Burke and his heart

Mid July Burke took a trip to Florida for a week with work. it was a very exciting trip for him. he would be leading his very first meeting with the contractors all alone. His mentor had to fly home early and left him holding the reigns. As usual we talked every night and he was doing great. I was tired but surviving not having him home. On Wednesday night however everything changed. I got a phone call from Burke around midnight. He told me that he thought he had a heart attack or something like that. I was in quite a shock. The ambulance was on the way to the hotel and he would call me as soon as he knew everything was alright. Then he had to hang up.... I sat there for a minute before the prayers and tears started. I knew Burke had had some problems with irregular heartbeats when he was younger and he struggled with some sleep problems that scared me to death when we were first married. He would wake up suddenly shoot straight up in bed gasping for air and flailing his arms. He wold shout I can't breath then he would lie back down never waking up. Sometimes I got hit in the process and that was annoying but I got used to it and started to be able to sleep through it unless it was really loud. The symptoms he explained to me on the phone sounded similar to these night time events only he did wake up and the panic, lock of oxygen, speeding heart beat and tingling in his arms and legs continued. Afraid he would pass out in the hotel room all by himself he called the front desk and they sent the ambulance. I was releaved when burke called me from the hospital a little over an hour later. His "episode" was over by the time the Ambulance arrived and he said he was feeling better. The doctors first guess was that he had some type of panic attack his heart looked fine from the casual tests they had run. I felt much better knowing he had not had a heart attack and that he seemed to be fine. but we still did not know what caused this episode. Burke explained to the doctor his history and the fact that he had heart i arrhythmias (irregualr hear beats) on a regular basis. He noted that in times of stress or when he was not sleeping well he would have them more frequently and they would be stronger. His doctor in the hospital in Melbourne FL was great and decided to keep him overnight to run a series of tests. He wanted to make sure we knew what happened. They did an EKG, ultrasound, stress tests and had Burke wear a heart monitor for 24 hours. In the end they discovered the reason for his arrhythmias. We are grateful to know that Burke has a very strong heart. He does however have a genetic heart disorder called called Mitral Valve Prolapse.

Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is a common heart disorder. It occurs when the valve between your heart's left upper chamber (left atrium) and the left lower chamber (left ventricle) doesn't close properly. When the left ventricle contracts, the valve's leaflets bulge (prolapse) upward or back into the atrium. Mitral valve prolapse sometimes leads to blood leaking backward into the left atrium, a condition called mitral valve regurgitation.
Mitral valve prolapse affects slightly more than 2 percent of adults in the United States. Men and women appear to develop MVP in similar numbers.In most people, mitral valve prolapse is harmless and doesn't require treatment or changes in lifestyle. It also doesn't shorten your life expectancy.

When Mitral Valve Regurgitation occurs there are several side effects. Arrhythmias, loss of oxygen, numbness in the extremities, and panic attacks. The more blood that is regurgitated the more severe the symptoms. Regurgitation can occur anytime but when the heart is under more duress the regurgitations come more frequently and they can be more severe. Large caffeine, stress, lying on your back while you sleep and over strenuous physical activity can increase the episodes. There is also possible link between sleep apnea and mitral valve regurgitation.

In the short term we are going to work on solving Burke's sleep problems and find a good cardiologist. In the long run burke will abstain from caffeine and find positive outlets for his stress like most guys he just bottles it all up until...... It is also recommended that Burke see a cardiologist once a year for a check up.

This was a completely crazy experience for our family. I can't tell you how hard it was to know Burke was so far away in that hospital all by himself. I am grateful to the local church who sent priesthood holders to give Burke a blessing. I am glad that we know why Burke is having these episodes and that we have some strategies to help make it better. It has taken Burke a while to get used to all of this but he is also relieved to know that nothing serious is going on with his heart. He does not have to wonder or worry every time his hear skips a beat.