Dear Potty People,
Its been a while since I posted and that has been because by keeping to my gf, df, nightshade f, legume f and egg f I have been, bar a few slip ups, in full remission. And as I never stop telling anyone who will listen that has been entirely due to this wonderful board.
Less good news is that my heart stopped beating twice two nights ago, but luckily I was in hospital having some stents put in. I had just got out of surgery and they had to rush me back to jump start me. They recommend placing an "Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator" in my body to guard against it happening again.
best wishes to everyone, ant
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"Softly, softly catchee monkey".....
"Softly, softly catchee monkey".....
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twirlitgirl
- Adélie Penguin
- Posts: 181
- Joined: Thu Aug 21, 2014 5:46 am
- Location: Canada
Dear ant,
Wishing you all the best with your health care, and this hopeful solution! I, too, am so very sorry for all that you are dealing with now. Are you able to stay on your eating plan while in hospital? It's truly a privilege to read updates from people like you; I've read and learned from many of your posts from over the years. This board is invaluable for people anytime to be able to return to as a safe place to share about anything that's important to them ... knowing their thoughts and feelings will be heard here with unconditional support, love and compassion by their online family.
Hoping this will resolve quickly for you,
~ Holly
Wishing you all the best with your health care, and this hopeful solution! I, too, am so very sorry for all that you are dealing with now. Are you able to stay on your eating plan while in hospital? It's truly a privilege to read updates from people like you; I've read and learned from many of your posts from over the years. This board is invaluable for people anytime to be able to return to as a safe place to share about anything that's important to them ... knowing their thoughts and feelings will be heard here with unconditional support, love and compassion by their online family.
Hoping this will resolve quickly for you,
~ Holly
2015 Hashimoto's, MTHFR
2016 LMC, Malabsorption
2017 Lymphocytic Dermatologic Vasculitis
"I strive to live in my heart, not in my head!"
2016 LMC, Malabsorption
2017 Lymphocytic Dermatologic Vasculitis
"I strive to live in my heart, not in my head!"
I have also read about your battle in the beginning and found it to be inspiring. Was glad to hear you are doing okay with the diet part, but so sad to hear about your heart issues. At least that is one part of the body Drs have figured out pretty well and can fix! Wishing you the best in your recovery and I'll toast a glass of Chard to you at happy hour tonight.
Good wishes,
Laura
Good wishes,
Laura
Ant,
I'm very sorry to learn that you're having to deal with heart issues. I'm not sure what type of magnesium tests they use in Hong Kong, but if they're the same kind used here in the States (a serum magnesium test), they're pretty much useless for determining the actual magnesium level in the body. Only about 1 % of the body's supply of magnesium is found in blood serum. About 65 % is stored in bone, and the rest is stored in other cells in the body. See if you can get an RBC magnesium test. That test measures the magnesium level in red blood cells and it's much more accurate than the serum test. Whenever the diet is short of magnesium, as long as there is any magnesium available in muscle cells, the body will pull magnesium from there to maintain the blood (serum) magnesium level in the normal range. That's why the serum magnesium test that's normally used is if little value unless the cells are out of magnesium (which is obviously a dangerous condition), because magnesium is a vital electrolyte. The RBC test is not perfect, but it is much more reliable than the serum test.
The reason why I bring this up is because I/we have learned a lot about the importance of magnesium in the past year or so. One of the many possible symptoms of a long term (chronic) magnesium deficiency is osteopenia/osteoporosis. It's also closely associated with heart issues because magnesium is essential for the regulation of calcium in the blood. Magnesium deficiency is a primary cause of calcification in arteries and in heart tissue, and dysregulation of heart functioning in general. Magnesium is never on physicians' radar, because they are not trained to look for magnesium deficiency issues.
You may recall that I had a couple of unexplained TIAs 6 and 7 years ago. I'm now convinced that they were caused by my chronic magnesium deficiency which finally became so bad about a year and a half ago that I was forced to figure out what was wrong and fix it by doubling my magnesium intake.
