Hi Karl,

  I'm 55 years old and live with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy. I'm still 
uprightly mobile and able to exercise (my clean house attests to that!)

  I was diagnosed with aortic insufficiency in 1997, after a cardiac 
'event'. I had cardiac imaging and it was found that I have 2 holes in the 
aorta; originally, a group of cardiologists reviewed the images and 2 felt 
there were 4 holes, and 2 others felt there were only 2; they all agreed on 
2 specifically, thus the diagnosis ... grade two aortic insufficiency. I 
also had the drug induced stress test and results were unremarkable aka 
'nothing to worry about' (within normal range, in spite of ambulation 
issues). I experienced chest pain, accelerated heartbeat and fatigue. I was 
also found to have a very thin chest wall. That's because I'm very small 
with little body weight.

  My late father, a doctor, and my previous physician (of the old school) 
were of the opinion that I always had a holey heart; it's also enlarged and 
has a murmur.

 Very often, infants with cp who present with various heart 'defects'have 
them  repaired early on. Depending on the type and degree, some doctors will 
adopt a 'wait and see' posture. I'm too much the chicken to have the holes 
in the valve repaired, though I was told more than once that to do so would 
alleviate a lot of my fatigue.

 In my case, and possibly yours, we probably had cardiac issues from the 
outset but they were never explored, given the day. Clinicians tended to 
focus on what they could immediately see ... musculoskeletal issues, gait 
disturbances, etc.

  It was only through the passage of time, function of aging and perhaps 
fatigue/exertion, no longer able to do what we could do with ease in our 
20s, that brought attention to a condition that was always there but 
dormant.

  Over the years I have researched various ways I can help myself. One such 
way is taking magnesium oxide (Mag/Tamar, jump in any time). Magnesium oxide 
regulates heart rhythm. Mag ox also helps with muscle spasms, pain 
associated with fibromyalgia (Mag/Tamar, jump higher!)

  If you google 'magnesium, heart', then 'heart rhythm, magnesium', and read 
several sites, you will see the connection. Also, you might ask your doctor 
to check your magnesium levels. They're probably very low. We suck up our 
naturally occurring magnesium just to keep our body going, that's why it's 
important to supplement. Google 'magnesium deficiency' and 'benefits of 
magnesium', and educate yourself. Magnesium deficiency is one of the most 
under-recognised and therefore under-treated conditions, and it is 
responsible for an array of medical complaints that are routinely treated 
with 'doctor drugs' which do nothing more than mask symptoms without ever 
addressing the cause.

  I won't tell you not to worry about your various heart issues, but 
research and ask questions. And do check out magnesium oxide supplementing.

Cheers!

Carla
http://home.netscape.ca/~terrier

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