Hello everyone, sorry I haven't logged on lately I have been very ill. I have been in and out of hospitals/doctors for the last couple of weeks and had test done everyday this week. I have been having problems with my heart and I can honestly say that I have been terrified of what the future has in store for me! It has crossed my mind many times, due to the symptoms, that I might not be here much longer. After all of the test on my heart have came back yesterday, everything looked "normal" and I was really shocked because everything was so severe. I went to my family doctor and my labs had came back from there and as it turns out I have Rheumatic Fever that has affected my heart! I know this might not be the right place to come to discuss human health, but I have grown to trust and consider many of you my friends. I have been terrified and it has been a really scary experience! BB has also been affected by this. I can not leave her, or rather she will not leave me! She has turned into a 100% Mama's girl and has been right by my side through all of this. It really made me realize how strong a cat(especially a Bengal) can bond with their owner. It has been a roller coaster ride for everyone, including the furbabies and I just wanted to share with you all that I am feeling a little better and hope to recover sooner rather than later. Thanks for hearing me out! I needed to get it out and talk to someone about it!

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Brandi BB & Mochi

Oh so sorry you've not been well sounds like a truly awful experience you've been through

I hope you will have a full recovery? and glad you are starting to feel better. What a worry but sweet BB - animals truly are wonderful creatures and she has proved that, what a good girl x

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BBUKU Website

I'm so sorry to hear that you have been so very unwell!! There's me banging on about cats and you have all that worry going on in your life........ I can only hope that having something else to think about took your mind off of your concerns, if even for a brief while!!

I really hope that you are well soon, and that you don't have permanent problems after this illness!!
If it helps you feel better I have good news......... Seajin and Shay are almost best buds!!!!! Frances has sent us a few videos now of them together........ Hugging and Washing each other!!!! I am so happy I could burst!!!!!
They come home in a weeks time!!!!!

Get well soon,
Much love,

Lori
xx

Thanks Claire! Yes BB was my knight in shinning armor through this! She has been a trooper and stayed by my side when no one else was there. When I do sleep she sleeps right by my head and if I start hurting she licks my face and stays right there until my episode is over and then goes back to sleep! It is amazing how animals can sense things. Being a former "dog only person" I never thought cats were capable of loving the way that they do!

My poor husband feels like he has lost his cat! She has ALWAYS been his girl, even more so since we got Jasper, but she will not even let him touch her now. I feel terrible but I don't know what to do about it! Hopefully when I am better and she knows that I am going to be ok she will go back to normal!

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Brandi BB & Mochi

No need to worry about that, it actually has helped to keep my mind off of things and try to keep moving forward. I am keeping my fingers crossed that everything will return back to normal. I am just worried now that I might have damage to my heart, my blood pressure and my pulse have been way to high, and my heart is "skipping" beats. I had an Echocardiogram done Tuesday and the results came back today. There was nothing wrong and no damage yet but the symptoms can continue upwards of six months. It has just been the infection that has caused the symptoms so far. So I am on strong antibiotic and steroid injections for now and will have to take a preventative dose of antibiotics for years if not for life. It is just really strange. My son had strep a couple of weeks ago and developed reactive arthritis from it and now I have this. It sounds to me that we were either genetically predisposed or this strain of strep throat was really nasty!

On a GREAT note, I am so pleased to hear that your two are getting along so well! That is amazing, it has to be a huge relief to you!!!! I bet that will help both of them when they come to your home to have a buddy! Now all you have to do it wait...... ONE MORE WEEK

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Brandi BB & Mochi

Wow, sounds like you have through so much!! I truly hope that you get on top of this, sounds really frightening, but wow BB, what a gorgeous girl, I am continually amazed at how animals just "know" and will be there for you, that would a great comfort. Wishing you a speedy recovery and I hope that there is no long term damage from this for you. Take lots of care xxxx

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Tanja
Owned by Neko and Cinder
And a little white dog named Kasey

You poor thing - I hope you start feeling much better soon. I know all to well what its like to face an uncertain future. I take Warfarin - blood thinners - and potentially for the rest of my life. It affects what I eat, I have to be careful with knocks and bruises, the amount of alcohol I have, flying, activities I do, whether I can ever carry a baby, the list is endless and at only 30 I'm frightened of what I can become when I reach my older years.
My two cats were the only thing that kept me going when I was released from hospital - not quite as great as BB is being to you but their companionship is so precious.

