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Amusement Parks????

jaguar63122
0 Recommendations

Hello everybody.....It is summer and I will be taking my little girl to Dollywood here shortly. I asked my cardiologist if it was safe to still ride roller coasters and he told me yes. I read in here that most cardiologist have said no. So I am following the sites advice instead of my Dr. and saying no I can't. (I don't have alot of faith in my cardiologist) My question is...can I still ride some of the milder rides....water flumes..maybe small coaster with my child? I don't want to risk my life...but I love to ride...and my daughter is at the age where she is starting to like them. Looking for some opionions...thanks....Letreze

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12 replies

lkay

the anticipation of taking that ride and climbing that first hill gets your heart beating and your blood pressure up. Those are two things we all normally try to avoid. Right?

I found this with a quick search tonight -
"Researchers at the University Hospital of Mannheim in Germany put 55 healthy people on roller coasters and monitored their heart rates during the two-minute experience. Average heart rates rose from 89 beats per minute before the ride to 155 just afterward." v- Washington Post report.


Is it really worth the risk?

Laura

ckgoduto

This subject comes up every summer and every summer I ask my doctor about roller coasters and of course his answer is NO YOU CANNOT GO ON THEM. I know the people with Pacemakers and ICD's like me cannot go on the roller coasters because of some magnetism involved. Small rides like "It's a Small World " are okay.

We are leaving for Florida next week and we are stopping in Chantanooga to see the caverns, ruby falls, and Look Out Mountain. I hope I can do all this, but I will pay attention to any signs posted.

Nancy-in-KC

I am another who lives by "why take a chance". I loved the rides as well, but now with stents and an implanted device, I am not willing to risk my health for a few moments of fun. Even those that have gone ahead tried it and felt fine, there is no telling what the next time might bring. I would take joy in spending the day with my daughter, but wouldn't chance putting myself at risk. I hope you have a wonderful time!

Nancy

MMaslek

I noticed the new screen name & read your profile. Good Luck with your little one's upcoming surgery!!!!! My son was born with total anomolous veinous pulmonary return (all the arteries, oxygenated & unoxygenated, went to one side of his heart). He had surgery when he was 10 weeks old. It is sooooo scary to wait while your baby goes into surgery. You need to trust your surgeons and believe that everything will turn out fine. There just is no other option!!! Because of the condition, his cardios warned me repeatedly that he would probably be developmentally delayed and way behind his peers in motor skills & brain development. I was fine with that as long as he was alive.

They forgot to tell him, though. He walked at 9 months. He cried his 1st day of preschool because they forgot to teach him to read. He's 16 now, plays hockey & baseball, rides ALL the coasters, & is on his way to a very selective college prep course for the summer @ Carnagie Mellon. He's just finishing his sophomore year in high school. Too bad he was so developmentally delayed or maybe he would have cured cancer by now!! I know he was very lucky not to have lasting effects from his condition and I thank God every day. I just wanted you to know that sometimes they do much better than the doctors expect and even if there are lasting consequences, she'll do fine with them. Kids are resilant. I'll be thinking of your little one next week. Good Luck Sweetie!!

For the coasters... I have ridden coasters since my surgeries when I was feeling really good. I didn't ask beforehand (My motto used to be.. "It's easier to beg forgiveness than it is to ask permission"), I just always based my activities on how I felt. I was fine on smaller ones like flumes. But the faster ones with higher G force made me feel really lousy. The spinny rides had simalar effects. Now at amusement parks I rent the motorized car & I've become the coat rack. My kids love it because they can bring lots of stuff & I get to keep it while they ride. They are going to an amusement park alone for the 1st time on Friday. Yikes!! Grown up is hard to do, huh?
If your daughter is old enough, bringing a friend is the best way to go. That way you don't feel like you have to keep riding so she doesn't get jipped.

AuntieMom

Eleven months after I had my MI and two weeks away from going to Florida and all the parks I was at work talking to a cardiologist (not mine) when a nurse came up to him and said that there was a patient who saw another cardiologist on the phone wanting to know if he could go on a roller coaster (the patients primary cardio had said no). The cardiologist got upset and said "Oh, so his cardiologist said no to roller coasters, now he wants me to over rule his cardiologist and say yes so he can develop more heart problems and then turn around and sue me. NO roller coasters.

I heard this conversation about a week after my cardiologist said no roller coasters. I will admit to going on Big Thunder Railroad after my cardio had said no. My reasoning was that there weren't really big drops and not too much G force. I did pass on going on Wild Artic at Sea World though. I had been on both Big Thunder and Wild Artic before and knew that Wild Arctic was a much rougher ride than Big Thunder. I did some great people watching on that trip and came back with a really good tan.