In the spring of 2015 I had to take repeated antibiotic treatments for some dental work and that depleted what was left of my meager magnesium reserves. I even went to the ER with tachycardia, erratic blood pressures, poor body temperature regulation, and breathing problems (I couldn't take a deep breath). The doctors didn't have a clue what was wrong with me and they sent me home. But when I checked the lab test results later, the results showed that my magnesium level was low (it was even flagged). The doctors didn't even recognize it as a problem.
Now that I've resolved my chronic magnesium deficiency, my blood pressure is down (low for my age), my heart rate is normal, I don't get overheated easily, no more foot/leg cramps, or unexplained muscle pains, and I can take a deep breath whenever I want.
Most people in the general population are magnesium deficient these days (because of food produced on depleted soils). IBDs deplete magnesium. Corticosteroids deplete magnesium. Alcohol depletes magnesium. Coffee depletes magnesium. Our paleo ancestors didn't use any of that stuff, so they had plenty of magnesium in their systems. We have to take a significant magnesium supplement or our health heads south.
Anyway, I thought that you should be aware of that. I wish you only the best, and we appreciate the update. Please keep us posted.
Tex
I'm very sorry to learn that you're having to deal with heart issues. I'm not sure what type of magnesium tests they use in Hong Kong, but if they're the same kind used here in the States (a serum magnesium test), they're pretty much useless for determining the actual magnesium level in the body. Only about 1 % of the body's supply of magnesium is found in blood serum. About 65 % is stored in bone, and the rest is stored in other cells in the body. See if you can get an RBC magnesium test. That test measures the magnesium level in red blood cells and it's much more accurate than the serum test. Whenever the diet is short of magnesium, as long as there is any magnesium available in muscle cells, the body will pull magnesium from there to maintain the blood (serum) magnesium level in the normal range. That's why the serum magnesium test that's normally used is if little value unless the cells are out of magnesium (which is obviously a dangerous condition), because magnesium is a vital electrolyte. The RBC test is not perfect, but it is much more reliable than the serum test.
The reason why I bring this up is because I/we have learned a lot about the importance of magnesium in the past year or so. One of the many possible symptoms of a long term (chronic) magnesium deficiency is osteopenia/osteoporosis. It's also closely associated with heart issues because magnesium is essential for the regulation of calcium in the blood. Magnesium deficiency is a primary cause of calcification in arteries and in heart tissue, and dysregulation of heart functioning in general. Magnesium is never on physicians' radar, because they are not trained to look for magnesium deficiency issues.
You may recall that I had a couple of unexplained TIAs 6 and 7 years ago. I'm now convinced that they were caused by my chronic magnesium deficiency which finally became so bad about a year and a half ago that I was forced to figure out what was wrong and fix it by doubling my magnesium intake.
In the spring of 2015 I had to take repeated antibiotic treatments for some dental work and that depleted what was left of my meager magnesium reserves. I even went to the ER with tachycardia, erratic blood pressures, poor body temperature regulation, and breathing problems (I couldn't take a deep breath). The doctors didn't have a clue what was wrong with me and they sent me home. But when I checked the lab test results later, the results showed that my magnesium level was low (it was even flagged). The doctors didn't even recognize it as a problem.
Now that I've resolved my chronic magnesium deficiency, my blood pressure is down (low for my age), my heart rate is normal, I don't get overheated easily, no more foot/leg cramps, or unexplained muscle pains, and I can take a deep breath whenever I want.
Most people in the general population are magnesium deficient these days (because of food produced on depleted soils). IBDs deplete magnesium. Corticosteroids deplete magnesium. Alcohol depletes magnesium. Coffee depletes magnesium. Our paleo ancestors didn't use any of that stuff, so they had plenty of magnesium in their systems. We have to take a significant magnesium supplement or our health heads south.
