Under a great deal of stress

AVM (Uterus Arteriovenous Malformation) update:

I am under a great deal of stress and this month has been a particuarly tough month emotionally

Today, I had my appointment with the Cardiologist of which I didn't fully understand the purpose other than they needed to check my heart.

The doctor kindly explained to me that they need to determine if there has been any damage to my heart as a result of the detected AVM. It was explained to me that a normal heart pumps about 5 litres of blood per minute whereas I with my AVM may be pumping 10 litres of blood per minute. This means my heart is working way too hard and thus there could be damage and my heart could be enlarged.

They did some bloodwork testing on me today and will be sending me for an ultrasound on my heart and will be doing an angiogram to check the status of my heart. Then after the doctor gets these results, he can determine what will be the next step. It may be that my heart is fine OR it may be that my heart is damaged and will require surgery to repair before going forward with AVM treatment and before my TAH can be addressed for my fibroids.

I have a very long road ahead of me. Sigh...but I am thankful for the support you all have been giving me.

Just want to send you lots of hugs . I hope after all these tests, your heart is fine after all. Hang in there, I'll be thinking of you.

Thanks for your update. What a lot for you to take in. I'm hoping your heart checks out as normal. Really its lucky you found the AVM when you did, just for this reason. I hope your news is good so you can move on with your original problem. Let us know what you find out. Sending hugs.

THanks so much for letting us know how your appointment went, hope. I am glad to hear that at least a few more things have been explained (even though it must be scary to hear some of that). I am thinking big positive thoughts for you, and hoping that they find a way to manage your AVM and get on with your TAH.

SO many hugs coming at you.

Oh and I forgot to mention that they took my blood pressure this morning at the clinic...once sitting down and once standing up and boy was it high! They told me that I gotta get out and walk or do some form of exercise to get my stress level down. That is how stressed out I am. And to boot, I hardly slept a wink last nite.

So I gotta make keeping my stress down as my focus right now as having high blood pressure is only adding to my current problem and is not helping me whatsoever.

Oh, Hope, more worries for you. I'm so sorry. I'm wondering if listening to some guided imagery, relaxing music might help with your stress level. I listened to Belleruth Naperstek's Successful Surgery every night at bedtime for about a month before my surgery and it seemed to help calm me. Sending lots of hugs and special thoughts your way. Take care.

Goodness gracious...Its late and I can't fall asleep second nite in a row... I can't seem to shut my brain off when my head hits the pillow. Its sooo incredibly frustrating.

Dear Hope,
You can lower your stress levels with short walks, maybe some Yoga and listening to meditative tapes - whatever works for you!The main thing - don't stress youself out or lose hope! You are always there for everyone on other threads - pushing your positive thinking foward. This positivety is what you should use for yourself now.
I know it will work out beautifully at the end - so hold on there,
Sending you a load of hugs,

I know it's tough but anything you can do to get some sleep will help you. You need sleep so that your body can get strong to help you fight everything that's going on....I know it's a lot to deal with but at least you are getting some answers and hopefully they will rule out any damage to your heart and you'll be able to start your journey to being well and pain free!!! ((HUGS))

Oh hope, my heart hurts for you. May God grant you peace and contentment while we wait for His will to play out. May you be found healthy and sound (at least stable) and may you be able to find the rest you need.

Heal, my friend, my prayers are always with you.