Today I was surprised with a phone call follow up from my cardiologist. I would not have guessed that he would call me himself but call he did and he took the time to answer questions for me as well. He wanted to know what I thought of my visit with the surgeon. Considering that they are colleagues and I didn't want to come across as overly emotional I kept it to the facts instead of that I was freaked out by the surgeon's nonchalant attitude about ripping open my chest and fiddling with my heart. I do not want to have surgery.
As an aside, I had a c-section with my first spawn. While pregnant and then a year after I had him I worked as a waitress at the Country Club that my OBGYN and his partner were members of. I always thought it so fantasticly surreal and down right creepy that I would serve meals to men that had cut me open and felt my guts and then pulled out another human being from the gaping wound....crazyness.
So back to my heart, I let Dr. Chawla know that I did not want to risk surgery considering the conflicting test results and the ability that I have to manage the chest pain through meditation and yoga. I also told him that I have stopped taking all medication except for iron and I feel much much better.
He said to take it slow when I start running again and be aware and cautious of any kind of chest pain while I am running. He didn't see my anomalous artery as an issue to be addressed now but one to just be aware of in case there are future issues of which he didn't think were going to creep up. He said that he didn't think that the chest issues at rest were related to my heart directly and that he thought it was indeed stress. Best of all he said that I should keep doing what I was doing in regards to the yoga, stress reduction, no unnecessary meds, and keep up the meditation. This was just what I wanted to hear!! Good news for me.
Having grown up in a family that revere doctors as royalty I found my conversation comforting on a subconscious level. I felt relieved and reassured by his mellow approach and agreement that I should do what feels right to me. I felt like I could believe what I thought was working because he said it was ok. I have worked hard to think for myself and weigh perspectives instead of blindly trusting the most scary doctor. If I had done that I would be recovering from open heart surgery with a strong likelyhood that it would have been a cover your ass hack job instead of one to address a problem that was shown on the test results. That or I might be dead from complications or a number of very real complications.
It is supposed to be hot the next couple of days so I will wait until the weekend when it cools down again and then I am going to go for a little run. Barefoot of course. I will take it slow and steady. Heart and Sole.
This website is really amazing. It was recommended to me from a couple of my dear readers and for that I thank you :)
13 comments:
I'm not sure how to view this. Good news. Concrete decisions. I hope that you are able to manage this without the need for surgery.
Oh, I hope this is a good sign for you.
As an aside (but related), is it possible that time of year has something to do with your woes? Last year, you realized you were anemic at this time; now it is your heart. Both are related. Perhaps something (e.g. better weather, more running) makes this more pronounced; maybe you're more rested in the summer so are more in tune with yourself and that something is off.... Just thinking.
I'm glad to hear you found a doctor who listens and works with you. Even more importantly, I'm glad you're feeling better. Surgery is not a decision to be taken lightly at all!
So lucky to have a Dr that is willing to listen to you and work with you. It sounds like you are feeling better too - so that is GOOD! Surgery scares the crap out of me too.
"I felt relieved and reassured by his mellow approach and agreement that I should do what feels right to me." Smart Girl. And because you're smart, you'll know what's right for you. ;-)
So great that many doctors now don't view surgery as the first resort, but try to work with patients on alternative measures!
So glad to hear your doc is amenable to listening to you and respecting/supporting your decisions. I also rode the testing merry-go-round with vague and conflicting results. After a while, I did what you're doing—got off the ride, stopped unnecessary meds, and made changes to improve my overall health and to reduce stress.
Doctors can be like editors: They mess with things because they feel like they have to—it's their job and their clients expect it. The best docs (and editors) know when to leave well enough alone.
Glad you have an open minded Dr. Those are the best. I hope things go smoothly for you.
happy youve found a doctor you can trust and who is willing to work with you on your comfort level
I hope that you are able to manage this without the need for surgery.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2011/08/14/some-medical-tests-procedures-do-more-harm-than-good.html
that article is amazing and the timing perfect!
Just a thought that probably doesn't apply ... Any chance that it could be GERD? I was freaking myself out about swelling in my throat with thoughts of throat cancer, but after getting it 'scoped, it turned out to be GERD. Whoda thunk it? It's almost completely resolved now after cutting tomatoes and chilis from my diet.
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