Abusive note left on car of Darwin couple with valid handicap parking permit

I've written about this issue before and in the light of a news items I recently read, the topic bears covering again.

However, before continuing please read the article I am referring to from which this note was taken by clicking on this link: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/abusive-note-left-on-car-of-darwin-couple-with-valid-handicap-parking-permit/story-fnk1w5xx-1227204133934

Now a number of years ago I applied for a disabled parking sticker. It was maybe a year or two after my heart attack when I was having serious breathing issues - just couldn't get air into my lungs - and walking short distances was a real chore. It was a time when I was getting chest pains and dealing with arrhythmias/racing heart issues that would come out of the blue.

It was also a time when I was having lung function tests and did a V02 Max test to assess my lung capacity, a time when I was having echocardiograms and stress tests to check what was going on with my heart that might be causing chest discomfort issues. In fact this was a period I had a number of stress tests including the treadmill stress test with stress echocardiography.

The longest I lasted on any one of these treadmill tests was 3 min 31 secs - I had been told that nine minutes was what was expected of me given my age. I also on two occasions did a chemically induced stress test and around a year after my heart attack did a myocardial perfusion stress test.

In light of the above and given my issues with walking and running out of breath, my doctor completed a form requesting I be given a disability parking sticker. The powers that be declined and to this day I still have these shortness of breath issues.

However, this is not the purpose of this post. What is the purpose is that if you were to look at me, in the street, you would not know I have any medical/health issues. I look good, so I have been told, and as long as I am not walking too far and puffing due to shortness of breath no one would know I have SOB issues.

Similarly, no one who doesn't know me would be aware that:

1) I have had a heart attack, open heart surgery/triple bypass. They do become aware of this if and when I take my shirt off.

2) I am a diabetic and unless I have a hypoglycemic episode in front of them (which has happened a couple of times) how would they know about my T2 diabetes?

3) I have/had Graves disease, that I had my thyroid burnt out a number of years ago and that I require ongoing medication for this condition and when this medication is not balanced I can have problems with tiredness, blurry eyes etc.

4) I have blockages in both my carotid arteries.

5) I have regular episodes of angina which usually occur without warning - they do, however, become aware when I pull out my GTN nitro spray and take a shot to relieve the symtpoms.

6) I have sleep apnoea/sleeping issues which can and do impact on my diabetes and angina and which only in May 2014 brought on an angina episode which was serious enough for me to call an ambulance and spend a day and night in hospital under observation.

7) I have bleeding issues which is not uncommon for someone who takes meds following a heart event which may or may not have resulted in stents and/or bypass surgery - I had both.

8) I have lower back, bone/joint degeneration issues that can flare up leaving me unable to sit or drive and result in me having difficulties lying down and getting up from a chair or bed.

The point I am making is that sometimes, people are too quick to jump to conclusions without knowing the facts and this is what happened in relation to the article I referred to at the beginning of this post and could happen to you as indeed it has happened to me a number of times.

More information on stress tests etc can be found using these links:

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/test_procedures/cardiovascular/myocardial_perfusion_scan_stress_92,P07979/

http://www.lifescript.com/health/a-z/treatments_a-z/procedures/m/myocardial_perfusion_imaging.aspx

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/guide/stress-test

http://www.livestrong.com/article/326574-treadmills-vs-chemical-stress-tests/

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Heart-Disease/how-long-does-a-treadmill-stress-test-last---Heart-/show/1771022

Mitral valve regurgitation

Last month I posted about my having on-going issues with racing, fast heart beat and arrhythmias and I mentioned that an echocardiagram earlier this year following another episode found I had mild mitral valve regurgitation. Here is a bit more information about this condition:

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Mitral valve regurgitation — or mitral regurgitation — is when your heart's mitral valve doesn't close tightly, allowing blood to flow backward in your heart. As a result, blood can't move through your heart or to the rest of your body as efficiently, making you feel tired or out of breath.

Treatment of mitral valve regurgitation — also called mitral insufficiency or mitral incompetence — depends on how severe your condition is, whether it's getting worse and whether you have symptoms. For mild cases, treatment may not be necessary.

You may need heart surgery to repair or replace the valve for severe cases. Left untreated, severe mitral valve regurgitation can cause heart failure or heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias).

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mitral-valve-regurgitation/basics/definition/con-20022644

Mild Mitral Valve Regurgitation

Over the years since my heart attack in 2007 I have had (and still have) numerous episodes of a fast, racing heart beat that sometimes feels like the heart is going to burst out of my chest. I have seen my cardiologist and have had tests and scans to check this out including 24 hour Holter Monitor tests.

Generally speaking, these fast heart beat events are not associated with any chest pain or discomfort. I have been told that Atrial Fibrillation (AF or Afib) and incidents of tachycardia and palpitations are not uncommon for someone like me with my heart history.

The American Heart Association has more information on Atrial Fibrillation and Arrhythmia here: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Arrhythmia/AboutArrhythmia/What-is-Atrial-Fibrillation-AFib-or-AF_UCM_423748_Article.jsp

Earlier this year, when I had another episode of 'racing' heart that happened 'on' and 'off' for a number of days I saw my cardiologist and did yet another holter test which showed no abnormality this was my third such test since 2009.

In 2012 after one of these events when I also had issues with mild chest pain and following a holter monitor test and echocardiagram, my cardiologist put me on Duride (Isosorbide Mononitrate) for the above and to help with angina. I still take this medication today.

Here are a few photos of me with the Holter monitor in February, 2014.

A couple of weeks after the holter test I had an echocardiogram which basically showed everything is normal but did reveal I had mild mitral valve regurgitation - was told nothing to be worried about but something to be aware of and to keep an eye on.

Bottom line: there was no explanation for the latest fast heart episode that happened out of the blue and not following exercise. Since then have had a number of similar incidents.

So when I saw this post on Facebook the other day it got my attention:

"October 11, 1958 - Cardiac surgeon Dr. Dwight McGoon performs the first mitral valve repair for mitral regurgitation. Today, Mayo Clinic cardiac surgeons use robotic surgery to surgically repair valves as an alternative to open-heart surgery. Surgeons operate between the ribs and don’t open up the breastbone (sternotomy), which results in less pain and quicker recovery. Robot-assisted minimally invasive mitral valve repair is now performed routinely at Mayo Clinic and has allowed hundreds of patients to be with their families the night of surgery and leave the hospital 3 days later, returning to work within a couple of weeks."

Dr Dwight McGoon