Scarlett Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 (edited) Does anyone remember the incident he had in flight 3 years ago when he passed out cold and was not breathing for probably a full minute. He has a history of PE and so we have always assumed that is what it was. He did not go to the doctor that time until maybe 4 days later and there was. No evidence left of a PE, but the doctor agreed it likely was one due to his history. Well last night, we went to a fundraiser for shelter animals....his company bought a table so we were there with dh’s co workers. We left there about 9 and 6 of us went to a small restaurant/bar and Dh ordered a burger and fries a beer. We were all talking and laughing when I sensed Dh had stopped participating. I looked over at him next to me and he was leaned back and sweating....I said are you ok and he said no and the young men (co workers) across the table from us (about 27 years old and from India) began to look very concerned and then bam, Dh was out cold just like on the plane. I started screaming ‘help me! Call 911!!’. Dh was vomiting slightly, tongue out, eyes rolled back in his head.....I thought he was going to die because I was sure it was a PE even though he is on blood thinners now. One of the young coworker called 911 and a customer ran over and pulled the table away from the bench Dh and I were on, and another co work pulled me away and that customer had them help her get Dh to lie down and turned on his side and within about a minute he began to breathe. Within 3 or 4 min ambulance was there and took him in. One of the young co workers drove me in my car to ER and his friend followed the ambulance. Doctor determined Dh was stable right away, but it took hours to run ekg, ct scan, blood work, chest X-rays. Young co workers stayed with us the whole night and even wanted to drive us home which I thought was so kind and sweet. But Dh was stable, I was fine, so I finally convinced them I could drive us home. What a crazy night. Now we are trying to figure out what the heck is going on. I will call his doctor on Monday, but Dh and I both are thinking this has something to do with his esophagus issues....and that if it does it may have also been the case on the plane....big Dh, in tiny airplane seat for an hour...something pressing on something that caused him to pass out. And last night I told Dh when he ordered the burger he did not need it because we had eaten a few hours earlier at the fundraiser. And he is remembering that he had a sensation of pressure on the bottom of his esophagus which is why he leaned back.... Anyway just thought I would share our drama. 🙂 Edited September 22, 2019 by Scarlett 20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 Oh wow, Scarlett, how scary! I do remember when you posted about the plane incident. I'm glad he is okay now and that his coworkers were such a good support for you. I hope his doctors are able to figure out what is wrong. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 Wow, Scarlett, you must have been terrified! I’m so sorry you and your dh had to go through that! I’m glad to hear that your dh is feeling better now, and it’s great that his coworkers were so kind to both of you and also that the ambulance arrived quickly (although a few minutes feels like hours in a scary situation like that!) I hope your dh’s doctors will be able to figure out what’s going on, so it never happens again. Maybe the info from the tests they ran at the hospital will be helpful in narrowing down what the problem might be — if nothing else, those tests will help rule out some of the possibilities. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 oh my goodness, Scarlett. How frightening. I hope you get the bottom of it quickly. What a blessing you were not alone when it happened. hugs. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 That sounds so traumatic! I hope you get your answers and that everything is more or less okay. And that you're able to recover. I think I'd be first on an adrenaline high and then on a crash that was very, very bad and depressing after something like that. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lispy Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 Oh how scary! I'm glad he was ok. I hope y'all are able to get answers soon and that it's something easily repaired or at least easy to control with treatment. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 How very frightening for you and your husband. I hope that you'll soon get some answers. Regards, Kareni 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 Did he have an esophageal spasm? (Just throwing this out there to ask the doctor). Though when I have had them I cannot swallow and it is intense pain until the muscles release. I am glad that you had a quick medical response 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terabith Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 Oh my goodness! That’s terrifying! I hope they figure out what’s going on quickly and that it’s a minor, easy fix! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 Oh my! I’m sorry this happened and relieved to know he is stable. