Posted by Terry Gann on February 12, 2003 at 16:29:42:
In Reply to: home again posted by pam sherburne on February 12, 2003 at 09:09:48:
Pam,
Glad to hear you're doing well. A couple of months after my maze, I experienced my first bout with pericarditis, although I wasn't diagnosed until 6 months later. Mine actually came back a couple of times after that. The last time was in August of 2002 - I took a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory for months. That sort of kept it in check. I think I finally got rid of it (I hope!) when I took steroids over a period of days. I attributed my pain to muscle weakness from the surgery, so that's why it took so long to diagnose. Keep on top of it; if you start hurting again, get to your Doctor - pericarditis can be quite damaging if not treated. I am also surprised that people in a hospital setting did not diagnose your problem - from what I understand there is a characteristic "rub" that one can hear with a stethoscope when pericarditis is present.
Terry