Kardia Mobile App - record EKGs at home
Being the spouse of a cardiac patient, I have experienced many a sleepless night over the years when my husband was nervous in the middle of the night for one reason or another as a result of not feeling well. Specifically if he felt his heart was beating funny, blood pressure was a little higher than his normal low BP, etc. Of course we have had our times of calling 911 or a ride to the ER, and we will continue to do that. However, as these incidents continued to arise, admittedly it was getting a little tough on both of our nerves as well as adding to sleep deprivation. We were recommended the Kardia Mobile App which has greatly helped ease my husband's non-serious (but serious to him) concerns. We purchased it off Amazon, and you can record unlimited EKGs. It also detects AFib, Bradycardia, and Tachycardia. It is FDA-cleared, clinically approved, and gives medical-grade EKG recordings per the website. We downloaded the app on our smartphones and there is a small, lightweight device that you simply push your fingers on next to your phone and the results show up in less than a minute on your smartphone.
Wow! Thank you for sharing. Who recommended this app to you? It sounds terrific. Can you share the results with your medical team as well? Does more information make you feel better or more anxious? I am sure others will be interested in this app as well! Morgan (heart-failure.net Moderator)
thank you for reaching out as well! Paul's (2nd...the 1st was in 2011) widowmaker heart attack was on 2/25/2021. He got his Medtronic ICD on 9/14/21. How is he doing? Hmmm. Today he is out ice fishing with his loved ones! He tries his best to enjoy life while knowing his limitations. Those limitations or issues currently are lack of stamina or strength he had years ago, more frequent naps, GI issues due to all the heart meds he is on (recently amiadorone was added), and of course, needing to be mindful of added salt in his diet, which can immediately cause him to retain water. We've had those chats before where I mentioned I do cook low or no sodium food which we are both lucky I have those skills, the issue is when we happen to eat out or attend a family holiday or event and making the best choices as we can. We are headed to Mass General in a few weeks to begin the testing for a heart transplant for him. 
Hi again, it sounds like Paul has a good balance of continuing to enjoy life while understanding potential limitations. Good luck in the upcoming weeks. Please keep us in the loop as to how you two are managing the appointments. I'm linking an article that I found helpful when meeting multiple members of the healthcare team. I hope you find it helpful too! https://heart-failure.net/collaborating-care-team -Lauren (team member)
