[Note: This is another blog based on my weekly emails to my family on the mainland.]
10/26/24
Aloha All --
Well, today is race day for the Ironman Triathlon . It started about 6:30 for the swim portion. This year the ocean is pretty calm, but in the past it has been so rough that some athletes got seasick. After the swim the athletes jump on their bikes and head on the highway to the north end of the island. The road is closed for part pf the day. This is one of only two routes along the west side of the island, so it causes some problems for motorists, who have to find other ways of reaching their destination. In town, where a part of the running course is plotted, the streets are shut down as well. All of this discombobulation is particularly frustrating and irritating to people who aren't Ironman fans . We're ok with it and don't mind the inconvenience for just one day a year. Besides, we know a back way to Costco and this is one day when it isn't crowded. Another is Super Bowl Sunday. On both days we try to do some nice relaxed shopping .
On Wednesday I saw my cardiologist and went over all the tests I've had since I started going to him. This included the report from my heart monitor that I wore for about 10 days. Bottom line is that I'm still alive and likely to stay that way. For one thing, I have no significant clogging in any of my arteries or veins. 
Also, the blood flow to my head and to the lower parts of me is nearly normal. However. the flow to my lungs is problematic because of my emphysema. The heart monitor results showed that my Afib is being well controlled by the medicine I've been taking (Amlodarone)-- very few episodes were recorded. This has come at a cost, however, in terms of extreme loss of balance, lethargy, and even more vision problems than I had before. These side effects might be because my heart rate has dropped to the low 40's, even after exercising. Also, the monitor showed a high number of pauses, times when the heart stops altogether for a few seconds. This could be due to the drug, but it also could be due to something cardiologists call Sick Sinus Syndrome (SSS)-- a cute way of saying "You need a pacemaker." In this case the "Sinus" is the node in your heart that initiates the heartbeat -- nothing to do with the sinuses in your head. The plan is to cut my drug dosage in half and see what happens. If the pauses are still frequent I may have some hardware installed. I'm hoping that the reduction also lessens my side effects. BTW, the cardiologist has no qualms about me traveling -- this is because the test results indicate that a sudden and acute problem isn't likely in my case.
We're only two weeks away from our SE Asia trip. This is when I usually kick up the gardening preparations, but at the moment I don't have the energy nor the balance to do this. Hopefully I'll be better in a few days.
Ok, that's if for the week. As the cartoonist Wiley Miller said in his strip Non Sequitur: “It’s much easier to fool people than it is to convince them that they’ve been fooled" (3/24/19). Carpe Vita!
2 comments:
I had a period something like you are experiencing with low heart rate. I placed chairs around our yard. Carole looked at them and asked, what are all the chairs for? I told her I get tired so often I need to sit for a while between yard work episodes that were super short! Added to my literal perspective! Hope your speed up a little and sway less for your trip, Bon voyage!
Ugh, this is aging. The good news is that the treatments available are pretty good at keeping us alive. The bad news is the dreaded side effects. Tricky balance. But somehow we try to adjust. Looking forward to your trip should help.
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