My Cardiac Arrest
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Posted:Jan 30, 2011 11:23 pm
Last Updated:Mar 28, 2012 4:37 pm 2974 Views
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Everyone's usually interested in a good story and this one is no exception. On Wednesday morning my wife, Margaret, was scheduled to see our family physician. I woke up that morning with a stomach virus and had three bouts of diarrhea before I left the house. I took my anti-depressant and blood pressure medication; the blood pressure medication contains a diuretic which I'm sure didn't help matters. I was also feeling rather queasy which was only made worse by the drive over to the doctor's office. I told Margaret I really wasn't feeling good.
We arrived at the doctor's, checked in and went into an exam room. I started feeling even worse, broke out in a cold sweat, told Margaret, "Honey I really don't feel good" and as those words left my lips I passed out, fell out of the chair I was seated in, landed on the floor beside the exam table, unconscious and unresponsive. I am told about the events that followed as I have no recollection of them.
My doctor and his staff got me up on an exam table. They checked for a pulse and there was none. An electrocardiogram was started as was CPR. I was in ventricular fibrillation which was soon followed by a flat line. After about five to eight chest compressions a pulse returned. As I regained consciousness I heard my doctor yelling to his staff up front, "Call 911," a member of his staff kept telling me to keep my eyes open and I was being given oxygen. Fire and Rescue arrived and I was transported by ambulance to The Medical Center Kenosha.
A short ambulance ride later I'm in the ER and being examined by an ER doctor whom I have seen in the ER at other times for other reasons. I know him to be a good ER physician. He orders a CT scan of my brain and a chest X-ray. I tell him that I believe this was all the result of being dehydrated from the stomach virus. He proceeds to tell me he's going to have me admitted for observation at the least given the events that unfolded.
The results come back negative, the CT scan is fine as is the chest X-ray, they've got a room for me and I'm being admitted. Oh the medical people are going to have a field day with this one. I know darn well this was just dehydration, but of course the medical people will do, as my boss calls it, their "due diligence" before they discharge me. Over the course of the next three days, I see my primary physician, a cardiologist and neurologist. Here come the tests. They run the full gamut, including the ones already done:
A CT scan of my brain
A Chest X-ray
An MRI of my brain
A 2-D Echocardiogram
An Electroencephalograph
An ultrasound of my carotid arteries
A traditional stress test
A Myocardial Perfusion Imaging stress test
A tilt-table test (this helps with diagnosing neurocardiogenic syncope)
And the results are in, we can't find anything wrong with you but the Myocardial Perfusion Imaging test shows that your heart might no be getting enough blood under stress (the way I shovel snow??). We found evidence of an old stroke in your brain (must have been mighty small I didn't even feel that one).
I knew they wouldn't give up. After all we can't have people going into cardiac arrest without a known cause. I am transported by ambulance to another hospital for a Cardiac Catheterization. This will definitively give the doctor's (and me) a good look at my coronary arteries. The procedure involves passing a catheter into my heart by way of the right femoral artery. An X-ray camera will then show images of the coronary arteries. The catheter is used to determine if there are any blockages, place stents and do angioplasty. If they are going to find anything at all they will find it here.
What they found out are that my coronary arteries are in very good shape. No coronary artery disease at all. So good, in fact, I can no longer use the "You want to give me a heart attack" excuse any longer, because it just isn't so. I mean they are wide open you can drive a truck through the things. And I saw this with my own eyes!
Afterwards the cardiologist suggests I speak to an electro physiologist to see what he recommends. Where does this end? When does my explanation, which is probably correct, get finally accepted? So the electro physiologist visits me after the cardiac catheterization and finally seems to be accepting my explanation saying what happened to me appears to be very situational and there's no reason to pursue it, but if it happens again feel free to come back and speak with him. "OK" I said to myself, "Game over."
I knew being discharged was around the corner. This was my first hospitalization in 37 years. Boy, have things changed. If this had happened 37 years ago I probably would have been sent to the hospital for a few blood tests and then home to rest, which common sense would dictate, which my own common sense told me dehydration was the cause. I may sound cynical and I am; wait until you see what this is going to cost me.
I am thankful for my life being spared this time I guess I have a few more lessons to learn here on Earth before they're willing to accept me in heaven. It's still just a matter of survival.
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I'm back
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Posted:Mar 19, 2010 2:31 pm
Last Updated:Mar 28, 2012 4:37 pm 2768 Views
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OK, it's been a long cold winter. Spring is in the air (and so are a few other things). We were sitting in a meeting at work the other day and talking about how to solve some problems. Our leader said "Adding people is out of the question, so don't think we can solve problems with headcount. I think almost every department is running with two or three people short." to which I remarked, "What's wrong with short people?"
