Hi on Tuesday I was at clinic for the first time after my surgery to make sure that everything with my heart was ok. I got an echo scan which was fine, I have mild regurgitation (I am not really sure what that means) my consultant is not too concerned about it. The main worry for me is my blood pressure is up, it was raised last time I was at clinic, in February before my surgery and it still is, he said he will not give me anything just now as I am still recovering but I have to go back in three months (it's usually 6) and if it is still high he will have to start me on meds. I have never had high blood, I hardly had any before my transplant! I really don't want to take any more pills, I take so many as it is, is there any way that you can reduce it yourself without taking anything. Thanks char
Transplant clinic : Hi on Tuesday I was... - British Heart Fou...
Transplant clinic
Hi, first thing I would say about your bp is do you have a lot of caffeine? I used to have high BP and drank about 2L of diet coke a day, cut it out and it went down a lot. So if you drink caffeine drinks or lots of tea and coffee, maybe cut down or decaf.Only thing I know about regurgitation is acid reflux from heartburn or hiatus hernia, ask your Dr to explain.
The rest of it sounds good x
Thanks for your reply, I have two mugs of instant coffee a day and no tea, I think I am the only person in Scotland or maybe the UK that doesn't like it. I only drink water or the occasional wine 🤣 it's a mystery how it's went up, my mum is 95 with dementia so maybe it's stress although she is well looked after where she lives. I am very guilty of not asking doctor's questions, I should have asked him on Tuesday it was on a previous letter from the clinic that I only received on Monday. Char
Can you ring the surgery and ask for the Dr to call you and make a list of questions? x
Thank you for taking the time to reply especially with everything that is happening at the moment. My GP is lovely and I am sure he wouldn't mind me phoning about this, I have a feeling it might be a heart valve , I think it has been mentioned many moons ago and I forgot, I will try and find out. I hope your visit to Ralph today goes well, I am sure he will be his bright self and really pleased to see. Take care char
First thing I thought of when I read your post is that it could be a valve regurgitation. It's possibly what they were referring to.
Hi, I think it might be but thankfully not enough to worry them at the moment, it was a different consultant I had seen and it was the first time it had been in my letter. Char
Hello 
I am so glad that things have gone well for you
I have never met anyone who deals with things like you do and has gone through so much
Reading your post I wondered if all you have been going through has caused your BP to go up and maybe as things settle it will come back down because other than what we eat as well as exercise which I know you know all about that and do I am not sure what else we can do but if and it is an if you do have to take BP meds I do understand not wanting anymore but I know you will take them and I know you will cope but lets hope it settles and you do not need them
Let us know how you get on x
Hi unless it is to do with the stress of the diagnosis and the surgery I don't know what could cause it or what to do about it, I should take more excercise, I know that but most of the time in Scotland it's pouring although it's beautiful today, it must be our one day of summer 🤣and I am trying to eat better, more fruit etc although I prefer chocolate biscuits or cheese or sausages or pies or anything I shouldn't eat! . Char x
Hello
Well the weather is just about the same here not bad today but then rain and more rain maybe we are having our one day of Summer to
Well no one can say you have not had more stress than most and stress does send you BP up
I prefer all the foods you should not eat it is hard work but I do try and stick to as healthy as I can
See what happens it could come down as you start to settle down but I take BP meds so you will be joining a good club if you have to go on them x
Hi for some reason I could not get logged into the site all day yesterday yet it's fine this morning, one of life's mysteries!. I am going to try and do a bit better, I manage for a while and then lapse into my old ways, teaching this old dog new tricks is proving difficult 🤣 char x
Hello
If I tried to reply by going into my emails yesterday it would say the site was under maintenance but then if I put HU in google I could get on so maybe they were doing something ?
It can be hard I know but I also know you will try and sometimes that is all we can do
Let us now how you get on with that BP I do hope it settles x
Hi Thanksnhs, Pouring in Scotland! Never lol 😂 I get so fed up with the Scottish weather, when it's lovely I eat healthier and I'm more active outdoors, but when the weather is not so good I seem to eat what I really shouldn't and some days I become a couch potato ☹️. x
It's so hard to get motivated when you open the curtains most days to rain, it makes such a difference on the few days that the sun shines. Char
morning Char
So pleased things were okay at the hospital. High blood pressure is something we can help our selves with but sometimes it’s something we have to have medication for. Already someone as said about caffeine also salt if you use a lot cut it out of your diet. It’s definitely not your weight you have said before your on the small side. As Bev said you have been under huge pressure with your transplant and then the surgery, and that can certainly put it up. By the way how’s the Jubilee?😂 l can understand you not wanting to take any more tablets, but if you’re consultant thinks that’s what is best for you you go with the flow! He’s taken good care of you so far hasn’t he?
Sun is out here hopefully down the road with you it’s shinning too.
Take good care
Pauline xx
Hi I hope you are feeling well on this lovely sunny day, it really makes a change from the horrible weather we have had. You mentioned salt, I completely forgot about that guilty as charged unfortunately, I probably have salt with everything I have just had a healthy poached egg with salt! and buttered toast so maybe not too healthy, I put a lot on my porridge as well, that is one thing I will need to address. Char x
I don't cook at all with salt now, haven't for years, strange at first, but now if I eat out things can taste so salty. Only thing I put salt on is fish and chips, and who can afford them any more?lol x
My youngest son is the same, he is 43 and doesn't use salt in anything, he has the faulty gene that led to my transplant he doesn't talk about it but maybe he has made some changes knowing what is ahead, he is getting monitored and is fine at the moment. Char
You've been through so much the last twelve months and I'm not surprised your blood pressure is up.I do understand why you don't want to take any further medication but if it's what keeps you safe and ticking along try not to worry about being prescribed it, could be all you need is this little bit of medication help to get it back under control again.
