Yep, my MVP.
Some of you are probably wondering what I got MVP for because I don't play any sports.
I'm not talking about Most Valuable Player.
I'm talking about a condition called Mitral Valve Prolapse. Link
It's what my cardiologist thinks I have.
I saw him this morning, and before he listened to my heart we discussed the possibility of mitral valve prolapse. It's somewhat common, and my symptoms all fit - the tachycardia, the occasional palpitations, the swelling in my fingers and ankles and feet. He said that I'd need to get a echocardiogram and see my heart in action to be sure that's what it was, but if he heard a click when he listened to my heart he'd be pretty confident that MVP was the cause.
So, I sat on the exam table and he listened to my ticker.
And he heard a 'mid stroke systolic click'. Or words to that effect. I was too shocked to remember exactly what he said.
So, it looks like that's the cause of all the stuff that's been going on. He's put me on a low dose beta-blocker and told me to cut out caffiene in my diet. I said that it would be hard, and he said that he knew it would be....but if I took it slow and weaned myself off of it over a number of weeks I'd be fine. I have to go back in a month, but in the meantime I have to get a echocardiogram and a 24 hour heart monitoring done.
There's no cure for MVP. The treatment consists of beta blockers and antibiotics before any dental work. From what I've read, it's a genetic condition, and there are certain physical characteristics that seme to be prevalent in people with MVP....one of them being scoliosis (We found out this year that I have a mild scoliosis). Another characteristic is abnormally flexible joints.....our Jake can bend his fingers and thumbs back so they touch his wrist. I think that's abnormally flexible, don't you? He has an appointment on the 1st to get his ADD meds refilled, so I think I'm going to mention this MVP to the doctor then and see what he says about it.
Whilst I'm tired of seeing doctor after doctor for one thing after another, I am somehwta glad that I listened to Dr Tabakian's nurse and followed up on the tachycardia. At least now I know what's wrong and can be treated for it.
Dharma's MVP. One more thing to add to the list of ailments.