a PFO journey

On October 31st, Dr Marek Gawel *neurologist* took his time examining me, and at the end of the exam, asked me if I had a PFO. I said "not that I know of" He said " I have a feeling you have one, would you consider being in a study?" I said sure. So he promptly brought in his PFO research coordinator, who works in the same building. and she explained PFO's. And the study. But I was moving to Quebec. So She made me promise to pursue it on the Quebec side and gave me the name of the study coordinator in Quebec.

Afraid of what I might find, I put it off for a while. finally I called and got an appointment for january 4th. They had a team of technicians doing a trans cranial ultrasound and the cardiologist was there,  first injecting itty bitty almost invisible bubbles in saline solution in my arm vein, watching as it went into the heart and seeing if it passed from one chamber to the next, therefore, onto the brain. * if it stays in one chamber, your ok, if it transfers, you have the defect*

The results were staggering even to the seasoned cardiologist. too many bubbles to count. That indicates an enormous PFO.  When he told me, emotions ran high. After the test, they gave me a diary to fill out religiously every time i got a migraine.

The deal was to return to get a TEE *trans esophageal echocardiogram* to measure the defect, then return shortly thereafter to be tested for nickel allergy and then again on april 04 to see if I was to get surgery to close the hole

But now, it appears they want to kick me out of the study before the april 04 reading of the diary, because I'm having "too many migraine days" to suit them.

They were supposed to tell me for sure on friday, but they just didnt bother!

All my life , PFO has been making me sick, I'm sure of it... too many others with PFO have the same symptoms for me to put it down to coincidence... The increased heart rate episodes, inability to force, dizzy spells(especially when getting up from lying position), irregular heart rate....

So the prospect of knowing that my heart is defective and knowing a fix is so close, yet being denied me, is just intolerable!

Please keep me in your thoughts/prayers

bim