Anyway, I thought that you should be aware of that. I wish you only the best, and we appreciate the update. Please keep us posted.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Thank you 
to new and old for your feedback. Wow that is interesting about Magnesium. (you may recall I have osteopenia) I will check if they checked for it. Adventis Hospital in Hong Kong is reputed to be the best around here for heart issues.
love Ant.
to new and old for your feedback. Wow that is interesting about Magnesium. (you may recall I have osteopenia) I will check if they checked for it. Adventis Hospital in Hong Kong is reputed to be the best around here for heart issues. love Ant.
----------------------------------------
"Softly, softly catchee monkey".....
"Softly, softly catchee monkey".....
Hey Ant,
Thank you so much for these updates. They really make an impact to see how you handle the other situations that can happen outside of MC. I am really curious to know how they feed you in the Hong Kong hospital. I have a hunch it may be easier there than it is in the states. Here it is an absolutely atrocious predicament! Also our group has kind of turned into the magnesium police. So many of us have found relief with this supplement. I think Tex made a typo. You want to ask for the Magnesium RBC test. Keep us posted!
Thank you so much for these updates. They really make an impact to see how you handle the other situations that can happen outside of MC. I am really curious to know how they feed you in the Hong Kong hospital. I have a hunch it may be easier there than it is in the states. Here it is an absolutely atrocious predicament! Also our group has kind of turned into the magnesium police. So many of us have found relief with this supplement. I think Tex made a typo. You want to ask for the Magnesium RBC test. Keep us posted!
Vanessa
Ant,
You may be interested in the articles at the following links written by doctors who understand the importance of magnesium.
Obviously the results couldn't have been so outstanding unless most of those people were magnesium-deficient to begin with.
http://www.drwhitaker.com/request-a-mag ... rt-attack/
Here is Dr. Sircus' opinion on the same issue:
http://drsircus.com/medicine/magnesium/ ... t-medicine
On their information page about magnesium, the University of Maryland Medical Center appears to have pointed out exactly why the mainstream medical community ignores magnesium for the most part:
Really? Is that a dumb/stupid statement, or what? They acknowledge that most people very likely do not get enough magnesium from their diet (it's estimated that about 80 % of the general population is magnesium deficient) and then in the same sentence they claim that magnesium deficiency is "rare". I submit that they perceive magnesium deficiency as rare simply because, just like MC in the early days, doctors don't understand how to look for it. They use the wrong test. If you never see something (because you don't know how to look for it), then sure, you think it's rare.
Here is why I personally believe magnesium deficiency is so dangerous when we become hospitalized. Even though we may be severely deficient (with no remaining reserves in our muscle cells), as long as we are eating regularly we usually are able to ingest enough magnesium to "get by on". That is, our vital functions manage to carry on because of the magnesium in our diet. But when we are hospitalized, we're often not allowed to eat for a while, and stress (whether physiological or psychological) severely depletes magnesium. Hospitals are extremely stressful places. Without adequate reserves, our blood level can quickly become dangerously low on magnesium (because of the lack of reserves to draw from) and this dramatically increases the risk of cardiac arrest.
At least that's how I see it. I've been there myself. During my last emergency abdominal surgery (back in 2010), the surgeons had to complete the procedure sooner than they expected, because my heart was showing signs of a heart attack. My doctors blamed it on low blood volume because I had lost a lot of blood (and I'm sure that didn't help any) but looking back now, I had some of the same magnesium deficiency symptoms that became severe last year just before I figured out that magnesium deficiency was my problem. The problem is that just like my doctors, I had no idea what was causing the symptoms back then. After I figured it out, and made all the connections, I wondered how I could have been so naive, for so long. C'est la vie.
Vanessa,
Thanks. Apparently the gremlins in my keyboard changed what was supposed to be "RBC" to "RGB". I appreciate you pointing that out. I corrected that typo and added a little clarification to reduce the possibility of confusion.
Tex
You may be interested in the articles at the following links written by doctors who understand the importance of magnesium.