I wish you the best in your recovery.

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Thanks everyone! I have certainly been on a rough ride but trying to hang in there! The rest of my labs came back today and now I am uncertain about what I actually have! The post antibiotic levels of strep are not high enough to cause the symptoms that I am having! So now back to testing! I have to wear a monitor on my heart for the next three weeks to see if it captures anything they have missed so far! It really stressful, here it is finally nice and warm outside and I am stuck in because the heat doesn't mix well with the meds I am on. Hopefully all of this will come to an pleasant end soon! I am on the verge of breaking! I had myself convinced and accepted the fact that I had rheumatic fever, now it just feels like I am starting this mess all over again! Almost $4000 in testing and still no answer is kinda frustrating! I am not sure what other test they can do as they have told me absolutely NOTHING! Other than its now no longer possible to have rheumatic fever!

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Brandi BB & Mochi

Assuming you had an echocardiogram, is there a possibility of endocarditis as a result of a history of rheumatic fever, diagnosed or undiagnosed? What antibiotic are they giving you? IV or oral?

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~ Kyenta

sorry and sad to hear this.:(
Please keep us updated.

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"At the end of the day, you can focus on what's tearing you apart,... or what's keeping you together."

I was a cardiac nurse for 16 years so I understand how frightening it is.

Not sure what symptoms you were having but any infection in the body can lead to the heart playing up a bit. It can also recover perfectly fine after with no long term consequence.

I understand well the feeling when you are poorly and just completely fed up of it all (I have MS and have bad days where I can't walk, plus other stuff). Chin up, you know we are here for you. If you have any questions, just ask away.... You never know, the symptoms might just sound familiar to me.

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Lollo

They don't seem to think that it is rheumatic fever because my strep levels are down and it wasn't high enough to cause problems. I am just finished amoxicillin and I am getting penicillin and steroid shots every ten days, or have been but they are not going to continue with that since it is not an infection. I have had an echo and it came back clear. The doctor did inform me that since the symptoms have only been present for a short time I might have to have another one done in a few months.

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Brandi BB & Mochi

Thank you! Unfortunately it will be another month before I will see the doctor again, unless I have new symptoms!

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Brandi BB & Mochi

thanks lollo! It all started after I had the flu a few months ago. I had to be taken to the hospital then because my blood pressure and heart rate were really high. After that I recovered perfectly fine until about a month ago. I have seasonal allergies so I take Benadryl and I noticed everytime I would take it a.m. and p.m. my heart rate would go up. So I stopped taking it and was fine. On Mothers day a few Sundays ago. I was sitting outside watching the kids play and my heart started to feel like it was missing beats and POUNDING in between. I went to a walk in clinic and they did an EKG and sent me straight to the hospital. They diagnosed me that day with PVC's( and strep throat), I am not really sure what that means, other than my heart beating prematurely. I then was referred to a cardiologist and they did a full cardiac work up, and everything has came back normal. I have also had all of my "normal" lab work retested and everything was normal. They thought it could have been my thyroid but that is fine as well. So now I am having dizzy spells and my left arm and back are hurting. I also cant breath which is driving me NUTS! So for the mean time they have me on a blood pressure medicine, a beta blocker, and a med that is supposed to stabilize my heart rhythm. I have also stopped smoking!!!!!! I am just really terrified this is all caused by a medication I was prescribed back in December. It is a "diet" medication. I am having problems loosing "baby weight" from my last pregnancy. My doctor said that it would get the weight off in a few months. I didn't even take it for two months because it made me feel wired and I didn't like it. However I have been researching it and I have found out that it can cause Pulmonary Hypertension! I know I shouldn't have looked it up but now I am so scared! I don't know what all is involved with pulmonary hypertension, but I know it is not good! I have terrible anxiety as it is and I know if I try to research I will just make it worse, in my head anyway!

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Brandi BB & Mochi

Sounds just like the symptoms I had after a severe winter chest infection about eighteen years ago. It turned out to be pleurisy. Thought I was having heart problems.

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Best wishes, Sue
Chataya - United Kingdom Tonkinese Breeder
(retired Bengal breeder)