Well, studying in Italy is out for this summer. For those of you who have not received the word through the grapevine, I had a heart attack last week. Before you panic, know that I am well, surrounded by people determined to keep me so, and home resting and healing from a couple of days of testing and endless needle sticks.My already genetically funky heart got in a bit of a twist, and decided to remind me that I need to take yet better care of myself. For those of you who like to research the big words, they diagnosed a myocardial bridge - a genetic anomaly whereby one of my coronary arteries takes a left turn under a patch of muscle, rather than staying above ground. My heart is overly muscular due to a rare version (apical) of hypertrophic cardio-myopathy and so my muscles flattened the vessel for a spell (while I was singing my head off to Bonnie Raitt). One would think that the appropriate time to pull a stunt like this would have been during my end of semester reviews as we could have at least called it performance art!
No surgery is needed at the moment, and there are proven surgical methods if we have to go there - but not until we've tried a bunch of other stuff. The cardiologist (great guy) and I are working on balancing some meds that don't make me any weirder (hah!) and I will be dedicating my summer to building healthy eating, exercising and stress management habits that need to be unshakable in the face of school stress. My professors are on board for this too, so I anticipate being supported when the going gets nutty.
While it was very, very tough to face this without my CA support system in the room (this is the first time I've faced big scary without Mira and Stevo, and I missed them horribly), hats off to my VA family that proved to me that I have, indeed, built a new support system here, and that it is a good one - led by Becca, Holly, Daniel and Kim, and Lisa.
Anyway - Italy is on hold... it wouldn't have been my first trip there, and we all know that it won't be my last. I will promise to try to find a comparably interesting story or two to tell about Harrisonburg and DC (and if I'm lucky, maybe even New York). Oh and as for gelato... it's not really on a heart healthy diet. So you'll have to eat some for me this week!
4 comments:
Nothing like the universe slapping you into a hospital bed is there? Ughh I am just very happy you made it back out, of the bed I mean. I am very happy you have friends out there that love you so much. That is no surprise to me... you make friends where ever you go.
dear dear sam-i am just so glad i'm crying, that you're ok...i hope and pray to the largest spirit that your dreams will all be fulfilled.
xxoo jg
Hi Sam...it's Mike (Phila). So glad to hear you're OK! Hospitals are never fun -- I've been visiting far too many of them recently. My advice is do a lot of reading on the internet. It helps you get the most out of the time you get with your doctor. Take care!
Hey Sam, you my dear, have a great life force and you will be okay. I know you will deal with this with the same grace and determination you approach everything else. My thought and prayers are with you always.
Pennie Ordaz
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