Sunday Snippet: The Heart Update Edition, Rev. 2

I think this is update 2, but if it’s number 3, well, sorry about that, and thank you for being patient with me processing this whole thing with y’all. I won’t update you every time I go to the cardiologist because that would be major TMI for you guys. That said, you’re kind to come along and I always appreciate all the good wishes.

Right off, the good news is things are improving. I’m way less tired and can pretty much make it through a whole day and not lose steam. I still get breathless when I walk too fast or uphill or exercise too strenuously, but my cardiologist, Dr. B, assures me that the drugs take time to work, and to…well, not exercise too strenuously and to listen to my body.

The 4-drug protocol is pretty much in place now with the addition of drug #4, Jardiance, on Monday. At the moment and for the next two weeks, I’ll be off one of them because of a side effect I was having, but Dr. B isn’t convinced the problem is coming from that particular med. So we’re stopping it to see if the issue goes away. If it does, then we find a different aldosterone receptor antagonist to replace it. If it doesn’t, we go back on and see if the problem worsens with the drug added back in. It’s not a biggie–I can live with it. It’s all a matter of trial and error, I think, but I trust Dr. B completely. 

She is a wonder–both Husband and I are so impressed with her amazing scientific mind, her delightful manner, and her forthrightness and kindness. I told her, tearily, the whole story about not being able to do the ladders on the battleship at Pearl Harbor, and she smiled in sympathy, handed me a tissue box, and basically told me that now we know that I can’t climb all over a battleship. Good to know. A great reality check, as was the incident at the Missouri, because, yeah, now I know that there are going to be things that I simply will not be able to do, and I have to be okay with that. Because there is so much I can do!

That said, she also held her hands far apart and said, “This is the heart failure spectrum.” Then she tilted her head toward the left end, “This is where you are,” and then toward the right end. “This is people who have to be in the hospital on oxygen, some are even waiting for heart transplants.” All the space in the middle is Dr. B and me and this drug protocol working together to remodel my heart and make it stronger. She’s got this. I’ve got this. Okay.

I also told her about sister PJ’s heart attack and stent placement, in the interest of family heart history, and she was sorry for sis and glad she got good help, but again emphasized to me that was sister PJ, and her issue is different from mine, so no anticipating that I’m next to the ER. I think I’m probably going to be having a heart MRI at some point this year–after I’ve been on the drugs for a time so Dr. B can see what the old ticker is doing. She says this “remodeling” can take months, though, so be chill, take the meds, check my BP everyday (one time only), and live my life. I can do that.

So, to that end, thanks for listening, thanks for caring. I’m chilling with Husband today, tomorrow I start back to swim class at the gym, and tomorrow night we get to spend sometime with Grandboy–always a crazy happy pleasure.

Gratitude for this week: Great visit with Dr. B; PJ is healing nicely; got the final restoration done on my root canal tooth and got my teeth cleaned–lovely; planted some ranunculus bulbs in the office garden; my daffodils are still blooming; I’m learning to use my wireless Bluetooth earbuds and I like them. 

Stay safe, stay well, be kind, and most of all, mes amies, stay grateful!