In a landmark double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, Israeli researchers gave a magnesium IV to half of 194 patients suffering from acute heart attacks. The in-hospital death rate of those receiving a magnesium IV was one-fourth that of those who received standard treatment alone.
Obviously the results couldn't have been so outstanding unless most of those people were magnesium-deficient to begin with.
http://www.drwhitaker.com/request-a-mag ... rt-attack/
Here is Dr. Sircus' opinion on the same issue:
http://drsircus.com/medicine/magnesium/ ... t-medicine
On their information page about magnesium, the University of Maryland Medical Center appears to have pointed out exactly why the mainstream medical community ignores magnesium for the most part:
http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/su ... /magnesiumAlthough you may not get enough magnesium from your diet, it is rare to be deficient in magnesium.
Really? Is that a dumb/stupid statement, or what? They acknowledge that most people very likely do not get enough magnesium from their diet (it's estimated that about 80 % of the general population is magnesium deficient) and then in the same sentence they claim that magnesium deficiency is "rare". I submit that they perceive magnesium deficiency as rare simply because, just like MC in the early days, doctors don't understand how to look for it. They use the wrong test. If you never see something (because you don't know how to look for it), then sure, you think it's rare.
Here is why I personally believe magnesium deficiency is so dangerous when we become hospitalized. Even though we may be severely deficient (with no remaining reserves in our muscle cells), as long as we are eating regularly we usually are able to ingest enough magnesium to "get by on". That is, our vital functions manage to carry on because of the magnesium in our diet. But when we are hospitalized, we're often not allowed to eat for a while, and stress (whether physiological or psychological) severely depletes magnesium. Hospitals are extremely stressful places. Without adequate reserves, our blood level can quickly become dangerously low on magnesium (because of the lack of reserves to draw from) and this dramatically increases the risk of cardiac arrest.
At least that's how I see it. I've been there myself. During my last emergency abdominal surgery (back in 2010), the surgeons had to complete the procedure sooner than they expected, because my heart was showing signs of a heart attack. My doctors blamed it on low blood volume because I had lost a lot of blood (and I'm sure that didn't help any) but looking back now, I had some of the same magnesium deficiency symptoms that became severe last year just before I figured out that magnesium deficiency was my problem. The problem is that just like my doctors, I had no idea what was causing the symptoms back then. After I figured it out, and made all the connections, I wondered how I could have been so naive, for so long. C'est la vie.
Vanessa,
Thanks. Apparently the gremlins in my keyboard changed what was supposed to be "RBC" to "RGB".
I appreciate you pointing that out. I corrected that typo and added a little clarification to reduce the possibility of confusion.Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
-
Gabes-Apg
- Emperor Penguin
- Posts: 8330
- Joined: Mon Dec 21, 2009 3:12 pm
- Location: Hunter Valley NSW Australia
Ant
so chuffed to hear from you, albeit not good about the heart issues
Tex has provided key information that I would have gone looking for to share with you.
and what we have learnt via Vanessa, is that there is benefit from purchasing better quality / more absorbable magnesium.
hope the MC continues to remain in remission and you can recoup from the heart procedures
take care
hugs
Gabes
xo
so chuffed to hear from you, albeit not good about the heart issues
Tex has provided key information that I would have gone looking for to share with you.
and what we have learnt via Vanessa, is that there is benefit from purchasing better quality / more absorbable magnesium.
hope the MC continues to remain in remission and you can recoup from the heart procedures
take care
hugs
Gabes
xo
Gabes Ryan
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
"Anything that contradicts experience and logic should be abandoned"
Dalai Lama
Dear Vanessa,
I am lucky enough to have friends who bring me food in - hams, rice cakes etc. The hospital food is not good, especially with soya, egg, and canned soups!
