I do not recall being very ill, though I do remember for a few days I had a lots of leg cramps, and I was unable to sleep well at night. In fact, I was literally not sleeping much at all. I think that I thought that it was sort of normal. Turned out it was only normal for me. My siblings did not have these problems, and I suffered for a bit of time.
Finally, my Ma took me to the Emergency Room. I spent hours there, sitting around. I was wholly miserable, bored to death. It was worse than Grade School. We sat for such a long time that day. I remember the date. It was 1 December, 1961. I remember it as if it were engraved on the back of my hand.
Finally, we received word. I was to be admitted to the hospital. At this point, I did not feel sick at all. During the last 14 years or so, I have posted many times, many short stories about my experiences as a child and as a Patient in a Pediatric Ward.
I remember a lot. I was advised when I was 7 years old that when I got older, I would quite likely experience heart problems.
I have been monitored by my Primary Physician since about 1995 or so, as he detected an anomaly in my heartbeat during a routine physical. At first he assumed a murmur. They always think that at first. Following a 12 lead EKG, it became evident that my heart rate, my rhythm was just fine. It was Normal Sinus Rhythm with no tachycardia or bradycardia for that matter, no murmur. No arrhythmia at all. That came later, sort of like a gift.
Fast forward.....2014
I am working in the very hospital where I was born.
I encounter a Patient who was several years younger than myself. She endured a bout with that same malady which impacted me when I was but 7 years of age. She experienced very similar problems at the same age as I did, but she never really recovered. That poor lady never knew life as I was able to. She was it it seems sick for her entire existence. Ultimately it killed her. I did not understand how such things work.
I was asymptomatic for most of my life. I joined the Army. Nobody ever found anything wrong with me. I won awards for physical achievements. I ran or jogged lots during my lifetime. I was typically in the front when my Company did PT. My Platoon Sargent was in awe. I was much bigger than the average Soldier, yet, I was regularly outrunning the entire Company. I looked at him once after he spoke to me about my running prowress and I said, ‘Hey Sarge, I never Light em up. Smoking is a killer by the way.’
That was way more than 40 years ago. Fifteen years after that, I was running harder than ever. I was going all Forest Gump on the rest of the World.
Once the Doc caught the stenosis in my aortic valve though, my life ended. That was in the early 90s I suppose. It was all regularly scheduled testing after that. I learned that I do not like certain types of Doctors.
I be all like...’WTF?’
I did not want Research guys using me for the gathering of statistics. Screw that. I understand Statistics, and I have the Aces to prove it. That first Cardiologist was an ass. He had something like 130 Peer Reviewed Papers. Does that sound like someone who gives a shit about Patients? I say no. I also say Screw You to such ‘Clinicians.’ Really, screw him.
Perhaps I have too much insight into all of this sort of stuff. Trust Me, a
Doctor with 130 Peer Reviewed Papers, is definitely not looking out for your best interest. For sure, he (or she) is an out of place jerk completely disinterested in your personal health.
He (or she) is a research person who wants to see their name up on a board somewhere.
My next Cardiologist was an absolute Gem. She was totally awesome and probably one of the coolest Doctors whom I have ever encountered. She talked to me. We discussed things. She showed respect towards me, and I admired her. I still do.
As I was still asymptomatic my path was simple. Get a cardiac check once a year but if anything changes, call immediately. So about 5 years pass, and I begin to notice occasional shortness of breath following even the slightest exertion. I mean I was able to walk up the stairs OK, but things such as mowing the grass, raking, walking up hills became more challenging for me. I notified my Cardiologist, but she was no longer affiliated with my Health Provider. I had to be referred to a new Cardiologist.
This was an older fellow. He was polite, and I think competent, and he did the regular stuff. I had to get an Echo, EKG(s), even a CT Scan I think. I forget if I had an MRI ordered, but soon enough I had plenty of those. I would have vociferously declined a Stress Test.
Screw that, years earlier, during a ‘Stress Test, I was walking on an inclined tread mill, watching my heart rhythms on a screen directly in front of me with Cardiac Thermal paper spilling out of that EKG machine at 20 miles per hour was an awful experience. They had my heart rate in the mid 150s. I could barely catch a breath. The whole purpose of my being there was because I was frequently SOB with longer and longer recovery times following what used to be minimal exertion. Why were they wanting me to exacerbate the problem? To me it seemed like madness.
I watched that Heart Rate and my O2 Sat up there as my knees were rising above my nose. Screw this, I stopped the test. It took minutes to recover. I was tachypnic and tachycardic, and I felt like crap.
A bit later, that Research Guy asked my why I stopped the test. I asked him how long I lasted, he said ‘over 7 minutes.’ I asked him what was typical, he said ‘about 9 minutes.’ So I was there walking at some ridiculous incline, akin to climbing Mount Everest, at some pace approaching 10 minute miles probably more like 7, where I can see directly in front of me my heart rate in big numbers, my O2 Sat was dipping, and the cardiac strip paper was falling all over the Testing Lab Floor. I was convinced that these ‘Technicians’ were trying to put me into V-Tach, so they could call a Code, revive me with a shock or more, then claim to have saved my life.
This was no ‘stress test.’ This was more like a contemporary Inquisition interview preparation. Well, I knew then that I was never going to sit with this Research guy again, him with his almost 10 dozen Papers. Him and his Lipitor for my 149 (at the time, near perfect cholesterol.)
For what it is worth, I have a habit of looking up new Doctors whom I encounter. I do not do that at work, rather only when they are treating me personally with tests, therapies, and medications. I happen to like most Doctors rather quickly. I admire their intelligence, discipline, and dedication. Most Docs are great people, but every once in great while, I meet an unpleasant sort.
My new Cardiologist turned out to be a very compassionate individual. I did not care for the fact that he seemed never remember me until he came into the room, looked into the computer, and then read my file. Still, he was not some reptilian cold blooded sort. He did good things for me and he hooked me up with a Cardiac Surgeon who has one of the finest reputations in the United States. This was a great man that Surgeon.
Check out your Physicians. It is really not that difficult. All of the important information is out there and accessible. If you start seeing dozens of Papers, speeches, or other things such as awards for stuff that you never heard of, then you might consider an alternative. ALWAYS tell your PCP if a referred Doctor makes you in any way uncomfortable. They will get you another Specialist. You will never regret it.
It sounds like you are lucky to be around. I check out any that work on me. Since the COVID mess, I respect those that tell us the truth. Those that fear the government and hurt people over politics are the ones I’m talking about. I have a good doctor but I have fired several.