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Test Results: Facing Facts
My blood work came back. When I went to the doctor, she laid it out for me. It was a thorough lesson in why I feel like crap. In fact, those were her exact words: no wonder you feel like crap. As she went down the list, I felt more and more depressed. My blood work did show that I had a good reason to feel horrible. Here’s how it went: Cholesterol – My good cholesterol was very low, my bad cholesterol was very high. The type of sticky cholesterol was very high and with all the numbers being what they were, she said I had a 16x greater risk…
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Matters of My Heart
As my list of chronic illnesses has gotten longer and longer, there are times when the worry and stress is overwhelming. The shock of having Coronary Artery Disease is still new. As my pill box has grown, I hesitate to list all my diseases and conditions. My real hope and goal is to live in contentment, despite an unforeseen future. While I’m waiting to see if I’ll need a stent in my heart, each palpitation and episode of breathlessness makes me a nervous wreck. So, the next few days is being spent resting. Thankfully, my family is very understanding. My husband has just taken over and is offering love and…
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Each Beat of my Heart
When you have medical tests, one of the hardest things to do is wait for the results. After my Nuclear Stress Test on Tuesday, I was very concerned about the results. But, the phone call came quickly on Wednesday morning. I wasn’t called by the nurse, but by the cardiologist herself. She didn’t offer me any quick assurances, but gradually began explaining why my test results showed an abnormality. She explained how I had Left Bundle Branch Block, or LBBB. This cardiac condition means that the activation of the left ventricle of the heart is delayed, which causes the left ventricle to contract later than the right ventricle. According to…
