommend anyone using. And she directed people to that page. That was before she was diagnosed with cancer. I imagine that number has increased to about 200 by now. I cannot imagine that any Dr, within a 150 mile radius of her, would take her on as a patient. Susan does not believe that she has any responsibility in any of this. It’s always the Drs., the pharm co, the govn, the DA, the police, her family, (and now even her dogs!) anyone but her. Don’t misunderstand, I hate to hear about this. It’s not something I would wish on my worse enemy. But, I’m really, really sick and tired of hearing about how everything is someone elses fault.
Thanks for your information and thoughts. Looks like she’s got a doctor and a test coming up. I have to bow out of this discussion. I wish you well. J
Response:
Su, Liver and kidney failure is only in very advanced CHF, and I dare say the treatment for CHF has improved in the past 20 years due to ace inhibitors, surgery and transplant. Have you seen a Cardiologist yet ? Do you have a good primary care physician available? Chances are this is not related to your breast cancer issues. Alex
Response:
Su, Liver and kidney failure is only in very advanced CHF, and I dare say the treatment for CHF has improved in the past 20 years due to ace inhibitors, surgery and transplant. Have you seen a Cardiologist yet ? Do you have a good primary care physician available? Chances are this is not related to your breast cancer issues. Alex I’m seeing a new GP/FP whom I’m trying to trust. I’ve known him for a few years, he’s very bright, well-trained, helpful, ….. but he is a part of the medical community here, & previously, he did refuse to help with the the injuries, ….. which is frightening, alarming. I’m hopeful he will do his best for me this time, will help me all he can. Wednesday, he referred me to a cardiologist whom I saw on Friday, & who seems to be OK. He acted rational & reasonable. I said I thought the CHF was caused by injuries, & was probably aggravated by cancer treatments. The cardiologist thought the cancer treatments did the damage. It’s major congestive heart failure. He said "the worst" & transplant. Major leakage, most of heart not working at all. I’m trying very hard to trust these guys. If I stop posting, then I was probably betrayed again. This time, things are so critical that I might not survive, ….. even though I’ve every intention of surviving regardless. I’m tough, & I’ve an intense need to work for & get some justice, to help change things here. I never thought I’d have heart failure, because I’d worked to stay as healthy as possible, ….. & even after being so seriously injured in Jan. 1998, I could swim for hours without getting winded or panting, that is, a few years or so later after I’d recovered enough to swim. Also, there’s no heart disease in my family. The cancer drugs must be super-duper toxic, to cause this much damage. It’s very wrong of the cancer docs, not to test for heart damage before & during chemo, when the drugs are this bad, toxic, lethal. If I could go back, I would NOT trust the cancer docs, their BS & scare tactics at all. Susan, Su_Texas my opinions PS There’s no one to care for the dogs but me. [And NO there's no help of any kind in this god-forsaken hell-hole of a KKKChristian community. None. Some people say they're scared to death of the bad DA, judges, police chief & such, & are fearful of getting targeted, robbed & harmed like I am.] At the hospital, after they run the tube, do testing, angioplasty or whatever, ….. I was told I can drive home that day & function OK. Since I don’t have running water, will it be OK to tote water that day too, or should I try to prepare ahead some, such as double water buckets for the dogs? I can’t afford any more lies or surprises, any more incompetence, slackardness & meanness on the part of medical & hospital workers. For me, this has been & is life & death. Will I be able to get up & function, after the hospital testing & treatment? I’m glad I’m Not having the work done at Good Shepherd in Longview, because that proved the worst after the botched port-a-cath surgery in early 2002. Couldn’t get my meals (the staff would say "waif for them" & snicker). Couldn’t get a referral to a specialist. Couldn’t get medical care. Couldn’t get a hematoma diagnosed, or get treatment (cold pack) for it, as it continued to swell. Couldn’t get a transfer. The nursing staff was mean, snarky, snickering. seem to close rank & try to insure, that you don’t get any legitimate medical care or help, not through the ER or as an inpatient. After many days of that sadistic BS, I finally had to check out & drive hundreds of miles to Houston, to get the hematoma diagnosed, & be told to use a cold pack to stop the swelling. The cardio doc told me, that he’ll see that doesn’t happen this time.
