Right ventricle
I had an echocardiogram done and my doctor said I have mild elevation in pressure in my right ventricle. I’m terrified after researching this. I’m 43, I’m on blood pressure meds and getting that under control. I’ve lost 20 pounds and ran/walked 30 miles this month. Should I be this scared?
Thank you for sharing. I understand how scary it can be! When you say that you doctor said that you have mild elevation, was this in the echo report or face to face in a meeting? I would recommend that, before you go too far down the internet rabbit hole, schedule an appointment with your doctor and get your questions ready. Things like, what does this mean, what is the long term prognosis? Can this be improved, etc? Sometimes things are scary because we don't understand, so get more information before total panic sets in. Also, keep up the hard work! Losing weight and staying compliant with meds is not easy. Do you know if your blood pressure meds are managing your BP the way the doctors wants? How much sodium are you eating? These are also questions you can ask your medical team. Take care! Morgan (heart-failure.net Moderator) I had an echocardiogram and my results were sent to my primary care doctor by a cardiologist. She said there was a mild elevation in pressure and wanted to refer me to a cardiologist to get checked out since my sister passed away at 49 due to heart failure. My mom also died of heart failure but she was also a life long smoker. The doctor had the receptionist read me the results which didn’t allow me to ask any follow up questions so I scheduled one for this Thursday. I’m just really scared I’ve done damage to my heart. I was never really much of a drinker, but the last 6 years I have been. Going through a divorce will do that to you. I’ve recently stopped though. And like I said, I’ve started working out regularly and trying to eat better. I’ve lost 20 pounds since this time last year. I was an avid cyclist, cycling, hundreds of miles. But then the last five or six years I wasn’t very active and I’m just hoping I didn’t do any damage long-term to my heart heart. Previous to all this I got checked out and they said I had a runners heart and looked great.
Hi Chris, I'm glad to hear that you went ahead and scheduled an appointment for this week. As best as you can, try to hang on until Thursday when you get some further information. Dwelling on the past will do you no good, instead be proud of the lifestyle changes that you have made. That is not an easy feat! We are thinking of you. Best of luck and do report back if you feel comfortable doing so. -Lauren (team member)
Went to see a cardiologist today and she ran a bunch of tests, good news is she didn’t see anything wrong! She said I looked great!
That is truly terrific to hear! Does that mean that officially you are in the clear? How are you processing that? Morgan (heart-failure.net Moderator)
From what my doctor said, yes. It feels amazing. I was extremely stressed but feel a huge weight lifted. I’m definitely going to keep doing the healthy stuff I’ve been doing and continue to live a healthier life!