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 huge hugs 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 Hugs, I hope they figure out what is going on quickly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 How scary! Hope they can figure it out soon. Hugs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frances Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 I’m so sorry Scarlett, that sounds like a very scary and traumatic night. I hope they get it figured out soon so neither of you have to go through anything like that again. Hopefully you are having a nice, quiet relaxing day today. Your family is in my thoughts. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 2 hours ago, Farrar said: That sounds so traumatic! I hope you get your answers and that everything is more or less okay. And that you're able to recover. I think I'd be first on an adrenaline high and then on a crash that was very, very bad and depressing after something like that. There was an incident with my dh where I 100% thought I was watching him die (in the hospital after heart surgery when he passed out very dramatically with a lot of flopping around.). I was sort of ok after that, but very sober, and the worst of it emotionally was actually a few days later when I finally broke down into loud, noisy all-encompassing bawling. Be gentle with yourself for the next week or so. A scare like that can take a long time to recover from. I’m soooo glad your dh is ok right now. I hope they get to the bottom of it. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kebo Posted September 22, 2019 Share Posted September 22, 2019 Has he been worked up for a hiatal hernia? The parasophageal variant would fit his symptoms, I think: https://columbiasurgery.org/conditions-and-treatments/hiatal-hernia Signs and Symptoms Most small hiatal hernias do not cause symptoms. The most common symptom of hiatal hernia is gastroesophageal reflux (GERD). Giant hiatal hernias may cause symptoms including heartburn/regurgitation, anemia, aspiration, chest pain associated with eating, vomiting after meals, difficulty swallowing, fatigue, and shortness of breath. Symptoms of parasophageal hernia may include problems swallowing, fainting, and vomiting. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbutton Posted September 23, 2019 Share Posted September 23, 2019 (edited) Do you know what type of clotting disorder he has? I ask because antiphospholipid syndrome can cause GI problems. Quote Anti-phospholipid antibody syndrome, which usually occurs in association with SLE but can also exist in a primary form, has been linked to a number of GI manifestations, including a case of oesophageal necrosis with perforation due to vascular thrombosis. https://academic.oup.com/rheumatology/article/47/6/746/1785361 Edited September 23, 2019 by kbutton 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted September 23, 2019 Author Share Posted September 23, 2019 (edited) He has a hiatal hernia. I never knew it could cause fainting . Edited September 23, 2019 by Scarlett 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted September 23, 2019 Author Share Posted September 23, 2019 (edited) 37 minutes ago, kbutton said: Do you know what type of clotting disorder he has? I ask because antiphospholipid syndrome can cause GI problems. https://academic.oup.com/rheumatology/article/47/6/746/1785361 His mom and a few siblings have Factor 5. Dh tested negative for it but I am not sure if they tested him for any others. Edited September 23, 2019 by Scarlett Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbutton Posted September 23, 2019 Share Posted September 23, 2019 1 minute ago, Scarlett said: His mom and a few sisters have Factor 5. Dh tested negative for it but I am not sure if they tested him for any others. Oh, that's odd! We think APL runs in my family, but getting doctors to test...ugh. I do have one relative who did test positive (bigger city, teaching hospital), but we have a multi-generational family history of supposedly "rare" bowel ruptures/stomach gangrene in our family as well as blood clots. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted September 23, 2019 Author Share Posted September 23, 2019 I think some of the problem is that different specialists are treating him and not all symptoms get related to all doctors. It would never have occurred to me to tell the gastro doc about the fainting because we were so sure it was a PE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted September 23, 2019 Author Share Posted September 23, 2019 6 hours ago, Jean in Newcastle said: Did he have an esophageal spasm? (Just throwing this out there to ask the doctor). Though when I have had them I cannot swallow and it is intense pain until the muscles release. I am glad that you had a quick medical response He has that often. Sometimes several times a week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted September 24, 2019 Author Share Posted September 24, 2019 He saw his PC doc yesterday. Doc says yes esophagus issues can cause fainting. Fainting doesn't seem quite the right word because that brings to mind a gentle falling down, where as with dh it was a violent, almost like a seizure. Anyway, squirrel, but the doc has ordered an upper scope to be sure nothing is damaged in there....he just had one in Feb, but who knows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted September 24, 2019 Share Posted September 24, 2019 The GI system is near the vagal nerve, so GI issues can impact that, which can cause passing out, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted September 24, 2019 Share Posted September 24, 2019 Definitely type out a list of ALL symptoms, even unrelated, and bring it to EVERY doctor's visit, even if it seems unrelated. They will appreciate having it. Also have a typed list of all his doctors, with addresses, phone numbers, and fax numbers. And keep copies of all lab reports and share them with all his doctors. A binder works well for this, one section for symptoms and a timeline of events, one section with doctor contact info, one section with all medications taken, one section with lab results. