Now what?

So, I posted a blurb on my Facebook about the cardiac cath yesterday. Here's the full scoop:

As many of you know, I had heart issues (atrial fibrillation) from 2004 - 2007, when I was finally treated successfully at the Cleveland Clinic. Since I came to Madison, I have been working out faithfully, both with the treadmill and with kettle bells, but recently I began to experience some tightness in my chest and shortness of breath with activity.

So, back to the doc. High blood pressure, started on medication, with good control. Echocardiogram showed thickening of the heart wall (left ventricular hypertrophy), not terribly severe.

Yesterday, they took me in for a dobutamine stress test to look more closely at my heart as part of a research study. At the end of the test, I had an episode of chest pain, and blood tests showed that I had an elevated Troponin Level. That indicates heart muscle damage, so I was taken to the cath lab.

The cool thing is, they did a cath study through my wrist! I had never seen that before- Having been through the procedure on three previous occasions, they always went though the leg- which meant 8 hours of lying flat, motionless, under a sandbag until the entry wound healed. Yesterday they put a bandaid on me and I was out of the hospital by 5:00 pm.

The cath showed no blockage of any of the arteries. Interestingly, they had some blood from the beginning of the day, before the test. They ran a Troponin level on that sample and it was also positive! This is what they cannot explain-

Why is my heart enlarged?

Why am I having chest pain?

Why do I have elevated Troponin levels?

Three cardiologists had to confer, and none of them had a good explanation for yesterday's events. I will be scheduled for a Cardiac MRI next and I will keep folks posted.

Thanks in advance for your prayers and your concerns.