It’s already been two months since my ASD closure and things are going pretty well. I no longer have to see the Interventional Cardiologist (Cardiologist #2) anymore, so I’m down to only one Cardiologist. I saw both of them for a check-up the last week of July, as well as my GP, and I was cleared to start exercising again and to return to work. Yay! The best thing so far is that my exercise tolerance has already improved! I went for a few short runs and I’ve been doing other forms of cardio, and I can actually breathe when I exercise now! It’s an amazing, foreign feeling. 🙂 I’m still having chest pain on and off, so I’m still taking it rather slow, easing back into my regular, intense workouts. I have a stress test on September 28th so I’ll be able to get a better idea of how my heart is handling exercise at that time, as well as ask Dr. D. exactly what is happening when I get these pains when I run: Is it serious? Should I stop exercising when it happens? What exactly is happening to my heart when it hurts?
One change I made that has improved my energy is taking Plavix in the evening instead of in the morning. I didn’t realize it was making me so tired until I tried taking it before bed- it made such a difference! So that’s my tip of the day if you’re feeling fatigued- it could be the Plavix! However, I have no words of wisdom in regards to how to minimize bruising while on the Plavix/Aspirin combo. I currently have 10 bruises, as well as petechia, and I used to have to most “unbruisable” skin! I only have to stay on Plavix for one more month, and the Aspirin is debatable- could be six more months or a life-time, seeing as I was having arrythmias.
Speaking of arrhythmia, the atrial flutter is gone! It must have been a transient arrhythmia while my heart was getting used to the device. However, I did get my holter monitor results back and, while there was no evidence of atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter, I did have frequent supraventricular ectopy. After researching, I did come across some articles that were concerning: Excessive Supraventricular Ectopic Activity and Increased Risk of Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke and Supraventricular Ectopic Activity: When Excessive it is not all Benign! Although my heart rhythms could still be stabilizing. I’ll add that to my list of questions for Dr. D.