Health, The Gift That Keeps Giving

 

 This is a week off from work for me. My company has the use them or lose them vacation day policy so voila. On my first official day off, I got fitted with a Holter monitor. For almost a month now, my heart has been doing funny things. It either feels like it's racing, or the normal lub dub feels like lub DUB!. I also get dizzy. No idea if that's connected to the heart thing. It doesn't hurt. My PCP could not capture an episode on EKG so now I'm wired up and strapped in until tomorrow. Thankfully, my heart has been going nuts today so there will be dozens of incidents recorded.

My doctor thinks I might be having an extra heartbeat so my heart is either trying to catch up or slow down. Since the internet exists, I believe this is what she's talking about. The second paragraph does not make me feel any better. I'm not "an otherwise healthy person". I had a stroke due to a congenital heart defect. I have an implant fixing that defect. Nothing too fancy - basically a tiny plug between atria.


The internet really needs to stop existing for people who are stuck between the moment of knowing something is wrong and the moment of diagnosis. I had an uncle, who I loved, admired, and kinda wished was my dad, that died young due to a heart problem, atrial fibrillation. He was a big, sunny, generous guy who would send us presents for no reason. His generosity also paid for my university education. I also know he died basically because he did not follow his doctor's advice. So, if I do have A fib, I know I don't have to follow his path. But, in a weird way, it would be nice to have that in common with such a lovely person.


According to the computer information hole, heart rhythm can be restored with drugs, electricity, or surgery. Also, heart rhythm issues increases stroke risk. Hi weepy anxiety attack, I'm sure you're awesome for my heart health! So, my week off and this Xmas can be a horror show if I want to let it be. If it's bad news, I know the treatments and what I can do to help. Those are two things I did not know or have control over when I had my stroke. If it's good news, why let it throw a pall over this week? I'll allow myself bursts of freaking out.