MVP - Mitral Valve Prolapse

What is the mitral valve?
The mitral valve controls the flow of blood between two chambers (or "rooms") of your heart, called the left atrium and the left ventricle. Normally, blood flows only from the atrium to the ventricle. When the heart relaxes in between beats, the two flaps of the mitral valve swing open to let blood flow from the atrium to the ventricle. The flaps normally open only one way.


What is mitral valve prolapse?
If you have mitral valve prolapse, the flaps of the valve don't work well. One of the flaps moves back into the atrium when the heart beats. This can let blood flow from the ventricle back into the atrium.

About 1 in 20 Americans has mitral valve prolapse. People are usually born with it. More women have it than men.

How do I know that I have mitral valve prolapse?
Sometimes people with mitral valve prolapse have symptoms that go along with this condition. Here are some of these symptoms:

• Feeling like your heart is racing or is skipping beats
  
• Chest pain that comes now and then
  
• Shortness of breath
  
• Dizziness
  
• Anxiety or panic

Your doctor can find mitral valve prolapse during a regular exam. When listening to your heart with a stethoscope, your doctor may hear a clicking sound. The flap makes the click. If blood is flowing back into the atrium, your doctor will hear a "whooshing" sound. This sound is called a murmur.

To find out how well your valve is working, your doctor may have you get an echocardiogram. The echocardiogram is a special picture of your heart that shows your valve as the blood flows through it. This can help your doctor decide if you need treatment.

How is mitral valve prolapse treated?
Most people with mitral valve prolapse don't need any treatment. In fact, this condition usually has no effect on your health. About 2 of every 100 people with this condition have complications. If your valve is too leaky or if you are having lots of symptoms you may need surgery to fix the valve. You may also have to limit your participation in competitive sports. Ask your doctor if you are in this group.

If your mitral valve prolapse causes chest pain or other symptoms, your doctor might prescribe medicines such as beta blockers to make your symptoms better.

Some people get an infection in the leaky valve when they have surgery or dental work. You might need to take antibiotics before surgery or dental work to prevent this infection. Remind your dentists and doctors that you have mitral valve prolapse so that you can get a prescription for antibiotics before you have surgery or dental work.

Source
familydoctor.org/598.xml

Other Links
www.mvprolapse.com/mvp.html
www.tmc.edu/thi/mvp.html
www.ctds.info/mvp1.html
www.physsportsmed.com/issues/1996/07_96/joy.htm
www.ilovejesus.com/myhome/mcpeg7/MitralValveProlapse.shtml

A birthday just like any other day

First and foremost, I would like to wish myself a very simple, sweet Happy 24th Birthday!

I just wanna celebrate, or rather spend it like any other normal day. I don't feel anything special about this particular day. The sun still rises in the east, and sets in the west, birds still sings and we still breathe.

Since morning, there had been the usual birthday greetings from friends who cared and remembered. I wanna thank you all. Thank you my lovely friends! Sorry if I never replied, for I just ain't in a right state of mood these days. Peace and solitude are what I wished for the time being. But amongst all those sms, there was one which touched me dearly, bringing me near to tears. It reads,"happy birthday 2 my dearest daughter si han fr papa". That was the first ever b-day sms I received from my dad. Just last night I had a little petty argument with my dad, I ended up giving him the cold shoulder and stop talking to him for my ego and pride has got the better of me.

Nevermind about that. Just now I bought a cake, which is to be shared with my family later tonight at home. Dark Chocolate Truffle. Layers of soft chocolate sponge sandwiched between rich chocolate moussee, topped with a layer of dark cocoa powder. Simply a chocolate-lover's delight! I wanted to get a small one of 500grams, but they were sold out. Even the bigger cake hadn't any left. I ended up getting a smaller heart-shaped cake. Cute. It's the thoughts that count, right? Hmm, seems like there must be many others who have their birthdays today too, for it's strange to see such little amount of cakes left from the shop I bought mine at. I wonder who could they be...

Hmm... maybe I should go learn how to bake some really swell cakes and open a shop or cafe and sell 'em. Cool! Swell! I wonder on...

This aint the actual cake though

sick and moody

I can't breathe properly. I'm having difficulty. It's taking double the effort just to breathe. Am I sick? Yes, hell yes! But it's not feeling normal like that. Why am I having such a hard time trying to get some oxygen into my lungs? I desperately need some air! Is this how it's supose to feel like when one's attack by flu/cold & cough?

I seem to be falling prey to sickness pretty often in the past months. Dang! I don't like that. The weather has been rather cranky lately, just like I. It's been raining pretty often lately. The air-con at work has been freezing cold too. Yet when it's not raining, the weather outside can get really hot and humid and yucky. Thinking about it makes me fury and again I desperately try gasping for some fresh air. Cold like a freezer in the office, hot and scorching outside like some dessert (when it ain't raining). Cold, hot, cold, hot, cold, hot, cold cold cold.... no wonder it makes me sick! The extremes makes me unwell. (Will I be able to survive the weather out there in UK, London?) And my temper seems to be just so. I'm easily worked up these days. Getting pissed off and offended darn easily. What's gotten into me man? I couldn't possibly blame it all on the weather eh. Menopause? Neh, impossible! I'm just but nearly halfway into my mid 20's.

What on earth is happening to me?! I'm behaving like some old hag. Or some nasty hound, come near me and I'll bite your hands off!

Sick and moody since last week. Then friends blew a monthly gathering I had tried to plan for the past weekend when I had been pretty caught up with work. Worse thing to have happened, my computer died down on me again last week. Argh!!!! $%#@# Next, I was suppose to have a nice dinner celebration with my folks and bro, to celebrate my parents' wedding anniversary and my b-day. My bro didn't finish his homework, so he stayed home. Mum was pretty pissed off that day, and I ended up pissed off too after she suggested I get take-aways from the hawker. So there you go, my parents went out for their dinner while I and my bro eat take-aways. Pissed pissed pissed!!!!

To add on to my irritation, that jerk [someone whom I don't wish to remember] just kept calling me for the past month. I chose to ignore and not answer. The sound of his voice plus his immaturity will only ill me further. Next he chose to irritate the shit out of me by sending some stupid sms & mms. It pisses me so damn much when one doesn't know when it's time to stop such childish acts. May he rot and go to hell!

Anyway I might be changing my number soon since there's been some change of plans for me at this point of time in life. So heck care that jerk, why should I let his stupid presense affect my mood? *hrmp* May he die a painful death!

21 Reminders

ONE:	Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
TWO:	Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
THREE:	Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
FOUR:	When you say, "I love you," mean it.
FIVE:	When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.
SIX:	Be engaged at least six months before you get married......
SEVEN:	Believe in love at first sight.
EIGHT:	Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.
NINE:	Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.
TEN:	In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
ELEVEN:	Don't judge people by their relatives.
TWELVE:	Talk slowly but think quickly.
THIRTEEN:	When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"
FOURTEEN:	Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
FIFTEEN:	Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.
SIXTEEN:	When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
SEVENTEEN:	Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions.
EIGHTEEN:	Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
NINETEEN:	When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
TWENTY:	Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
TWENTY-ONE:	Spend some time alone.