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Susan, You’ve been complaining of shortmess of breath since you found the internet. You stated that this has been going on since 1998 or 99, well before your cancer treatments. You worried about chemo & bronchitis in ‘02, you gained 15 lbs in 2 weeks in ‘03 (someone suggested that it sounded like CHF and you should go to your Dr., did you?). In Jan ‘05 you said you gained 20 lbs in 2 months. In March of ‘05 (3 months ago) you cancelled an echocardiogram ordered by your lung Dr. I guess you never bothered to re-schedule. You said these things on the "abuse" newsgroup. This has been years in developing (at least since 1998). But since you have alienated every Dr. within a 100 miles of your home, you didn’t have a Dr left to call who would believe your problem. In fairness, I have to add that (many) doctors don’t like complex patients (multiple medical problems), it’s too complicated for their brains/time. They prefer patients who don’t have side effects to sort out whether it’s a symptom of something else. So they can move on to the next patient and bill insurance (or whatever) for their consult/treatment. Whoever suggested the CHF deserves a medal. Was that this newsgroup or the abuse one? They might have been able to slow the progress down The medications for cardiomyopathy were inexpensive and no side effects, but I don’t know if that’s what Sue has. If there’s a doctor problem, she’ll probably have to track back pre 1998. I wonder if she had a "family physician" (general practitioner)…who is supposed to follow the patient longer term and weed through various symptoms. I think she can start fresh by taking her test results to a heart specialist. But based on my experience with cat and CHF, it’s complex. 2 heart medicines (the one for cardiomyopathy and another one), try at steroid, watch for kidney or liver failure. We had to stop the steroid. I hope Sue’s treatment is less complicated. J
J, you are correct. IF Su had a long term personal Dr. (internist, family practice , etc.) they would be able to identify problems as they came up. I see my internist every 6 months. He treats me for high blood pressure, and has for several years. He knows me fairly well. Believe me, he notices weight gain or loss and asks about it. He doesn’t hesitate to refer me if he feels a specialist could treat me better. (or for something like surgery). He notices mood and other things. I don’t have to fight with him. Back in 2000 Susan published on her web page, a list of about 100 Drs., therapists, hospitals and other institutions that she would not recommend anyone using. And she directed people to that page. That was before she was diagnosed with cancer. I imagine that number has increased to about 200 by now. I cannot imagine that any Dr, within a 150 mile radius of her, would take her on as a patient. Susan does not believe that she has any responsibility in any of this. It’s always the Drs., the pharm co, the govn, the DA, the police, her family, (and now even her dogs!) anyone but her. Don’t misunderstand, I hate to hear about this. It’s not something I would wish on my worse enemy. But, I’m really, really sick and tired of hearing about how everything is someone elses fault.
Response:
There seems a lot of BS written about medical stuff. However, experience is one of the best teachers, & I’ve learned a lot from it. CHF can happen very quickly, when you fall, hit pavement very hard & slide. It is my experience, that the doctors will ignore whatever signs there are (broken bones, concussion, injured discs, dislocated hip, other injuries & damage, congestion, difficulty swallowing & breathing, gas, running bowels & bladder, etc.), …… & refuse to order appropriate testing, refuse to diagnose, ….. until you’re basically dead from CHF or whatever. This is the Texas & Louisiana way, which seems mostly set up to deal with & get rid of the uninsured and/or indigent, …… but which has now spread to cover most, including those with good insurance. The same was true of breast cancer, & my lump was about 6 by 6 by 2 inches big, before any doc would acknowledge & diagnose it. Finally, a medical student did, even though he said his profs told him not to. The breast was turning a yellowish-orange by then. When the docs do this, act this ugly, sadistic, cruel, ….. then they’ll try to add to the damage, as well as define the bad game for others docs, …. by saying & writing in their reports: "You’re not OK. You’re mentally ill. You should be drugged." ??? Docs do this to fellow doctors. One female doctor in Longview was repeatedly refused testing, diagnosis & care, & told she was imagining things & should take psych drugs, …… until her cancer was very advanced. Once it was diagnosed at the ER on Monday, I then had to fight very hard (for a week) to get the echocardiogram done, to confirm the CHF & get further appts scheduled. Before surgery in late 2001, & before chemo in 2002, the doctors should have ordered an echocardiogram, to make sure the congestion/etc from injuries, wasn’t heart related, …… but they didn’t. The oncologist should have ordered ECHO testing during chemo, to make sure heart damage wasn’t being done, …… but he didn’t. After chemo, when I was so sick & weak, the oncologist medically deserted/abandoned me. He’d lied to me about further medical care. Earlier this year, when I finally got the truck