I went back to the doctor today for another ekg. Some of you may not know that I have a rather troubled cardiac history. Two years ago, I had an operation to repair my mitral valve. I was operating on about 20% blood flow. My heart is now slightly enlarged. I had various issues with my old cardiologist and never went back to see him and putzed around for a year or more and finally realized in December that I really felt bad. Like falling down bad when I was in Santa Fe. So I found a new guy, who I really admire and he was like - whoa, your heart is beating at 120 beats a minute like a dervish colony on speed. Major atrial fibrillation with a flutter chaser. So back on the rat poison and a host of other drugs, which have funked me out and slowed me down and messed with my sleep. (God it must be boring to read this) - the upshot is - next friday I get a cardiac inversion to hopefully get shocked into a modicum of coronary normalcy. Put me to sleep and get the paddles. I might go into full flutter and maybe into normal sinus rhythm. If this doesn't work, the next step might be an ablation - look it up, doesn't seem like fun - but preferable to a stroke. You know you are getting old when you get to bore everyone with your aches and pains. Please no prayers, I'm no hypocrite.
Robert
4 comments:
NO OFFENSE, BUT YOU ARE NOT OLD....
JUST CHANGE YOUR LIFE. TAKE UP THE KABBALAH OR SCIENTOLOGY.....OHHHHHH...WAIT A MINUTE.....
NAH..GO FOR A TWO HOUR WALK EVERY MORNING AND DO SOME YOGA...WORKS LIKE A CHARM...THOSE CHOLESTEROL MEDS DAMN NEAR KILLED ME...
MY FRIEND LOUIE GARBUS LIVED ON NITRO PILLS FOR 20 YEARS, DELIVERING MAIL IN THE BRONX, NEVER STOPPED WORRYING AND THEN TOOK EARLY RETIREMENT AT AGE 55 AND THEN DID FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHY WHILE COLLECTING HIS USPS PENSION.
NEVER STOPPED COMPLAINING ABOUT HIS TICKER...SPOKE TO HIM LAST NIGHT. HE LIVES IN A COMMUNE...LET A BUNCH OF YOUNG COLLEGE GRAD/ANARCHIST/TREE HUGGERS MOVE IN WITH HIM AND THEY COOK AND CLEAN THE PLACE....HE RECOVERED NICELY FROM A BROKEN NECK IN AUGUST AND IN OCTOBER I WENT UP TO MAINE FOR A POT LUCK IN THE LOCAL TOWN HALL TO CELEBRATE HIS 90TH BIRTHDAY....SO LAST NIGHT WHEN HE STARTED TELLING ME HOW WORRIED HE WAS, WHAT DO YOU THINK I TOLD HIM?
STOP WORRYING FOR CHRISSAKES!!!!!
Ablation therapy using radiofrequency waves on the heart is used to cure a variety of cardiac arrhythmias such as supraventricular tachycardia, WPW syndrome, ventricular tachycardia and more recently atrial fibrillation--So tell 'em to play Dylan on those radio waves.
--np
I hope things go well. I had afib a while back and it seems to have stabilized with dig and exercise. Doc took me off the dig a while ago. And stan is right about the walking: Kathy and I walk around Lake Merrit just about every day in the early morning. Great chance to see the dawn and the birds too.
Good luck.
Denis
Ps havent found any poetry yet, but I'll keep scrolling.
Denis - I did the Digoxin, metropolol, amiodorone, atenolol, rhythmol, - whole shebang - upshot is I still haven't gone into normal rhythm in the last 6 months at least - exercising with a trainer, whole deal but I have limited energy and they don't want the heart rate to go higher than 120 bpm.
thanks,
Robert
Post a Comment