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← Return to Afib and advanced cancer
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Hi @karenatmayo
I'd like to let you know about 2 other discussions on Connect that you might be interested in following (and joining in):
- Talking Frankly about Living with Advanced Cancer https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/talking-frankly-about-living-with-advanced-cancer/
- Metastatic breast cancer: Anyone else? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/metastatic-breast-cancer-to-the-bone/
I think @hopeful33250 @predictable @oldkarl might have some thoughts to share with you as they are also familiar with living with cancer and heart issues.
Karen, I hope that the afib has stopped for the moment and that you're feeling a bit better since writing this post. It must be tough knowing that it will happen again with an episode happening every 5 days or so.
Replies to "Hi @karenatmayo I'd like to let you know about 2 other discussions on Connect that you..."
Thanks for sharing your multitude of experiences with your heart issues. I think we have all learned something about SERUM Free Light Chain and 24-hour protein assays. If I may ask, what type of doctor ordered these tests - was it a cardiologist? Also, if you know, what led them to suspect this problem?
Teresa
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@karenatmayo Hie,Karen. Heart disorders are some of the most frightening events in a person's life. About forty years ago I started having real problems. Syncope every day or two for several years. A total of 30 heart caths, and for a whiled carried 24 stents, heart and close arteries. Probably 20 different diagnoses. Went through nitro pills like breakfast eggs. Enlarged heart. Low O2. Stiff heart walls. Bad lungs. 2 CABG, during which they took out about 10 stents.But the AFib kept goingtook things like Coreg, and other stuff. Finally went on Metropolol tartrate, and that helped. Then found that I had misfolded protein Light Chains which were getting into my tissue walls, such as atrial and ventricle walls, and into control nerves. That did not stop the AFib , but at least I know what is happening. My AFibs are not so frightening now, even when my tachy gets up above 150 bpm. They use to last a few days, now they only last a few hours. The only advice I can give is to laugh a lot, love those around you, and enjoy what life you have. And have your doc order SERUM Free Light Chain and 24-hour protein assays to see if those show something. Again, if the sFLC shows above 1.4 mg/dL, and/or the 24hr shows >0.4 G/day protein in your urine, You are in danger. There are Treatments now for mis-folded protein deposits. I know that one day before long a protein fibril will get into my sensori-control cardiac nerve, stop the message, and that will be it. That will be one final form of AFib.