2nd Opinion Appointment

I went for my second opinion appointment today.  Unfortunately I feel like I just wasted 3 hours of my time today.

My appointment today was with a very large group of cardiologists.  My mom went with me to this appointment and when I walked in the door I was just overwhelmed.  There were probably 50 people in the waiting room.  It felt like I was at the DMV.  I was called back 3 separate times to different windows to do different things--registration, signatures, check-in, history, etc.  It was very factory-like.  And I felt much too young to be there!!  It felt like a senor's center, not a cardiologist's office.  =) 

When I was finally called back and the doctor came in, the doctor glanced over my medical records that I brought.  I literally brought an entire binder full of records and the doctor just glanced through them.  Dr. R was very polite, but just seemed kind of cold and un-concerned.  He took my DVD that has a copy of my TEE on it and left the room.  He returned about 10  minutes later and explained that he had to try a few computers before he could get the TEE to open. 

Now I've opened this disc myself and it has about 30-45 videos of about 5-30 seconds each that can also be viewed frame by frame.  My current cardiologist, Dr A, told me that when he initially viewed my TEE that he didn't see anything.  He only saw the mass when he looked frame by frame.  Dr R who I was seeing for a second opinion told me he didn't see anything at all and that it was probably only a shadow that Dr. A saw.  Dr. R recommended that he do a TEE himself and that he could do it soon.  He also said it was a fine plan for Dr. A to do another TEE in a few months as planned. 

I would be thrilled if this was nothing more than a shadow that happened to show up in the same spot in both my echo and TEE.  Or, as Dr R suggested, maybe it's just a blood clot.  However, I don't feel convinced of much that Dr. R is saying simply because he spent maybe 5 minutes looking through 45 minutes worth of echos.  I'm concerned that he didn't look long enough to really make sure there's nothing there.  He didn't even see the "shadow".  And then he recommends doing a TEE??  It just seems odd.  And I felt like just a number in the bunch.  And even worse I'm young and healthy looking compared to all of the other very elderly patients at the office--I think that leads to some bias.  I just didn't get a good feeling at that office.

So here is my plan...hope for the best, plan for the worst!! 

I'm going to stick with Dr A and do the TEE and 3D imaging in September.  He knows what he's looking for in my heart and on the TEE.  If Dr A is still concerned in September, then I'll go for another opinion at that time.  Right now, I'm going to try and forget about everything and just relax.  It MIGHT be absolutely nothing.  Wouldn't it be great if this was all nothing more than a shadow or clot in my heart?  I can't think of a better outcome!  But if it's not, I would definitely rather be cautious and have a Dr. who seems to have my best interest at heart (excuse the pun) and treats me like a person. 

I have a follow up appointment with Dr. A 2 weeks from today.

So my goal in the meantime---RELAX!!! I will stop researching this and go with the fact that the myxoma may not be a myxoma and stop worrying until the next tests are in.