From rssfeeds@jmason.org Thu Sep 26 11:03:18 2002 Return-Path: Delivered-To: yyyy@localhost.example.com Received: from localhost (jalapeno [127.0.0.1]) by jmason.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id A915716F17 for ; Thu, 26 Sep 2002 11:03:13 +0100 (IST) Received: from jalapeno [127.0.0.1] by localhost with IMAP (fetchmail-5.9.0) for jm@localhost (single-drop); Thu, 26 Sep 2002 11:03:13 +0100 (IST) Received: from dogma.slashnull.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by dogma.slashnull.org (8.11.6/8.11.6) with ESMTP id g8Q81bC06474 for ; Thu, 26 Sep 2002 09:01:37 +0100 Message-Id: <200209260801.g8Q81bC06474@dogma.slashnull.org> To: yyyy@example.com From: scripting Subject: Medical notes Date: Thu, 26 Sep 2002 08:01:37 -0000 Content-Type: text/plain; encoding=utf-8 X-Spam-Status: No, hits=0.0 required=5.0 tests=AWL version=2.50-cvs X-Spam-Level: URL: http://scriptingnews.userland.com/backissues/2002/09/25#medicalNotes Date: Wed, 25 Sep 2002 12:49:48 GMT Mixed news from yesterday's heart checkup. First, I went seven minutes on the treadmill. That was pretty good. My heart was racing like it hadn't since I was in college. They also did an extensive ultrasound on my carotid arteries[1], they're in the neck and supply my head with blood. More good news there. They're clear, free of plaque, healthy, not diseased[2]. So it appears I just have coronary artery disease, not general artery disease. That's good because there would be a risk of stroke if they were sick, and not a whole lot they can do about it (as they can with the heart). Now there was some not-good news. A small part of my heart isn't working very well. There are a few possible reasons for that, some fixable, some not. I asked the doctor, does this mean I'm going to die sooner, and he said no. Does it mean I have to restrict what I do, he said no. So what does it mean? Really not much, other than I should watch, as before, for recurring symptoms, the ones that brought me into the hospital in June. If they come back, we'll do an angiogram, and maybe an angioplasty, but the likelihood of another bypass because of this is small. That's quite a relief. I don't like the idea of part of my heart not working, but what can you do about it? [1] http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&safe=off&q=carotid+arteries&spell=1 [2] http://www.vascularweb.org/doc/190