MEK
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 8, 2005
Cancer Sucks - is all I can say. I have such admiration and respect for the people who fight this battle every day. It can be truly heart breaking for friends and family. I always am inspired by the grace and dignity of cancer sufferers. Two cancer sufferers in one family seems grossly unfair.
As far as your nephew - you know that posts like that just leave me with more questions and I understand your need not to press your sister with more questions. Cardiomyopathy really is a generic "catch all" phrase for a decline in heart muscle function. The question is why? You mentioned a congential heart defect and the first two things that come to mind are atrial septal defect and ventricular septal defect. These are abnormal openings in the septum or dividing wall of the right and left heart. Atrial is a hole up top and ventricular is a whole at the bottom. They can vary in actual location and severity. It also possible for the heart valves to be involved in congential heart defects.
If your nephew has been monitored for 11 - 12 years of his life then I suspect he may have a heart defect that may be amendable to surgical treatment. The decline is heart muscle function may be the indicator that its time to do the repair. Medication certainly can improve heart muscle function. I just hate that your sister has to delay necessary evaluation and treatment of her son. That's not fair. I suspect they may want to do a cardiac catherization or transesophageal echocardiogram to further evaluate his heart muscle function. Tell her to take a deep breath and take one step at a time. She will get the answers she needs.
Idiopathic cardiomyopathy is a term for a decline in heart muscle function where the cause is unknown. This can occur after a viral illness or for no apparent reason. I'm less inclined to think this because he would already be on medicine. This is not something you "just watch" for 11 years. These are the individuals who end up on a transplant list.
There are other types are cardiomyopathy, such as restrictive, where the heart does not relax and fill normally. Not normally a kid disease. Lastly, there is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy where the septum (the center) of the heart is enlarged and creates an obstruction to the heart emptying. This is a cause of sudden cardiac death and is always treated with medication and possibly a defibrillator. This can be diagnosed at any age and may run in families. Again- I would think he would already be on medication.
Now that you have had your cardiology lesson I will put my bill in the mail.
Seriously, it is too soon to jump to any bad conclusions with your nephew. I will be very interested in seeing how his evaluation plays out.
I am truly sorry that you have been bombarded with so many health issues all at once. I will be praying for positive outcomes for everyone concerned.
As far as your nephew - you know that posts like that just leave me with more questions and I understand your need not to press your sister with more questions. Cardiomyopathy really is a generic "catch all" phrase for a decline in heart muscle function. The question is why? You mentioned a congential heart defect and the first two things that come to mind are atrial septal defect and ventricular septal defect. These are abnormal openings in the septum or dividing wall of the right and left heart. Atrial is a hole up top and ventricular is a whole at the bottom. They can vary in actual location and severity. It also possible for the heart valves to be involved in congential heart defects.
If your nephew has been monitored for 11 - 12 years of his life then I suspect he may have a heart defect that may be amendable to surgical treatment. The decline is heart muscle function may be the indicator that its time to do the repair. Medication certainly can improve heart muscle function. I just hate that your sister has to delay necessary evaluation and treatment of her son. That's not fair. I suspect they may want to do a cardiac catherization or transesophageal echocardiogram to further evaluate his heart muscle function. Tell her to take a deep breath and take one step at a time. She will get the answers she needs.
Idiopathic cardiomyopathy is a term for a decline in heart muscle function where the cause is unknown. This can occur after a viral illness or for no apparent reason. I'm less inclined to think this because he would already be on medicine. This is not something you "just watch" for 11 years. These are the individuals who end up on a transplant list.
There are other types are cardiomyopathy, such as restrictive, where the heart does not relax and fill normally. Not normally a kid disease. Lastly, there is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy where the septum (the center) of the heart is enlarged and creates an obstruction to the heart emptying. This is a cause of sudden cardiac death and is always treated with medication and possibly a defibrillator. This can be diagnosed at any age and may run in families. Again- I would think he would already be on medication.
Now that you have had your cardiology lesson I will put my bill in the mail.
Seriously, it is too soon to jump to any bad conclusions with your nephew. I will be very interested in seeing how his evaluation plays out.
I am truly sorry that you have been bombarded with so many health issues all at once. I will be praying for positive outcomes for everyone concerned.