fixed & could get to Longview, I was VERY ill. I kept several appts, including one with a pulmonary specialist, who observed my extreme difficulties breathing, & told me he’d monitor it each year, to see how much worse it got. ?! [Each time, I will keep as many appts as I can before collapsing. Then I'll rest up, replan, & start again. Most doctors make this process as difficult, time & energy consuming, & expensive as possible.] At the pulmonary specialist, I asked for & got an ECHO scheduled, but had to cancel the appt, because I was VERY sick & weak. Then the vet notiffied me that my dogs would be put down if I didn’t claim them in ten days, …… & that my Mom, siblings, the police chief, corrupt DA, etc., would not be investigated for animal cruelty, for the harm they’d done to my pets. Since my possessions had been stolen & burned in these crimes, by these low-life thieves & thugs, these vermin from hell, ….. I had to stretch an SS check to cover hundreds of dollars in new equipment, try to clear the yard, etc. I was VERY sick & weak, but managed to do it. The dogs are alive, & two had sets of puppies. The third one had her puppies, right before I got the dogs back, so her puppies all died at the pound. The dogs would never have become pregnant, had these sadistic crimes not happened, …… were the DA not a sleazy, low-life skank ho, who gets off on harming people & getting away with it, ….. a snickering, sniveling idiot. So far, I can get no investigation into public corruption in Texas, because NO GOVT AGENCY works in Texas, none does its job, nor will the FBI. Texas (esp. East Texas) is truly a sewer community, the lowest of the low, …… mostly because of Crime-Rule & its enforcers (the BibleBelt hypocrite-type, blind-faith, hate & harm cult of KKKChristians, ….. who will stand back snicker & watch as people are being harmed to death, and/or join in the harming, murdering & destruction "in God’s name". ?!). It’s extremely difficult to survive in the crime-ridden communities of East Texas & West Louisiana, ….. mostly because of the public corruption, & the KKKChristian-type enforcers of crime/abuse/meanness (aka evil to the bone & proud of it. hypocrites.). There is a determined-dumbness & dastardliness here, a toxicity, that can sink (destroy) just about anything & anyone. I was hopeful of helping to change this for the better, but am losing hope. It’s probably best to move (run!) from states & areas that are as bad as this, …… because of the gang/group mentality here, & the basic/primitive nature of most humans to fit into the group, to conform to it, regardless. Chimp-style bonding & aggression. Monkey see, monkey do. It’s a no-win situation. Susan, Su_Texas my opinions
Response:
Susan, You’ve been complaining of shortmess of breath since you found the internet. You stated that this has been going on since 1998 or 99, well before your cancer treatments. You worried about chemo & bronchitis in ‘02, you gained 15 lbs in 2 weeks in ‘03 (someone suggested that it sounded like CHF and you should go to your Dr., did you?). In Jan ‘05 you said you gained 20 lbs in 2 months. In March of ‘05 (3 months ago) you cancelled an echocardiogram ordered by your lung Dr. I guess you never bothered to re-schedule. You said these things on the "abuse" newsgroup. This has been years in developing (at least since 1998). But since you have alienated every Dr. within a 100 miles of your home, you didn’t have a Dr left to call who would believe your problem.
In fairness, I have to add that (many) doctors don’t like complex patients (multiple medical problems), it’s too complicated for their brains/time. They prefer patients who don’t have side effects to sort out whether it’s a symptom of something else. So they can move on to the next patient and bill insurance (or whatever) for their consult/treatment. Whoever suggested the CHF deserves a medal. Was that this newsgroup or the abuse one? They might have been able to slow the progress down The medications for cardiomyopathy were inexpensive and no side effects, but I don’t know if that’s what Sue has. If there’s a doctor problem, she’ll probably have to track back pre 1998. I wonder if she had a "family physician" (general practitioner)…who is supposed to follow the patient longer term and weed through various symptoms. I think she can start fresh by taking her test results to a heart specialist. But based on my experience with cat and CHF, it’s complex. 2 heart medicines (the one for cardiomyopathy and another one), try at steroid, watch for kidney or liver failure. We had to stop the steroid. I hope Sue’s treatment is less complicated. J
Response:
Susan, You’ve been complaining of shortmess of breath since you found the internet. You stated that this has been going on since 1998 or 99, well before your cancer treatments. You worried about chemo & bronchitis in ‘02, you gained 15 lbs in 2 weeks in ‘03 (someone suggested that it sounded like CHF and you should go to your Dr., did you?). In Jan ‘05 you said you gained 20 lbs in 2 months. In March of ‘05 (3 months ago) you cancelled an echocardiogram ordered by your lung Dr. I guess you never bothered to re-schedule. You said these things on the "abuse" newsgroup. This has been years in developing (at least since 1998). But since you have alienated every Dr. within a 100 miles of your home, you didn’t have a Dr left to call who would believe your problem.