Dear Tex,
Thanks for more info magnesium. If I had known more about that maybe I would have avoided the ventricular fibrillation! Now I think I am stuck with the Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator. I read that between 10 to 30% of patients need to get a shock from their ICD every year (':pcguru:')
Dear Gabes, good to hear from you too!
best wishes, Ant
I am lucky enough to have friends who bring me food in - hams, rice cakes etc. The hospital food is not good, especially with soya, egg, and canned soups!
Dear Tex,
Thanks for more info magnesium. If I had known more about that maybe I would have avoided the ventricular fibrillation! Now I think I am stuck with the Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator. I read that between 10 to 30% of patients need to get a shock from their ICD every year (':pcguru:')
Dear Gabes, good to hear from you too!
best wishes, Ant
----------------------------------------
"Softly, softly catchee monkey".....
"Softly, softly catchee monkey".....
Dear Ant,
It's always good to have an update from you. I'm so sorry to hear about your heart issue, but what a gift it was that it happened when you were in hospital, and could get immediate care.
Did you ever get your house built in Thailand? We're heading to Thailand again in April. We wanted to go for Christmas, but ticket prices were too high. Also, our travel agent kept insisting that the only tickets in our price range required changing airports in Tokyo, and I didn't want to do that with my 85-year-old mother in law in tow. So later on it is!
Take care!
Martha
It's always good to have an update from you. I'm so sorry to hear about your heart issue, but what a gift it was that it happened when you were in hospital, and could get immediate care.
Did you ever get your house built in Thailand? We're heading to Thailand again in April. We wanted to go for Christmas, but ticket prices were too high. Also, our travel agent kept insisting that the only tickets in our price range required changing airports in Tokyo, and I didn't want to do that with my 85-year-old mother in law in tow. So later on it is!
Take care!
Martha
Martha
hi matha,
typing with no caps since only using one hand at present, post latest op.
apartment in thailand is done.....finally.
not sure yet were i will be next april. if in thailand and you happen to be in hua hin i could cook you a good mc friendly meal
best wishes ant
typing with no caps since only using one hand at present, post latest op.
apartment in thailand is done.....finally.
not sure yet were i will be next april. if in thailand and you happen to be in hua hin i could cook you a good mc friendly meal
best wishes ant
----------------------------------------
"Softly, softly catchee monkey".....
"Softly, softly catchee monkey".....
Dear Potty People,
I thought it time to do an update and give some more detail......
I am out of hospital and steadily recovering.
Here in more detail is what happened.....
On the 24th August I woke at 4pm with a pain in my top left shoulder. Gradually the pain spread across the top of my chest and included for a while the top of my right shoulder. Breathing seemed to be getting more difficult and painful. So after an hour I called the main heart hospital in Hong Kong and they suggested I come over right away. Somehow I found a taxi and 20 mins later was in the hospital. Pain increasing until they gave me pain killers. CT scan with contrast showed that a main artery to the heart was furred up and working at only 30%. Next morning had two stents put in. All good for about an hour into recovery......then code blue in ICU..... I had passed out with Ventricular tachycardia (250+ ppm). They got a normal rhythm back for a short time and then it went back up to 250+ ppm. They corrected it again. Thank God. Back to the theatre to check the stents. I was conscious for a few seconds wondering what the **@*! was happening. Next about a day later I came around. What had happened was explained to me. But oddly the pain in my top left shoulder had also returned. The diagnosed for that was bronchitis. (It seems to me in retrospect that bronchitis was the original cause of the pain that started this series of events and the little bugs must have had a great time with my resistance low). Inflammation had also made my heart too big. Anyway a few days later I became a proud (but nervous) owner of a St. Jude's ICD. It was implanted while I was having heavy antibiotic treatment to beat the bronchitis and steroids to reduce the heart swelling. As both improved (i.e. good blood oxygen levels and normal size heart) I was discharged 5 days ago.
I am currently one all sorts of medication (see below) and it seems with one or two exceptions my most of my BMs are norman.
Here is what I am now taking:
Once a day for a month.....
