concerning that he drove himself to the hospital. Please let him know I wish him the best health.

I don't know the details about what the problem really is.
And you can be sure he will read this thread, since he gave me permission to post it.

Ended up getting Double Bypass.

and I'm still here.

Relaying that, dear Peggy!

Sending all good energy in his direction!

Pretty darn scary and I hope he will be OK from now on in. He’s a valued member of our DU community. Wishing Andy all the best.

I don't think the Dr's. know exactly what the rhythm was. It's normal now.
I hope they've figured it out.

Thanks for chiming in, my dear AllaNO1Bear!

for five. meds that are ballanced out help too also

For all you NPH sufferers

I've just had a battery of tests for an AFib alert from my fitbit. Found nothing. Will keep wearing the device.

Get well soon Andy

I'm glad you're doing well too.

Thanks for letting us Know, Peggy.

It is good news.
I am happy to let you know!

I am too familiar with the ER & heart issues. I met a major exercise goal recently so all I can say is persevere!

I'm sure he plans to persevere! He's wired that way.

Good on you for meeting your major exercise goal!

Wishing and hoping
Hoping and wishing

You return right
Here right soon

(Our) AndyS
Love, Wyn

Andy appreciates poetry and yours is perfect.

Thanks for keeping us posted!

Wishing Andy a speedy recovery. Keep us posted.

Glad that Andy is alright and heading home. Best place to be to recoup.

Sending warm wishes and healing vibes his way.

His diagnosis is SVT. SupraVentricularTachycardia.
Loosely translated it means an irregular heartbeat that starts above the ventricles at a rate greater than 100 beats per minute.

Apparently there is a nerve responsible for this. There is also a normal nerve that controls the normal heart beat.

Andy will have out-patient surgery in about 6 weeks to cut the nerve responsible. Then the SVT should stop.

He just called to tell me all this, and he's being discharged this afternoon.

You can imagine my relief when he told me that he hadn't had a heart attack!

I've got some family members with atrial fibrillation (a-fib), but I'm given to understand that v-tach is more serious, I think.

Some a-fib cases are also triggered from a nerve cluster, and it, too, can be fixed by a surgical procedure -- an ablation that destroys the offending nerve(s). It could also be managed with a drug that simply prevents the erratic impulses, but I don't know if that's a possibility with v-tach.

I wish AndyS the best with his surgery, and will keep him in my prayers.

============

However, allow me to clear up the difference between Vtach and SVT. They are very different.
And Andy doesn't have atrial fibrillation either.

SVT (supraventricular tachycardia) is an abnormal rhythm that originates in the upper chamber of the heart. It causes the heart to beat very rapidly at rates above 100 beats per minute.
This will be controlled surgically: the nerve causing it will be cut, leaving the good nerve to work as it should.

Hope this helps!

Not only are there meds that lessen the chances, but there are techniques that can stop the tach.

Vagal techniques. Take a deep deep breath, hold it as long as you can, then exhale as long as you can. Repeat. That is called the Valsalva Maneuver.
There are variations: get a bowl of ice water, hold a deep breath while immersing your face into the ice water and hold it as long as you can. Pull face out of water and exhale deeply. Repeat as necessary.
Another variation involves taking a deep breath, then blowing into a drinking straw with the other end pinched off by your fingers. Hold it as long as you can, then exhale. Repeat as necessary.

Those are a few techniques.

Long history here of SVT. Long, long history.

A little gadget called a pulse oximeter is a good thing to have. It clips on your fingertip, and shows your pulse and also your oxygen level. About twenty bucks at any pharmacy or on amazon.

You obviously have been there and done that. I am glad you're still here.

I am sure Andy will appreciate all your wisdom.

Carvedilol, atenolol, something similar.

The problem is definitely fixable and he will be fine.

Thank you for your good thoughts!

You're my favorite gun controller I'll go easy on you when you get back

We clash on gun control issues but he’s very thoughtful about the issue. Get well soon!

Dear Miss Peggy, I just saw this. Thank you so much for keeping us posted. Hope you can relax a bit now. I know that you were worried.

I thought all his friends here would want to know about this.
And since he's much better now, with a cure in the works, you can bet I'm a lot more relaxed!

Thank you again.

Wishing only the best for him, and an easy surgical outcome.

I so very relieved to hear his good news today.

I suspect it will be a lot easier from here on out.
Thank you for your very kind remarks!

hope he will be OK

I am sure that he will be OK!

I had a heart attack last year, Broken Heart Syndrome, and have POTS (Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) and Dysautonomia. I'm so very glad he can get the surgery to repair!

Yikes! You've really been through it and then some. Best of luck to you as well.
I am likewise relieved that there will be surgery to fix his situation.

I am traveling and haven’t been checking in on DU regularly and when I read the original OP, it worried me. Glad to read the update post #30. This is welcome good news. Thank you CaliforniaPeggy for being a friend to AndyS. 🙏

I was pretty worried too, until Andy told me they'd figured out what happened and how to fix it.
It's a huge relief!

Next time, perhaps instead of driving himself, he should have a buddy on call, to take him. I was nervous thinking about what if a repeat episode occurred while he was driving there? As it turned out, all is well as he got there aok. As to the diagnosis, like I said, at least now they know what's going on, and can take the appropriate meds etc. to handle it. I had a Afib condition most of my life, and finally after being monitored a whole month (w/ a mobile heart monitor), they finally figured out what was going on, that I was having AFIB attacks literally everyday, and didn't know it.

Listen to your heart! It may save your life!

Thanks Calif Peggy for the news update...

Actually, Andy went home yesterday afternoon.