Yes, they had the heart monitor on me most of the time. It was a pain, but that's how it goes. My case was mixed in with some afib issues -- atrialfibrulation (Cliff can probably correct the spelling). I do not think this is uncommon for the chemo to trigger a heart glitch, but as soon as the numbers come back up it will go away, so I do not think it should be of great concern. Of course, anything that is out of the ordinary is going to need to be looked at and dealt with -- it is good that they have him monitored. In my case they would come busting into my room if anything went wild, which it did -- afib will just about double your heart rate. But if I told the nurse that I just went to the bathroom or something like that, then they would let it ride for a while. I am sure they have a cardiac specialist looking at things as well. I think others have had these issues as well -- hopefully they will jump in here fairly quickly -- dave

Thank you Dave. So far they have said that his heart is beating in normal sinus rhythm and there was no sign of a glitch in the way it was working, just went too fast on exertion. Scared me to death, Keir had been feeling absolutely great yesterday, not a hint of a side effect or issue. Today, though, after four doses of the high dose cytarabine, he feels some fatigue; his numbers are beginning to come down. The hematologist/ onc said this morning from her point of view all was on track. I may be needing a cardiologist before long if I can't calm down.

Lori,

Tachycardia is so common in this setting because of the rapid deconditioning of the body that takes place when a person is very ill and hospitalized. I am quite certain that all of us had had rapid heart rhythms at times during our treatment. When I was septic in the ICU, I actually developed transient atrial fibrillation, which resolved when my infection was being treated. Make sure that Keir is well hydrated and do not push the exercise if his hematocrit is below 30. Exercise when anemia is marked can predictably cause tachycardia to increase the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood.

Keir will be fine, and I would not worry about a tachycardia in this setting.

Cliff

Thank you all. His hematocrit is 25.8 so perhaps that contributed to it. Last night when he lay down his heart rate went too low and they did an EKG, which showed normal sinus rhythm, just slower than normal. Today so far okay. They are going ahead with what should be his last round of consolidation chemo.

Lori,
I know I told you already, but I too had a heart monitor for weeks after chemo. It resolved, but then during my last few rounds of Decitabine, I had issues again with tachycardia. Since that time, it has been pretty routine for me to get EKG's but I also needed them while on clinical trial drugs.
Keir will bounce back. Hopefully the leads will stay on, somehow mine would sometimes slip, sending groups into my room very swiftly. I remember it being a drag to carry that thing in my hospital gown pocket.
Be well. Hang in there.
Andrea

Steady as she goes Lori! The team has weighed in. We all dealt with Tachy at some point in our treatment. The heart is a resilient muscle and Keir will be part of the fighting team. We welcome his strong heart!!!!!

Warrior! Hang in there Lori. We are all with you.

Ed

Hi Lori,

I also didn't realize that a higher heart rate was so common. My husband, Sal, just finished his 4th (and last) round of consolidation chemo a couple of weeks ago. He started developing a neutropenic fever last Tuesday, so I took him to the hospital at the requisite 100.4. He was admitted and his temperature soon went to 102.5. They gave him lots of fluids and antibiotics intravenously, then put him into an intermediate cardiac ICU because his heart rate was elevated.

He is doing well now, still in the hospital but out of the cardiac ICU and no longer neutropenic. They never figured out the source of his fever, nothing has developed from all the cultures they took, but he has an abscess on his head that was probably the culprit. He should come home in the next day or two.

I learn so much from everyone here!

Take care, Lori. I'm always thinking of you and Keir.

Monique

Monique,


Congrats on finishing consolidation #4. That is a long journey from induction to consolidation #4 and I want to say bravo.

Ed

Lori -- actually if this slows him down (at least temporarily) that will be good. He needs to realize that the things he used to address with exercise do not get addressed that way now -- at least while in chemo and transplant. The lack of good blood cells to the body weakens all of the organs. He needs to let that blood do its work to heal those organs. Go with the amount of exercise recommended by the med folks -- that is the same thing they told me -- two rounds walking around the floor three times a day -- no more. The good thing here is that Keir is a very strong young man and has been able to handle it all. Just get him to slow down a little, and I am convinced that all will be well. Keir is not the first one on this list to overdo it -- as I recall Ed was one who kept up the exercise a bit longer than he should have. I believe there were a couple others as well, and some who I believe still are, but they are out of treatment now, so perhaps they can run their marathons again. Soon Keir will be able to as well. Take care and think positive -- dave