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – ECHOcardiogram Does Work It’s like an ultrasound of the heart. Heart Tests That Do NOT Work When you go to an MD, most will try to use you as a cash cow, ….. will try to churn you or your insurance company for maximum money, for as many years as possible. It’s NOT about your getting any legitimate health care. The heart-type tests the docs will do, which do NOT show heart damage, …. even when you’re in congestive heart failure, when your lungs are full or fluid, & when you’re drowning are: Blood oxygen levels: This is something they clip on your finger. Then they say, if your blood oxygen levels are good, then nothing can be wrong, & they refuse to do further rtesting. This it TOTAL BS. EKG (?): This is the machine whose leads they attack to your chest, & get a print-out. They use this test to justify, their refusal to do legtimate testing. The EKG still shows nothing, when you are in congestive heart failure, drowning, dying. MUGA: Shows nothing. Blood pressure: Shows nothing wrong when you are in congestive heart failure. Blood tests: Usually show nothing wrong, when you are in congestive heart failure. CAT scan: Usually shows nothing wrong, no matter what is wrong, even huge hematomas (internal bleeding), huge cancerous lumps, strokes, etc. PET scan: Ditto. Nothing. It seems that the ONLY test that will show major congestive heart failure, is the ECHO, echocardiogram. You have to ask for this test, & keep insisting on it, to ever get it. Even though I had major congestive heart failure, it took from Monday at the ER, to Friday to get an ECHO done, …… to confirm how bad the heart damage is, & my need for medical care for it. In Texas & Louisiana, there is no emergency care, no matter how bad your condition, …… & it’s a constant job/work, to try to find & get any legitimate medical care of any kind. Most docs here in East Texas & West Louisiana, will work very hard to see you get no legitimate medical care. The ER doc in Longview, didn’t tell me what CHF was. After I was wheeled back to my truck, I read that it was Congestive Heart Failure. The health care in Texas & Louisiana, is so extremely sub-standard, that most docs seem to work overtime trying to make sure most patients don’t survive, & can never fight back, sue them. The laws have been changed here, to overly protect the doctors, regardless. It’s a rip-off, fraud. Susan, Su_Texas my opinions
Response:
ECHOcardiogram Does Work It’s like an ultrasound of the heart.
CHF usually develops slowly. You may go for years without symptoms, and the symptoms tend to get worse with time. This slow onset and progression of CHF is caused by your heart’s own efforts to deal with its gradual weakening. Your heart tries to make up for this weakening by enlarging and by forcing itself to pump faster to move more blood through your body. Risk factors for CHF include * Previous heart attacks * Coronary artery disease * High blood pressure (hypertension) * Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) * Heart valve disease (especially of the aortic and mitral valves) * Cardiomyopathy (disease of the heart muscle) * Congenital heart defects (defects you are born with) * Alcohol and drug abuse As heart failure progresses, your heart becomes weaker and symptoms begin. In addition to those listed above, here are some other symptoms of CHF: * You have trouble breathing or lying flat because you feel short of breath. * You feel tired, weak, and are unable to exercise or perform physical activities. * You have weight gain from excess fluid. * You feel chest pain. * You do not feel like eating, or you feel like you have indigestion. * Your neck veins are swollen. * Your skin is cold and sweaty. * Your pulse is fast or irregular. * You feel restless, confused, and find that your attention span and memory are not as good as they were. How is CHF diagnosed? Most doctors can make a tentative diagnosis of CHF from the presence of edema and shortness of breath. * With a stethoscope, a doctor can listen to your chest for the crackling sounds of fluid in the lungs, the distinct sound of faulty valves (heart murmur), or the presence of a very quick heartbeat. By tapping on your chest, doctors can find out if fluid has built up in your chest. * A chest x-ray can show if your heart is enlarged and if you have fluid in and around your lungs. * Electrocardiography (ECG or EKG) can be used to check for an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) and stress on the heart. It can also show your doctor if you have had a heart attack. * Echocardiography can be used to see valve function, heart wall motion, and overall heart size. http://www.riparia.org/chest_pain.htm Congestive Heart failure (CHF): CHF is a failure of the heart to be able to pump as much blood as is demanded of it and the blood backs up. If this is new, it is often triggered by a heart attack, which may have been "silent". CHF may also develop slowly over time, or suddenly in the setting of some physical stress such as severe infection or high blood pressure that is out of control. Typical symptoms include: abnormal shortness of breath with exertion, worsening breathing if you lie down, (so there’s a desire to sleep seated or propped up on a few pillows), waking up at night short of breath, and needing to get up at night to urinate more than once . As both sides of the heart progressively fail you also get swelling in the legs. Sudden severe attacks have extreme trouble breathing, the victim wants to sit bolt upright and there may be pink frothy sputum. Listening to the lungs there is usually a wet crackling sound.