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted September 24, 2019 Author Share Posted September 24, 2019 Just now, Ktgrok said: Definitely type out a list of ALL symptoms, even unrelated, and bring it to EVERY doctor's visit, even if it seems unrelated. They will appreciate having it. Also have a typed list of all his doctors, with addresses, phone numbers, and fax numbers. And keep copies of all lab reports and share them with all his doctors. A binder works well for this, one section for symptoms and a timeline of events, one section with doctor contact info, one section with all medications taken, one section with lab results. Thankfully the network here is very easy for all doctors to access. Yesterday the PC doc was able to look at all the tests and notes from the ER visit Saturday night. He was impressed at how thorough the ER doc was. Our PC doc is the one who put dh on bloodthinners because of PEs. 2 PEs were confirmed, so I do see how everyone thought that is what the 2 unconfirmed were. And the PC doc also has sent dh to the gastro doc several times for stretching and looky sees.....I just think everyone all around missed the connection to fainting/esophagus issues. We never thought to mention to the gastro doc the fainting....but we will now of course. Medical stuff is exhausting! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Familia Posted September 24, 2019 Share Posted September 24, 2019 1 hour ago, Scarlett said: ...Fainting doesn't seem quite the right word because that brings to mind a gentle falling down, where as with dh it was a violent, almost like a seizure... We've had a lot of fainting in our family (adolescent times with vaso vagal hyperactivity), and we gained lots of knowledge regarding fainting. Many people, although maybe not the majority, have seizure like fainting episodes. Many MDs are not aware of what can be this very normal fainting 'style'. For us, lack of MD's knowledge led to way to much work up for one particular child, UGH, it was just simple fainting - bazillion tests unnecessary. Anyway, I hope you get to the bottom of it. Sounds like a rough time for you both this weekend! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted September 24, 2019 Share Posted September 24, 2019 1 hour ago, Scarlett said: Thankfully the network here is very easy for all doctors to access. Yesterday the PC doc was able to look at all the tests and notes from the ER visit Saturday night. He was impressed at how thorough the ER doc was. Our PC doc is the one who put dh on bloodthinners because of PEs. 2 PEs were confirmed, so I do see how everyone thought that is what the 2 unconfirmed were. And the PC doc also has sent dh to the gastro doc several times for stretching and looky sees.....I just think everyone all around missed the connection to fainting/esophagus issues. We never thought to mention to the gastro doc the fainting....but we will now of course. Medical stuff is exhausting! It really is so easy to forget to mention something that doesn't seem related. That's why I recommend having a master list of ALL symptoms/problems, even unrelated ones, that goes with you to every doctor appointment. You can just keep a list in google docs so if you forget it you can bring it up on your phone, etc. That way even if you don't think something is related, the doctor can still see it, and you don't have to remember everything. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted September 24, 2019 Author Share Posted September 24, 2019 40 minutes ago, Familia said: We've had a lot of fainting in our family (adolescent times with vaso vagal hyperactivity), and we gained lots of knowledge regarding fainting. Many people, although maybe not the majority, have seizure like fainting episodes. Many MDs are not aware of what can be this very normal fainting 'style'. For us, lack of MD's knowledge led to way to much work up for one particular child, UGH, it was just simple fainting - bazillion tests unnecessary. Anyway, I hope you get to the bottom of it. Sounds like a rough time for you both this weekend! Thank you! That makes me feel better....the dramatic way he faints just freaks me out so bad! Now that I know it is not a PE I think I can keep myself calm if it happens again. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kassia Posted September 24, 2019 Share Posted September 24, 2019 1 hour ago, Familia said: We've had a lot of fainting in our family (adolescent times with vaso vagal hyperactivity), and we gained lots of knowledge regarding fainting. Many people, although maybe not the majority, have seizure like fainting episodes. Many MDs are not aware of what can be this very normal fainting 'style'. For us, lack of MD's knowledge led to way to much work up for one particular child, UGH, it was just simple fainting - bazillion tests unnecessary. We have a ds who has seizure-like fainting episodes and our doctors haven't been knowledgeable about them either. They are scary to witness. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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