I am a very healthy 67 year old women today. Prior to November 2007, I was on no medications and was flying along feeling wonderful.I had somewhat high chlorestrol...230 but the good was very high. My general physician said it was not necessary to take a statin. In February 2007, I did a treadmill exercise test and passed with flying colors. All part of my annual physical with above physician.
In early Fall of last year I was getting a little discomfort in my chest. It would come and go and was not pressure...but felt like getting off a treadmill and needing to get my strength back after a good workout. It progressed till early November, Then I began getting short of breath and still had the same chest discomfort now almost all the time with any amount of moving around and I was very fatigued. Getting up, showering, makeup and making up the bed, I would need to sit hours. Very unusal as my frieds and family called the the "energizer buddy"...also very involved and never stopping. I went to my physician thinking I had walking pneumonia since I had babysat my granddaughters.
He saw nothing in the very basic tests I was given except an extra heart beat or two. I empowered myself to call my husbands cardiologist and went to see him. He put me through a battery of 14 different, difficult and exhausting tests including an angiogram. He saw that I was fatigued and at times witnessed my shortness of breath...all the tests kept coming back that there was nothing wrong. I was given a couple of meds (which I don't remember)...both dropped my already low blood pressure so low, I could barely move. The doctor kept saying "we can't see anything"...my large cario vessels were very clean...almost prestine...and he was frustrated and at one point almost crossed the line of saying this might be my imagination...was I depressed? etc. Well that comment was all I needed to make me take charge of my own health.
Out of total frustratin while still working with the cardiologist, I started researching my symptons. The internet is a great place for doing searches for anything. I came across a couple of different web sites that featured several FEMALE cardiologists....Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Cedar Mt. Sini, Los Angeles and Cleveland Clinic. These doctors are pioneers in working with women who have something called....micro cardiovascular disease...heart disease(blockages) of the small blood vessels that feed the heart. While I was researching I completed all the tests at Mayo, here in Scottsdale could give me....and on the last appointment in early December, my cariologist said "you might be a rare person who has something called, micro vascular disease". He was very shallow in his comments...because he could not "see" anything...out of desperation and not knowing what my problem was he prescribed 10 Mg of Norvasc and immediately put me on Liptor. The Norvasc was to open up all my blood vessels as a person has a large network that you are born with as well as develop additional small vessels....Within 10 days of being on the Norvasc, I was 100% back to myself and I have never looked back.
This is a very hidden form of heart disease and because cardiologists and physicians like to have tests that prove their conclusions, they never even thought this might be my problem.
I am a huge believer in "know thyself" and trust by always verify.
I am on the treadmill 6 days a week...including doing some running. I can't you how great I feel....a plus my Chlorestrol has dropped also. I was about 10 pounds over my BMI...and now I am well within the ranges.
Thanks for this new website....only sorry it was not there...but have hoped I could share my story. I am going to meet with Dr. Sharrone Hayes at Mayo in Rochester this summer.(We are originally from MN and returning for a few weeks). She has reviewed my records and has said she will be able to share much more information about what to expect going forward.
Thanks for letting me share my story.