Hello there -
First of all, good luck to you with the upcoming biopsy. You are very brave and an inspiration to lots of people by virtue of having placed your post here, showing that one can beat cancer and rise above it.
Now then: regarding the
arrhythmias, pregnancies usually do make them a little worse in general, both due to the crowding that takes place from the abdomen up against the area where the heart is located, and due to hormonal changes. This can sometimes take a while to return to pre-pregnancy levels. The same holds true quite often for the effects of
chemo, for slightly different reasons.
I would point out that while you may have been abnormally aware of your heartbeat for a long time, a "normal" rate is considered anywhere between 60 and 100 beats per minute, and generally the upper end or slightly higher when one is younger, so a resting heart rate of 100 or more in elementary school is actually unremarkable. The fact that you're aware of your rate and rhythm is more a matter of perception, and many people are very sensitive and attuned to their heartbeats, whereas others may have grossly irregular beating and not even be aware of it.
It certainly wouldn't hurt to be tested for
hyperthyroidism if your heart rate continues to be higher than average for your age, size, etc., but your doctors have probably not assigned any of this that high a priority. Still, it wouldn't hurt to ask, as this can sometimes cause additional premature heartbeats, faster-than-average heart rate, etc.
The Holter monitor findings actually would suggest possible thyroid involvement, as it often causes what is called "high-output
heart failure", which is a lot more innocent than it sounds, and is often associated with "hyperdynamic left ventricular function." This, in itself, isn't necessarily a problem, but if the extra "oomph" the heart uses is caused by elevated thyroid function, treating that might make you feel more relaxed about the whole thing.
In short, this sounds very benign, but if it's bothering you then you need to persue it, and if your heart rate (the rhythm is "normally abnormal") is consistently above average, there are things that may be possible to help out with that, especially if you are hyperthyroid.
There are no long term detrimental effects caused by a higher-than-average heart rates nor by otherwise innocent
arrhythmias and premature heartbeats, even though they feel really strange and disturbing sometimes. These things are actually very benign and relatively normal.
I hope this is helpful to you. Best of luck , and please do follow up with us as needed here.
