Goodbye Monitor!

Yesterday we went into the Cardiologist for a follow up. The day before (Wednesday) I had gotten a call from their office telling me that I was throwing PVCs and was also registering sinus tachycardia. I was then told that they wanted to put me on Lopressor twice a day starting immediately and that I would need to wear my heart monitor the rest of the month to which I told them I wasn't taking anything until I talked to the Cardiologist. Good thing because when I looked up Lopressor to see what it was I found out it was a level C drug that is not deemed safe during pregnancy and doesn't seem like a drug to mess with (especially if you're drug-leery like
I am). The lady on the phone asked me,"Are you refusing to take this medication?" Uh, yeah.

Thank the Lord for pregnancy hormones that strike when you least expect it! This call and not knowing if something was seriously wrong sent me over the edge and Brian spent the rest of the night trying to pull me back to safety. Really, husbands (as long as they are wonderful like mine :) ) deserve serious props for loving their spouse during pregnancy when they go a little on the whacky side.

So, on Thursday, after a goodnights sleep, I was ready to take on the Cardiologists office. I put on my extra sassy pants, printed out all the information I had looked up on Lopressor, and was ready to rapid fire all my complaints at anyone who I thought was trying to put my precious Maisey in danger. Brian met me at the office and away we went. We met with the PA and right away I could tell that this visit was going to be ok.

He told us that in fact I am throwing PVCs and have sinus tachycardia but my echo came back that I have a healthy heart that can handle these things. He told us that Lopressor is an agressive route to take during pregnancy and he would recommend me sticking it out and seeing what happens. If I get to the point I can't take the frequency of the attacks anymore or it is causing me and Maisey to be in danger (from passing out, etc.) then we can look at drugs. He also said that it should go away after pregnancy because it is caused by my hormone change and increased blood flow. Unfortunately, he said that there is a high probability in our next pregnancy I will have them again. Truthfully, I don't care. As long as I know that I'm not in danger and Maisey's not in danger this heart thing doesn't bother me. My last question to the PA was if I could take off the heart monitor. He said yes! So, right there in the office I freed myself from the monitor I despised so much which Brian responded with a chuckle. He seems to find me and medical situations quite entertaining! :)

So, lesson learned, never just follow medical instructions blindly. Make sure you know why they are asking you to do what they are asking you to do and do your research so that you feel comfortable with ehatever decission you make. And, if you are not comfortable with what they ask, stand up for yourself and don't be afraid to say no!