Hello all,
My names Richard and I live in the UK. It's currently 2:07am and I'm having one of my frequent "can't get to sleep nights" due to
PVC's. Which having looked around the site I know many of you are familiar with.
I have like all of you had the gamut of tests and yes often more than once or twice or three times *coughs*, *shuffles feet* *mumbles ...okay maybe 8 or 9 times*
I have been 'dealing' with
PVC's for 9 years and I am still here. I seem to be the only one that is amazed at that fact my Dr's/Cardiologist are all totally unimpressed.
I noticed a couple of recent posts from new
PVC'ers and totally sympathise with you and understand that feeling of doom and the absolute certainty that your going to drop dead at any moment ! You won't but being new you will have the usual I have to something wrong with me, they missed something thoughts
we have all been through that. You may go to sleep and awake in utter amazement that your still alive ! well the good news is that will be a regular thing, because like the Dr's and the cardiologists have told you it's a benign condition.
When you first get these
PVC's/
PAC's and you get the benign label its so hard to accept because of the physical feeling of the heart, from making you jump to your stomach 'lurching', electrical shocks, feeling winded or jabbed in the stomach to fluttering and even a little breathless.
There are so many little manifestations and sensations that
PVC's trigger it really does mess around with your mental well being.
As time passes things may get easier for some for others it can be as frustrating and as nerve racking as the first day you experiened them.
What I'm trying to impart in a very clumsy way is that the real harm is done by the stress, panic and anxiety that is induced by
PVC's/
PAC's! My very first few months in my first year were spent constantly rushing to hospital the remainder of that year was spent stopping myself from rushing back to the hospital.
To those that are new and think their behaviour is somehow pathetic ... it most definately is not on the contrary it's a very normal human and most of all understandable response.
Here are my stats
for the newly diagnosed (and old timers alike) I'd like you to keep in mind that am still here
Good days 2-3
PVC's/
PAC's every minute of every hour of every day. A more normal day 5-7
PVC's/
PAC's every minute of every hour of every day. The scary days every 3rd or 4th beat (very rarely have every 2nd beat for some reason) sometimes for what seems like days on end. They wax and wane but I can say I do have them almost constantly. The last time I got a reprieve from them was when they suddenly disappeared in the summer of 2006 only to reappear in the run up to Xmas of that year.
It doesn't matter wether you have 2 a day or double the amount above what matters is that you believe what you are told and that you have faith in your Dr's Cardiologists and other fellow sufferers that have 'dealt' with these things for a number of years, they are NOT going to be the end of you.
I hope this hasn't come across as self righteous or sanctimonious and has in some way helped you to understand the real enemy with benign arryhthmia is in the fear and anxiety which grips us all from time to time, myself (most definately) included.
Wishing you all a skip free day/week/month/year
All the best Richard.
P.S. I have a friend that has suffered with these things for almost 34 years now. He started when he was in his late 20's. Puts my 9 years well and truly in the shade !