Pantoloc 40mg (a proton pump inhibitor)
CoPlavix 75/100 (a blood thinner that includes aspirin)
Lipitor 20mg (cholesterol lowering satins)
Cordarone 200mgs (AMIODARONE to regulate (slow?) the heart rythm).
Tapering off Prednisolone for the next 8 days
Yesterday I finish a course of Augmentin.
Continue Atrovent inhaler for the next 10 days.
Also, Stilnox for sleep and Xanax for anxiety should I feel I need to take them (have not yet)
I have ventured out to the malls twice, but I sometimes get a bit light headed/short dizzy spells. It could be one or other of the drugs causing that, or just anxiety or....?
I am meant to be flying to the UK in two days for my niece's wedding. I would go biz class with airport assist. My cardiologist says I am fit to fly. But I plan to talk to my GP before deciding. Going to the wedding would surround me with family. Here I have lots a great and kind friends but that is not quite the same. If I did not go the the wedding, I would go later and spend Christmas with my sister and her family in Scotland. The newly weds will be spending their first married Christmas there ....so that would be something to look forward to.
Best wishes, Ant
I thought it time to do an update and give some more detail......
I am out of hospital and steadily recovering.
Here in more detail is what happened.....
On the 24th August I woke at 4pm with a pain in my top left shoulder. Gradually the pain spread across the top of my chest and included for a while the top of my right shoulder. Breathing seemed to be getting more difficult and painful. So after an hour I called the main heart hospital in Hong Kong and they suggested I come over right away. Somehow I found a taxi and 20 mins later was in the hospital. Pain increasing until they gave me pain killers. CT scan with contrast showed that a main artery to the heart was furred up and working at only 30%. Next morning had two stents put in. All good for about an hour into recovery......then code blue in ICU..... I had passed out with Ventricular tachycardia (250+ ppm). They got a normal rhythm back for a short time and then it went back up to 250+ ppm. They corrected it again. Thank God. Back to the theatre to check the stents. I was conscious for a few seconds wondering what the **@*! was happening. Next about a day later I came around. What had happened was explained to me. But oddly the pain in my top left shoulder had also returned. The diagnosed for that was bronchitis. (It seems to me in retrospect that bronchitis was the original cause of the pain that started this series of events and the little bugs must have had a great time with my resistance low). Inflammation had also made my heart too big. Anyway a few days later I became a proud (but nervous) owner of a St. Jude's ICD. It was implanted while I was having heavy antibiotic treatment to beat the bronchitis and steroids to reduce the heart swelling. As both improved (i.e. good blood oxygen levels and normal size heart) I was discharged 5 days ago.
I am currently one all sorts of medication (see below) and it seems with one or two exceptions my most of my BMs are norman.
Here is what I am now taking:
Once a day for a month.....
Pantoloc 40mg (a proton pump inhibitor)
CoPlavix 75/100 (a blood thinner that includes aspirin)
Lipitor 20mg (cholesterol lowering satins)
Cordarone 200mgs (AMIODARONE to regulate (slow?) the heart rythm).
Tapering off Prednisolone for the next 8 days
Yesterday I finish a course of Augmentin.
Continue Atrovent inhaler for the next 10 days.
Also, Stilnox for sleep and Xanax for anxiety should I feel I need to take them (have not yet)
I have ventured out to the malls twice, but I sometimes get a bit light headed/short dizzy spells. It could be one or other of the drugs causing that, or just anxiety or....?
I am meant to be flying to the UK in two days for my niece's wedding. I would go biz class with airport assist. My cardiologist says I am fit to fly. But I plan to talk to my GP before deciding. Going to the wedding would surround me with family. Here I have lots a great and kind friends but that is not quite the same. If I did not go the the wedding, I would go later and spend Christmas with my sister and her family in Scotland. The newly weds will be spending their first married Christmas there ....so that would be something to look forward to.
Best wishes, Ant
----------------------------------------
"Softly, softly catchee monkey".....
"Softly, softly catchee monkey".....