Hi,
I was diagnosed and treated for breast cancer this summer. Fortunately, it was caught in its early stages. I received 15 rounds of radiation therapy as part of the treatment plan (no chemo, thank goodness). The cancer was in the left breast. I believe the medical professionals (M.D. Anderson) were very skilled and knowledgeable and was rest assured by the radiation oncologist that the external beam did not effect the heart based on images she reviewed. Still, recently, I found myself experiencing a high heart rate, particularly in the morning and returning to normal as the day wears on. I am also taking thyroid medication which last year, while hyperthyroid, led to my Afib. My thyroid is due to be tested again this month. In July, 2023, when my thyroid was tested, it was hypothyroid, at that time. I am not sure if that has changed, hence, my need to be tested again. Some of those hyperthyroid symptoms appear now. But with all of the stress due to the cancer and now "cancer free" I wonder if the radiation might have impacted my heart to trigger Afib or tachycardia. Like many, I am trying to figure out what triggered the irregular heartbeat that was in normal sinus rhythm through the cancer surgery and radiation treatments. I also just received my Covid and flu vaccines and after radiation treatments were complete, the following week I came down with a virus. I was reading past posts about the vaccines and their effect on triggering Afib. It appears the vaccines don't impact Afib episodes. I see the cardiologist in November so until then, I have to figure out what is the trigger to this heart irregularity. I regularly work out as I did last year with my Afib but now I don't know if that, too, has triggered all of this. Perhaps, in sum, it is all due to the stress my body has been through these past few months.
Thank you, in advance, for your input.