OMG! I Have a Dextrocardia!

Last Tuesday I went to a private hospital to have my chest x-ray done. It was just an ordinary day, nothing really special, except that it was raining. So when Paul and I arrived at the hospital, we immediately went inside and informed the lady on the counter that I want to have an x-ray and some blood extraction for my Hepatitis B screening. I had my blood extracted first and this is something that I really hate doing. I'm scared of needles!!!

After that, I went to the x-ray room. Before we started, the lady technician conversed with me asking me some details about my self and the reason why I wanted to have an x-ray. Maybe some sort of building rapport.^_^ Then after changing my clothes, the technician positioned me to the x-ray area, then positioned my arms and given me some instructions. After a few seconds, I'm done. I was so excited to put my clothes on that I was about to go inside the bathroom when suddenly the technician asked me if we could repeat it 'coz she thought that she might have located the marker on the wrong side. She told me that my heart was positioned on the right part. She was a bit shocked about it. I too didn't know how to react about it. So I had no choice but to do it again. 

Then the second x-ray was done. It has the same result so the lady technician talked to me that my heart might really be on the right side of my body. She told me that they would give us the final outcome when the Radiologist check it. I really thought about it for days so I was really excited to get the results. 

When I claimed the results last Friday, I immediately read my x-ray result. And voila! It says there that I have a DEXTROCARDIA with probable SITUS INVERSUS. I googled about this and I found a support group for people with dextrocardia. I realized I wasn't alone. There are also other people with the same condition as mine and they too are living normally.

Here's a little something from Wikipedia if you are wondering what is a Dextrocardia:

Dextrocardia is a congenital defect in which the heart is situated on the right side of the body. There are two main types of dextrocardia: dextrocardia of embryonic arrest (also known as isolated dextrocardia and dextrocardia situs inversus. Dextrocardia situs inversus is further divided.

Dextrocardia situs inversus refers to the heart being a mirror image situated on the right side. For all visceral organs to be mirrored, the correct term is dextrocardia situs inversus totalis.
Dextrocardia is believed to occur in approximately 1 in 12,000 people,^[2]
Kartagener’s syndrome occurs in approximately 1 in 25 of totalis. This disorder affects the sinus and bronchial cilia causing constant sinus and bronchial symptoms that medication cannot rectify. With Kartagener’s both are usually present all year rather than being seasonal.
Although statistically people with dextrocardia situs inversus do not have any medical problems from the disorder, some^[vague] are prone to a number of bowel, esophagus, bronchial and cardiac problems^[vague]. Some of these conditions can be life threatening if left unchecked.

Since Paul wasn't able to accompany me when I claimed the results, I showed it to him today and he could not believe about it. We really had a small debate and told him that I should have another x-ray if he doesn't want to believe it. Then he came up with an idea of auscultating my heart beat through a stethoscope. He tried to listen to the left part of my chest (where the heart is usually located). Then to the right side of my chest. Then he repeated it on both sides of my chest this time with more pressure on the diaphragm of the stethoscope. Then he looked at me with an awe telling me, "You are special!" I was smiling but in the back of my mind I thought, "Baka special child." LOL

This wasn't my first time to have a chest x-ray. My first was when I was entering college. The university where I enrolled required a medical exam including x-ray but they didn't give me the results and I wasn't even bothered to think about it that time 'coz I knew there's no problem with my health. I'm so thankful that I was still born normal in spite of it without any serious diseases. I was even active in sports. God is really great.

For 27 years, all I knew my heart was at the left. I'm so thankful that I had an x-ray this month. It's better to be late than never. Right?And until now, I still can't believe that I have a dextrocardia. =)