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For all your delicate garments, wash them in....
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Posted:Oct 27, 2009 11:25 am
Last Updated:Mar 28, 2012 4:38 pm 3173 Views
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Picture this conversation, OK?
"Yeah you can do a load of delicates if you want but we're out of Woolite."
"What did you say? I can do my delicates in walleye?"
"If you want to. Be sure to use a big one at least 20 lbs. And make sure the sweaters don't grow any gills."
Oh those clothes smell fresh! I can just see the ladies now, "EEWW!! What's that aftershave you're wearing."
Or how about a trip to the doctor. "EEWW! Jeez, Rigel, what's that smell? What the hell have you been eating lately?" (Sniff, Sniff) "Oh, I know, I've smelled that before. You've been washing your clothes in walleye again. Whew, good thing I thought you had transmethylaminuria."
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My Physical-the results
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Posted:Oct 13, 2009 10:00 pm
Last Updated:Mar 19, 2010 3:51 pm 3616 Views
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I got the results of my chemistry today and I'm happy to say life's physical toll has not been unkind. In fact the numbers are just about the same they were three years ago:
Sodium 139 - Normal
Potassium 4.4 - Normal
Triglycerides-elevated at 175 (normal 150)
LDL 112
HDL 39
Total cholesterol 186 - Normal 200 or less
PSA .9 - Normal
Liver Function - Normal (Time to get good and drunk)
Kidney Function (creatine) - Normal (they'll help my liver)
Hematocrit - Normal (getting drunk won't help this)
White blood cell count-Normal (If they get drunk will I get a cold?)
Fasting blood sugar 88 - Normal (it won't be after I get good and drunk!)
Because my triglycerides are "elevated" they want me to come back and repeat the test in six weeks. But my triglycerides were slightly elevated three years ago. What does my doctor think will change in six weeks?
I am pleased however with these results and attribute it to the three most important things in life; adequate nutrition, adequate rest and adequate exercise. (Now how many of you thought I was going to say "good sex")?
JJ
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It's a matter of survival-the final word
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Posted:Oct 11, 2009 11:59 am
Last Updated:Mar 19, 2010 3:53 pm 3642 Views
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I saw a program on public television last night that I found very enlightening. The show was called “Unnatural Causes” and the episode was entitled “In Sickness and in Wealth.” It proved (to me at least) one of the underlying root causes for poor health is actually the stress caused by feeling a loss of control over one’s life.
The program illustrated that on the surface higher socio-economic status and greater access to resources leads to better health and longer lives. To take the economic factor out of the equation, the show highlighted a scientist whom was working with macac monkeys researching their health results based upon stress levels in dominant versus subordinate animals. The more subordinate the animal was, the more stress it experienced and, the more likely it would show signs of atherosclerosis upon examination of the blood vessels after the monkey died.
The connection between the observed results in both human and macac populations is greater social status allows for individuals to have greater control over their lives and much less stress. Control over one’s life appears to be the key factor.
In countries where legislation has been enacted to give people greater control over their lives, the residents of those countries have had positive gains in well-being. For example Ireland provides college education to everyone and Sweden initiated fiscal programs to help families. Sweden has 4.2% of its’ living in poverty as opposed to the 21% living in poverty in the US. The US now ranks 30th in the world for life expectancy.
In the US we have lost much ground in the sense one has when it comes to control of one’s life and that is the primary reason our health is declining. In fact the generation of youngsters today, the show predicts, may be the first generation to live shorter lives than their parents.
Fixing health care the way America is planning to will probably not stop this, unless included in the fix, we come up with a pill to reduce cortisol levels in the blood, which seems to be the primary influence of declining health in a stressed population or we enact social programs to help people feel they have more control over their lives. I agree with the show that giving people more control over their lives is the key to establishing better health.
Stress increases cortisol levels and when those levels stayed elevated for long periods of time it has a detrimental effect on one’s health. For the poor it’s even worse. High levels of cortisol can interfere with brain development in young such that those whom grow up in poverty may be permanently affected.
This is the issue with my own life, loss of control. Almost everything I do in my life is determined by others on almost a daily basis so I’m sure the cortisol levels in my bloodstream are in low Earth orbit and may have been for some time.
I have very little, if any, control over my own life. I do a lot for everyone else and when I get done there’s no time left for me. More so, this show has validated for me why it’s a matter of survival.
