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Her Heart Matters: Women, heart disease and support
Heart & Blood Health | Last Active: Apr 26 9:19pm | Replies (16)Comment receiving replies
I am new to this group. I joined the head, neck cancer group because my husband has throat cancer. But recently I was told that my breast cancer MRI in August accidentally revealed I have an enlarged ascending aorta. I did not know this for 6 months! At my cancer check up they told me it had been 4.1 cm in August and I needed a CT scan to see if it had grown. Well it grew to 4.5 cm in those 6 months. My research and talks with a retired cardiologist tells me that the .4 growth is rapid considering the annual growth is usually under .2 cm. I'm overwhelmed! I can't even see or talk to a doctor for another 30 days. The email advice of my doctor was "you can live your life as you always have but go to the ER if you get chest pain." I'm so dismayed. I can't sleep or eat or calm down. I have meditated for years, prayed, done yoga, running, walking, hiking, skiing, eaten a healthier diet yet unfortunately my BP has hovers high 139/87 for about 10 years, but no medication prescribed because it is considered under the limit. I have begged for an earlier appointment so that I can get some information from a doctor not just the internet or friends. I am trying to get counseling but so many appointments are months apart. This along with taking care of my husband is hurting me even more. Does anyone have helpful ideas or knowledge about this condition? Thank you.
Replies to "I am new to this group. I joined the head, neck cancer group because my husband..."
Hello @jmmg - I would like to add my welcome to @karukgirl and offer my virtual support as well. I would also like to share our Aortic Aneurysm support group with you as well, https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/aneurysms/ where other members are talking about ascending aortic aneurysms also.
First, jmmg, a consistent blood pressure of 139/87 for 10 ten years is hypertension. Get a new Primary Care Physician. This is certainly poor medical care your blood pressure was not addressed nor treated. It most definitely should have been and likely has contributed to your development of an enlarged ascending aorta and be aware, genetics, could have also played a role in this condition. Heavy exercise is a No No for you. My husband has an aortic aneurysm, diagnosed by accident in 2015, and was instructed not to dead weigh lift over his head (he was a construction worker and did exercise with weights for years) plus and this is the big one...when we first meet I would checked his blood pressure (I am a retired RN) and it was always sky high. This was a man who never went to a doctor, blood pressure had to be elevated for years. Of course, all that changed once we became serious and married. Now he follows all my "orders" and is under the care of multiple physicians AND on 2 different blood pressure medications, cardiac medications. His B/P is perfect now. Annually he has his aneurysms measured via CT Scan or MRI and it is not enlarging, staying around 4.3-4 cms. At 5 cm. surgery will be indicated. We had just gotten married when his aneurysm was picked up by a routine chest x-ray and we were devastated and so frightened. We ended up seeing an Aortic Aneurysm Surgeon (that's all he does) at Mt. Sinai MC in NYC who calmed us down. I would suggest this is what you need to do...find the best treatment center/physician/surgeon who will monitor you closely. You might need to contact the top hospitals in the country. US News and World Report has their annual ranking of hospitals and specialties in the US and they are top notch. Take a look at their rankings...just google it. And once you decide where to be evaluated the squeaky wheel gets the greased. You must advocate for yourself very strongly and hope and pray you get a compassionate scheduler on the phone who will help you get an appointment. Also remember you can ask to speak to a patient advocate or a RN - tell your story...I believe they most likely will help you to get a timely appointment. You must first get your blood pressure down...that is not helping your condition. I wish you the very best of luck. I/my husband and I have been in your shoes and know how scary this is. Just get the right care and your anxiety level will decrease. Ours certainly did. It will happen for your too 🙂
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Oh my goodness, @jmmg, how my heart hurts for what you are going through! I'd like to welcome you to Mayo Connect, and tell you I am so glad you found this site. I have HCM, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, and like you, I was shocked when I found out because I was so active and healthy. I didn't know this thing was living inside my heart.
I found this link that may be interesting for you to watch. The doctor, Dr. Bagameri is who did my open heart surgery!
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/podcasts/newsfeed-post/detecting-and-treating-thoracic-aortic-aneurysms
You have so much going on and it is no wonder you feel so overwhelmed. You mention that you meditate, pray and a host of other healthy coping skills. Are you able to get outside and walk? Pray? Talk to a friend? Mayo Connect is a wonderful place to share your thoughts. There are compassionate people who have walked your same path and can help ease some of your troubled thoughts. Thirty days to your next appointment sounds like an eternity when you are so worried and scared...but it goes by fast too. Are you near a Center of Excellence? Have you tried to get a second opinion?