Less Big Hearted
2004-06-30
Category: philosophiesAs many of my loyal readers know, I have a heart problem. At some point in my past, a flu virus settled in the tissues of my left ventricle and caused a bunch of damage. The result is that, eventually, the weakened ventricle expanded thereby reducing its efficiency. My overall heart pump efficiency dropped to about 15%. But there is good news.
On Tuesday June 29th, I got the results from my last echocardiogram. (That's like a sonogram for pregnant women but they look at my heart instead of a fetus.) The heart pump efficiency had improved by ten percent over the last test a year ago. The total heart pump efficiency now stands at about 45%. If it gets any better, I'll edge into the low end of normal (for heart efficiency, that is.)
It's fun to get those calls from my cardiologist's office. They are always so excited. They had originally discussed the possible need for a transplant. I've heard later that many people who were as bad off as I was actually die from it. Now, my cardiologist and his staff get all excited because I make such huge improvements. It's cute to watch their beaming faces when they tell me the news.
Let this be a lesson to all of you out there. Do what your doctors tell you to do. They spend a lot of time learning and figuring out all of that medicine crap and most of them have a clue. They are over worked and bureaucrats are always getting in their way. Pay attention to their support staff too. Nurses are golden. A good nurse easily triples the effectiveness of a good doctor. If you can find a good team, you're on your way to immortality.
Are you a medical professional? If so, keep up the good work. If not, stop second-guessing the people who are. When they tell you to take the pills for two weeks, don't stop after one week just because you think you are better. They know what is going on inside you and you do not. If you have concerns, take them up with another doctor; don't just try to figure it out yourself.
Any way, I'm doing better. Within a year or two, I should be back to functional. Then I can get off my lazy butt and become a fully productive citizen again. After all, productivity is what being a citizen is all about.
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