JJ
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Erectile Dysfunction
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Posted:Oct 9, 2009 9:41 pm
Last Updated:Mar 19, 2010 3:55 pm 3707 Views
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I don't mean to offend anyone suffering from erectile dysfunction with this little bit of homegrown humor. The humor is actually directed at the advertising, not the disease.
Ever see the commercial for Viva Viagra? This is really funny. They tell you to ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough for sex. My heart’s not the problem. It’s another part of my anatomy that’s got the problem. Give me a medicine that’s going to work on the part with the problem. Believe me doc my heart is fine.
And the Cialis commercial where they have the man and the woman in separate tubs; there’s the problem right there, they need to be in the same tub. How are you going to get things going from separate tubs? What are they stupid?
Hope I made you laugh!
JJ
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My Physical (have a good laugh!)
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Posted:Oct 8, 2009 11:28 am
Last Updated:Oct 14, 2009 3:10 pm 3510 Views
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I went for a physical yesterday, for the first time in three years. Although I don't have the results back on the chemistry yet my doctor said I appear to be in pretty good shape.
He listened to my heart and lungs, palpated me all around to see that my organs were of normal size, looked into my eyes, ears, nose and throat, asked me about my bowel habits (the good ones or the bad ones Doc?), gave me and EKG and then came my favorite part, the digital rectal exam to check my prostate (which I know is OK, I still urinate like I did when I was 12 years old).
Holy Moses Doc, what did you just use, your big toe? This really hurt and more so on the way out than on the way in. I felt like I was butt-f**ked by a or something. (Three years ago his PA did it and her fingers are somewhat thinner).
Then he told me my prostate was OK. If you ask me I think it was fine until he examined it. Then he said, "Use some kleenex to wipe off the excess jelly"(Surgilube) which at that point was running down my leg. (Do you want some peanut butter with that jelly doc?)
Given all that is going on in my life, I guess it hasn't taken too much of a physical toll on me and I'm glad for that. The mental toll, however, is another story.
JJ
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I took a few days off
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Posted:Oct 5, 2009 11:35 am
Last Updated:Oct 9, 2009 9:42 pm 3589 Views
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I'm putting this post here after being idle for a few days. Not by choice. It appears the Friend Finder folks tracked me logging in from WI, TX and KY all in a matter of hours. I'll bet some hacker stole my password.
I'm recovering from pneumonia but I still feel weak at times. I've managed to keep up with the vital activities, some that I would have liked to have gotten done fell by the wayside. And yes the were rummaging again through the dryer this morning for clean clothes to wear.
I got some positive feedback from a few folks on my Open Mic site and have enlisted them as fans.
Those of you who play Farmville will appreciate this:
"Thank you for calling Cargill, my name is James, how may I help you today?"
"James, my name is Annie and I've seen those Cargill commercials on TV about how you work with customers and all, so I was wondering if you could service my farm? I've got cows, chikens, pigs and sheep."
"Certainly Annie I can look into that for you. Tell me where is your farm located?"
"It's in Farmville."
"Farmville, where's that?"
It's inside the town of Facebook."
Facebook? Where's that?"
"It's right next door to Farmville. Are you listening to me? Look,
get on your computer there and go to Facebook then open up Mapquest and get some directions. You can call me back when you have this figured out."
"OK ma'am I'll do that."
Hope you got a laugh out of that one!
JJ
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My Body Takes a Time Out
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Posted:Oct 2, 2009 8:53 am
Last Updated:Oct 14, 2009 3:12 pm 3512 Views
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Well for those of you following my life story here I just wanted to let you know my body said to me "I've had enough." Last night after I hung up the phone at 20:25 I closed my eyes and fell asleep on the couch downstairs. There I slept undisturbed until 07:30 this morning.
It was cute watching the rummage through the clean clothes in the dryer this morning for something to wear to school. Of course now I have a pile of clean wash on the floor in front of the dryer and every confidence it will be there waiting when I get home.
It's so easy to get backed up. I know I will have some things to do tonight I should have done last night (like hang up the clothes) on top of whatever I would ordinarily do tonight so I will be busy.
JJ
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christi2411
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Posted:Oct 2, 2009 8:38 am
Last Updated:Mar 28, 2012 4:39 pm 3366 Views
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Welcome to Senior Friend Finder. I also saw your profile on Jewish Friend finder and wanted to say Hi! Yes, I know, I'm listed there too. Small world isn't it?
JJ
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