PFO Conclusions

About two weeks ago I had a final TEE and TTE with the cardiologist. We were all shocked to learn that my PFO closed over the past year. I still have bubbles showing, however, so the doctors suspect a small Pulmonary Arteriovenous Malformation. Will I do further testing for the PAVM? Likely not. Why? Well, if it is small, there is no chance of embolizing it. I'm very tired, and I don't want to go through all of the rigamarole of testing and surgery again.

I am glad that the action we took on the issue finally supplied me with some closure. I am very grateful to Bray for her unwavering energy and help in getting closure to this situation. A patient should never have to go through so many hoops in order to get answers from a doctor, and that was the most disappointing part of this entire journey. I wanted to know my PFO was closed, on the chance that it could help my migraines. Well, surprsingly it's been closed, and I have continued to have severe migraines, so we know that the PFO has not been a contributing factor. But the important thing is that I KNOW now. I have no more questions. I can move on to different treatments.

My depression has worsened, because now I am faced with a future full of struggles. It's been very difficult to get out of bed and face the day; I've had to force myself. There will likely be no children in my future, though I do hope to be able to get back into classes slowly. I increased the dosage of my Zoloft, so I hope that it will help me be better able to deal with reality.

Right now I am focusing on day-to-day treatment of my migraines. I am not focusing on long-term treatment because right now I am too tired to deal with it. I have every intention of dealing with it in the near-future, but for the time being I have to deal with my days as they come. Thankfully my days come without the added worry or stress of a heart condition that, for some people, contribute to the daily hell of migraines.