You have alot of on going health problems plus your mum be kind to yourself and try not to worry.
Hugs and prayers for you xx
Thank you, I could not get logged in to this site yesterday so annoying and not good for the BP 🙄. I will try and get out and about now that it's not so cold, It is a struggle with mum it's such a shame but also frustrating but at least she seems happy enough where she stays and they do look after her very well, expensive but worth it or I definitely would be run ragged. How are you keeping yourself at the moment, I hope you are ok. Char x
I'm not going through anything like the trauma you are , if it's not one thing it's another but it's something that can be fixed.We had summer yesterday too😀a whole day of warm sunshine and today it's back to grey and miserable.
I'm not doing very well, still no AF appointment and I saw my GP a couple of weeks ago who said my cardiac problem isn't bad enough yet for surgery and the AF needs to be sorted first.
I finally spoke with the mental health nurse 're my anxiety issues with past trauma and I'm awaiting further help with that.
I've been out three times this morning despite making lists I never have what I need😁on the plus side it's all walking and that all counts for something good.
Have a relaxing bank holiday and I hope even if you don't get sunshine you won't get rain xx
Hi I hope the mental health nurse gets something sorted out soon especially as you are still waiting which is awful, McMillan cancer got me four sessions, a video call, with a Bupa councillor the girl is nice but I'm not too sure she is helping much, I have my last one next week.i have to make lists on my phone for everything, shopping if I am going away anywhere or I would only get half the stuff, I have the cheek to get frustrated with mum for forgetting things char x
Good morning. This may sounds too fluffy for some and I used to be very sceptical but mindfulness and meditation are so beneficial.
Just taking a few minutes to focus exclusively on something drops my blood pressure. It could be stroking my dog, watching the birds, anything. It takes practice and patients.
Try something like Insight Times to listen to guided meditations.
Wishing you a peaceful and relaxed day.
Thank you for your reply, one thing I do like to do is have a walk along a cycle path, it is just so quiet except for the birds singing their hearts out, my friends think I am mad walking along it myself as it's an old railway track and very secluded, I just find it so peaceful. I keep thinking about getting a cat I would love to just sit and cuddle one, I know I wouldn't be able to look after a dog. Char
First of all congratulations! Sounds like on the whole your feedback was fantastic. Regurgitation is possibly valve related. Many of us on here have had severe valve regurgitation. Post op mine is mild and they are delighted with that!
Can I ask if you take your blood pressure at home? My Dad had white coat syndrome where his st home was perfect, in the Dr or hospital was through the roof! It is a thing and who would be surprised if it was with you at your post op.
Not the same thing but since the beginning of the week (return to work week) my heart rate at rest has been much higher. Guess it’s having to work harder than here where I was pacing myself!
I hope your return to work goes well, it must have been such a thought to go back. I do have a blood pressure monitor, I don't use it all the time as I always think it's too high and for the most it wasn't, I think because I have had a transplant it is higher anyway or maybe because it was so low I just thought it was. I hope it is the recent surgery that is causing it, I will keep a better eye on it and see what happens at next clinic. I have a feeling the heart valve was mentioned a long time ago and I never heard anything about it again until the February clinic, it was a different consultant maybe they felt they should mention it. Char
There always seem to be unanswered questions and I’m sure as a transplant patient there have been more hurdles for you than most!
Hope you get to the bottom of it!
Thank you. Char
You arere remarkable. I would be off the scale worried after such surgery . Do you have an NHS cardiac therapy clinic? We have one where I live and going to that twice a week is incredible. The special exercises are amazing and have strengthened my chest. as soon as I started those i was able to sleep on my aude instead of sitting up. My BP is always low when they take it and I’m convinced it’s because I feel very safe when I am with the team.
It's all been a bit of a nightmare and my blood pressure since my transplant has always been ok, it started to rise after my diagnosis so I hope by the time I go back to clinic in three months it will be down a bit. We don't have anything like the therapy clinic and it sounds great, the council run a post op session at the leisure centre but there is no one medical there, it's circuits they do, I did go but my arthritis made it very difficult, I am definitely going to try and walk more, try and cut out salt and not eat so much processed food. Char
Hi CharMay I ask do you have your own BP machine to take readings at home or are they just done in a medical clinical setting ?
I have what is termed "white coat syndrome" my late Mum also had it, so they recommend I take my own readings which are always much lower than any doc or nurses
Maybe worth a try if you dont already do it
❤️
Hi, I do have my own machine but every time I used it I thought it was too high and when I went to clinic, apart from this time, they said it was fine so I don't really use it much in case I worry unnecessarily, I haven't even checked it since clinic on Tuesday, I think it's head in the sand I have got 🙄
First of all, well done you for all you have been through. I think they are correct when they say you are still in recovery and it’s early days. Your body has taken a lot of stress and will take time to settle down and hopefully the bp will as well. It’s good they are not rushing you and giving you time. Stress can come out months after the actual event that caused it. The body is a wonderful machine and has its own way of healing itself with certain conditions. The operation is a success which is wonderful so try to keep calm and let nature take its course. The more we worry the more we make things worse. We are our own worst enemy at times. I send many, many wishes for your health. You are an inspiration. Thank you.
Hi and thanks for your reply, I think I am just impatient and think after three months all is well when in reality it will never be the same again, my heart was a big worry to the anaesthetist and surgeon but thankfully nothing major went wrong so I really hope my blood pressure will go back down. So many things happened to me I think I will always be waiting on the next one. Char
I am the biggest worrier, specially when I son't uderstand but when the correct experienced person explains I am calmer.
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