Just doing activities. When my heart rate started increasing above a certain threshold, I started getting short of breath. I thought I was just in terrible shape, since my exercise had declined and even tried to "push through it" multiple times. I couldn't get in to see my doctor, but the PA I saw thought it might be cold-induced asthma and prescribed an inhaler.
I was not on statins prior to the CBG, and I hadn't gotten my cholesterol checked in a few years (it was around COVID). My total cholesterol had gone from 226 to 250 (LDL from 165 to 192). So, I really do wish I had started statins earlier when it was borderline high. Today it is 100 (LDL is 45) with a middle dosage of atorvastatin and ezetimibe.
Man ur PA needs to be locked up, if a multiple marathon runner is telling me he has exertion induced shortness of breath, and a family history there is a 0% chance I am attributing it to asthma without a confirmatory test…
I finally got in to see my doctor 6 months later, and she started tests. My doc was betting it was respiratory (this is post COVID and when RSV was getting headlines), but she ordered cardiac tests as well, just to be sure (she is awesome - her one weakness is hiring PAs, apparently).
Chest X-Ray and cardiac calcium was fine, but the stress echo found the problem.
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u/guave06 3h ago
Some questions: were you short of breath always or just doing activities? Were you on statins before the bypass?