Thursday, January 11, 2007
Today I was catching up on various family news with my sister and she mentioned that her daughter (4) had been having laser treatments for a hemangioma and during her first treatment had an episode of ventricular arrhythmia where her heartbeat rose to over 200 beats per minute. Scarey stuff.
So my sister took her to a very experienced and reknown pediatric cardiologist in her area and he had my sister gather some family history which my sister relayed to me. I was never aware that my mother and my siblings all have ventricular arrythmias to one degree or another. Apparently, according to my sister, although this condition is often congenital, it's rare to have a cluster of it in a family.
When I described what I've explained away as just an odd ball feeling or maybe a small panic attack or something is exactly the symptoms of an episode of ventricular arrhythmia.
Okaaaaaaaaay.
So several members of my family have a diagnosed heart condition that is not necessarily life threatening if not severe and this is the first I've heard about it??
I guess I'll make an appt and talk to a cardiologist so I know what to watch for, if there is any testing I need to have done and what steps I can take if I do have it.
Nothing like a nice surprise to make you think, huh?
So my sister took her to a very experienced and reknown pediatric cardiologist in her area and he had my sister gather some family history which my sister relayed to me. I was never aware that my mother and my siblings all have ventricular arrythmias to one degree or another. Apparently, according to my sister, although this condition is often congenital, it's rare to have a cluster of it in a family.
When I described what I've explained away as just an odd ball feeling or maybe a small panic attack or something is exactly the symptoms of an episode of ventricular arrhythmia.
Okaaaaaaaaay.
So several members of my family have a diagnosed heart condition that is not necessarily life threatening if not severe and this is the first I've heard about it??
I guess I'll make an appt and talk to a cardiologist so I know what to watch for, if there is any testing I need to have done and what steps I can take if I do have it.
Nothing like a nice surprise to make you think, huh?
posted by Maura Anderson at 7:42 PM