[] I checked your Google postings. (in 2002) You were tired (see above) after surgery and during taxol. Many have now switched to taxotere, because taxol is too toxic. My guess is that you’ve had the causative condition for quite a while and were lucky to survive the surgery. Someone missed the boat way back, but then they’d possibly never done your breast surgery. In 2002, during Adriamycin, you were complaining of pain when breathing. (see above) As I recall, you were sleeping in your truck, so you wouldn’t have noticed shortness of breath lying flat. Here’s what happened with my cat. She had dental surgery and anesthetic but for some reason they had to give her more anesthetic (ie longer surgery). Then she fell and snapped a ligament. In preparation for surgery, her vet listened to her heart and got lucky, heard a "gallop" (which I think is rapid heartbeat, which can be mistaken for a stress reaction). The vet surgeon did the same heart listen and heard the same thing. Her leg surgery was cancelled and she had an ultrasound and it was discovered that she had cardiomyopathy. My vet saved me money by listening and confirming no fluids collecting around the heart (no wet crackling sounds), so she had 3 years on aspirin and a heart med that slowed down the thickening of that part of her heart. Heart problems are sneaky. You’ve had so much happen in your recent years, that it was so easy to blame the weather, your dogs (fatique), your sleeping situation, your home situation, your various relatives stressors and nobody thought to check you for heart problems. I’m sorry. Try to find out which heart "risk" it is. I think you’re too young for valve problem and I don’t think you mentioned it as a possible surgery, so it must be one of the other "risks" (mentioned above). (no, I’m not denying that any of the meds that you took worsened the condition, but I still think you’ve had this problem pre-breast-diagnosis, possibly many, many years). That first website is in Texas. I hope your insurance can get you there, so that you can obtain the best of care. J
Response:
ECHOcardiogram Does Work It’s like an ultrasound of the heart. Heart Tests That Do NOT Work When you go to an MD, most will try to use you as a cash cow, ….. will try to churn you or your insurance company for maximum money, for as many years as possible. It’s NOT about your getting any legitimate health care. The heart-type tests the docs will do, which do NOT show heart damage, …. even when you’re in congestive heart failure, when your lungs are full or fluid, & when you’re drowning are: Blood oxygen levels: This is something they clip on your finger. Then they say, if your blood oxygen levels are good, then nothing can be wrong, & they refuse to do further rtesting. This it TOTAL BS. EKG (?): This is the machine whose leads they attack to your chest, & get a print-out. They use this test to justify, their refusal to do legtimate testing. The EKG still shows nothing, when you are in congestive heart failure, drowning, dying. MUGA: Shows nothing. Blood pressure: Shows nothing wrong when you are in congestive heart failure. Blood tests: Usually show nothing wrong, when you are in congestive heart failure. CAT scan: Usually shows nothing wrong, no matter what is wrong, even huge hematomas (internal bleeding), huge cancerous lumps, strokes, etc. PET scan: Ditto. Nothing. It seems that the ONLY test that will show major congestive heart failure, is the ECHO, echocardiogram. You have to ask for this test, & keep insisting on it, to ever get it. Even though I had major congestive heart failure, it took from Monday at the ER, to Friday to get an ECHO done, …… to confirm how bad the heart damage is, & my need for medical care for it. In Texas & Louisiana, there is no emergency care, no matter how bad your condition, …… & it’s a constant job/work, to try to find & get any legitimate medical care of any kind. Most docs here in East Texas & West Louisiana, will work very hard to see you get no legitimate medical care. The ER doc in Longview, didn’t tell me what CHF was. After I was wheeled back to my truck, I read that it was Congestive Heart Failure. The health care in Texas & Louisiana, is so extremely sub-standard, that most docs seem to work overtime trying to make sure most patients don’t survive, & can never fight back, sue them. The laws have been changed here, to overly protect the doctors, regardless. It’s a rip-off, fraud. Susan, Su_Texas my opinions
If you like this post and would like to receive updates from this blog, please subscribe our feed.