I would hesitate to go on roller coasters even though your cardio says you can. That short ride really isn't worth ending up in the hospital for. Plus, you being in the hospital would spoil the rest of the trip for your daughter.

Auntie Mom

kaitlynsmommy85

We have always been advised from my daughters cardiologists that riding rollercoasters and rides that have a lot of g-force can cause her problems with her heart. We went to Florida a few weeks ago and we went on a pirates of the caribbean ride that had a little drop at the end and she did just fine. I think you might be able to go on mild rollercoasters but i would check with more doctors just to keep your health safe. Good luck with everything!

martzj

Hi everyone,

I was scared but decided to see what would happen if I tried the 4 story plume ride at Busch Gardens with the kids. It had been a year since major MI (41), 2 stents. four stories doesn't generate much G-force but the landing hurt like the dickens, something felt like it tore in my chest...maybe just tugging scar tissue. It was over in seconds. No harm done but I learned even a little G-force may not be the smartest thing to mess with carrying a heart with significant dead heart muscle. Didn't let on to the family of course. A year later I tried another smaller roller coaster but same thing happened. I gave up and was happy with bumper cars and lots and lots of walking around the park. YOu can't do anything but play at Busch Gardens which was wonderful fun. Made sure I had plenty of water, forgot how miserable I felt for a few hours and had a blast with the kids. (5 stepkids ages 2-15)

think I would recommend anyone with heart issues stay completely away from G-force rides of any kind.

Cheers,
Jaynie

Evalyn

My first question to myself when reading this was:
If you do not have a lot of faith in your cardiologist why do you not have one you trust, have faith AND confidence in?
My next question was:
If you're not going to follow advice of the cardio, why ask for it? Why are you staying with a doctor you're not going to listen to?

You say you don't want to risk your life, want to ride the rides because your daughter is at an age she likes them....My opinion is let your daughter ride, if she's too young or small to go on a ride alone take another trust worthy person with you...You can always be the one who takes pictures and make memory book...I'm quite sure you can find other things for the two of you to enjoy and have lots of happy memories in the future. Your life today, tomorrow and all the while your daughter is growing up are much more important for you to be here rather than her face life with someone else raising her.
You asked for opinions...this is mine

regalradish

Hello Everyone........

It is interesting reading your comments on the subject of amusement parks and coasters and what the physicians have to say. I am one to abide by the warnings posted......."heart disease, high blood pressure etc." and avoid the ride... why tempt fate?! I am the family photographer for the day and like 'bench warming' while they enjoy themselves.

I have had an ablation for arrhythmias and emergency bypass - those are warnings enough for me. I want to be around to cheer the grandkids on as they scream through the curves and bumps!

Take care........
Marilyn

da_fruitloop

Hey,

My cardio told me that I'm not supposed to do anything too "out there" - I take this to mean sky diving and bungy jumping and other such scary fun sounding things! But then he told me to pretty much just use my common sense.

I have a dialated cardiomyopathy, but I still ride the log flume - I LOVE it!!! And I still go on the motion master - I just pretend not to see those annoying warning signs! I probably shouldn't, but that's one of the joys of being selectively blind right? =)

I wouldn't risk it on a roller coaster though - even though I'd probably be okay. After all, I was in heart failure riding on roller coasters - silly me, I thought I just had the flu!!!

I figure if you feel okay and it's not too "out there" you should be right - stick to "easier" things like the log flume, ferris wheel and other such things.

But again, use your judgement - you'll know what feels right and if you're hesitant, then just skip it. Your daughter would pick up on your feelings and probably wouldn't have as much fun if she can feel that mummy is worried.

Angie3

Hi Latreze
I also love to ride amusement park rides,my problem is not so much the rides as the heat and walking. My Dr. hasn't diagnosised it but I think I must be having some light form of heart failure I have had high b/p for many years he says it's microvascular which many women suffer from, but I have rode smaller rides with no problems the ones that shoots up b/p and puts you in anxiety mode (there the funniest though) I would pass on until you know how your body will react go have a good time and enjoy your family. Wishing you the best Angie

love2live

Hi Latreze,

Until reading on this site that roller coasters might no longer be safe for me, I asked my cardiologist about if I'm still able to ride them. He told me to take this year off from riding them, but next year it shouldn't be a problem. (I had my heart attack 4/8/07).

I think the answer is different for everyone. We all have different heart conditions and our bodies respond differently. I guess I would do whatever you're most comfortable with.

I hope this helps.

Susan

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