Always take care of your heart (literally and figuratively)

I was diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse two years ago by my cardiologist. And because my mother wanted a second opinion we went all the way from St. Luke's to Makati Medical Center just to make sure. We looked for the best cardiologist there was and just like the first, the second cardiologist reassured us that it is not fatal, there's no cure, and I should live life normally. It's congenital, meaning I had it since birth.

The thing is, both doctors told me the good news but they didn't help me get familiarized with the disease. They didn't tell me more about Mitral Valve Prolapse-- its causes and what I should avoid to trigger shortness of breath and migraines. Yes, migraines. I did researching on my own and found out that MVP causes headaches and the dizziness and blackouts I get everytime I try to rise up after lying down are normal with MVPs. They didn't tell me what I should expect nor did they tell me that I shouldn't panic the minute I start having difficulty in breathing. They didn't even tell me the symptoms of the disease!

MITRAL VALVE PROLAPSE SYNDROME
COMMON SYMPTOMS

•Chest pain - check!
•Fatigue - check! I get tired easily.
•Palpitations, extra heart beat - check! check! check! This is definitely not new to me. I get it all the time even if I'm just sitting down or lying in bed, I feel like I went running.
•Lightheadedness, dizziness - check! Especially when I get up from bed-- I get dizzy and sometimes blackout for a few seconds.
•Shortness of breath - check! I feel like I'm drowning or suffocating, all the time.
•Anxiety and/or panic attacks - oh, yes!
•Headaches - yes! yes! yes! can my migraines be MVP related?
•Low exercise tolerance - check! That's why I have low tolerance for the gym but my cardiologist recommends aerobic excerises like swimming, walking, jogging, etc.
•Mood swings - in behalf of Alej, I say "YES".

MVPers report other symptoms. Common ones include:

•chronically cold hands and feet
•gastrointestinal stomach disturbances
•problems with memory or a feeling of fogginess
•inability to concentrate
•mood swings
•problems sleeping
•numbness or tingling of the arms or legs
•arm, back, or shoulder discomfort
•difficulty swallowing
•lump in the throat

And there's more:

•Emotional stress
•Excessive fatigue
•Unaccustomed physical activity
•Being anxious or nervous
•Caffeine
•Medicines with stimulants (Excedrin! It has a ridiculous amount of caffeine for migraine)
•Sweets
•Being in a hot, dry environment
•Dehydration
•Flu, cold, or other illnesses
•Lack of sleep
•Alcohol
•Smoking
•Skipping meals
•Rushing around
•Lying on the left or right side
•Menses
•Menopause

So it's really crazy. The doctors sugarcoated my heart condition and I hate it because they didn't tell me these things. They should have told me these things so that I won't think that I'm a hypochondriac or even crazy half the time. They would have saved me from a lot of worrying. So now you probably know why I keep making up excuses to not see the cardiologist anually for my regular 2D-Echocardiography, Holter monitoring test, and ECG-- they're always in a rush and they don't do me any good. If there's no cure, then I'll live with that. I still think they should have briefed me on Mitral Valve Prolapse and not just diagnosing me with it. I am the patient and I have the right to know.