Heart Trauma Recovery

[olbriar]

I feel much better today, but I have done nothing to exert myself....

Good luck with the egram.

I'm glad you are feeling better!

This was my 4th echo. I must say today's exam was far more extensive than the previous ones. She was all over me with the scanner. I almost got excited. I get to hear the scoop the 21st from my new heart doctor. The one I've been seeing has moved his practice and I'm left with his partner in crime. It's the guy that installed my stents so I'm looking forward to seeing him anyway. I've never had the chance to thank him.

 

[olbriar]

Well DASH. Just because I feel great doesn't mean my heart is healthy. Actually it is in sad shape I guess. The good doctor advocated an ICD just as the assistant did last winter. He wasn't nearly so rude about it and definitely agreed is was my choice. He did say that hearts in the shape mine's in have a history of just stopping. They just quit. He wasn't threatening me. He was advising me. I told him it seemed odd that my ejection rate was so damn low and yet I felt, great. Ride my bike over 250 miles a week, as well as mow 20 lawns a week. He insists on a stress test to see how my heart performs while being taxed. So... that is scheduled again. I'm not one to get depressed but today's news sort of knocked me back a few steps. I've worked hard and long to be this unhealthy. I truly thought all of the effort was paying dividends.

 

[ozonetrooper]

Damn Sam !

I had Bradycardia as well as pausing, that is why I got the pacemaker. Normal heartbeat is around 60bpm, mine would slow down to 30, and it was taking 6 pauses(or more) at night.

I knew this because of the reports the loop recording was making and turning into the cardio office. Unfortunately they removed the loop recorder when they did the pace maker implant, saying I did not need it anymore.

ICD is the same thing as a pace maker. I would follow their lead, a slow/pausing heart is one step away from taking a dirt nap buddy !

Long story short, social security gave us a raise in January and it put me over the income limit for the full pay program of medicare/medicaid. I got moved to a copay program and can do nothing about it.

Last visit to the cardio guy I got my share of the bill ... over 400 dollars ! ! !

Well this is not gonna work. After several days on the phone with medicaid and my insurance company broker, it has been determined that I will need to apply for a "new" program come new enrollment window time.

So I have 4 months to fend for myself. I advised the list of caretakers of my situation and made them all aware that I will not be able to afford any more offices visits until I have this worked out.

Cardio really cares about my health, I got this delivered the other day and just got it hooked up. Like the loop recorder I had, it monitors my heart but I can not see the reports like I could with the loop recorder implant.

This monitors the heart and sends reports to the cardio office and if there needs to be an adjustment made to the pacemaker I will have to go into the office.

I set it up in a hurry last nite, this site is temporary, as it uses a cell phone card/connection, and having it next to my modem is not recommended.

4 months sounds like a long time but I will make it !

 

[olbriar]

I have A & B and an advantage plan. I never could afford insurance for myself. I insured the wife and kids and I sucked it up if I needed medical attention. I signed up for A&B and then scrambled to get something after my heart attack. Absolutely ignorant on my part. I will say that all of those years uninsured was necessary. A poor man is always poor and lives a poor life. Best of luck getting by for the next four months.

 

[ozonetrooper]

I was mostly "self employed" most of my life, never had insurance nor worried about it.

Things sure change as you age ...

 

[olbriar]

I saw something today that made me curious. When I was riding my bike this afternoon, I made the short trek to the restroom facility at the park I ride by. There was a guy that was laying out something on the outer stone wall of the restroom / concession stand building. I rode back to the restroom when riding tonight. There was a newly installed something that proclaimed it was an AED. I googled that up just a bit ago and here is the result:
An AED (automated external defibrillator) is a portable medical device that checks the heart's rhythm and can deliver an electrical shock to restart a normal heart rhythm during sudden cardiac arrest. It had a block to scan for instructions on how to use the giz wiz. I guess if you don't have a phone to scan the instructions... bad news for someone. AI tells me that you place the pads where instructed and it analyzes the heart rhythm and determines if a shock is necessary. If it is, stand clear of the body and push the blinking shock button. It's not like something you normally see hanging on the wall of the outhouse.
I'll try to remember to grab a pic to share the next time I visit the privy.

 

[ozonetrooper]

When I worked for the State/County, they decided to put them in public areas and I installed one in each of the buildings. The machine gives clear instructions verbally when activated. A person with training is certainly an asset when it is time to use one.

I asked the azzhat who was my supervisor to let me and one or two others get the official training to operate and maintain an AED, but he was an azzhat, ("it gives instructions verbally, anyone can do it, and they don't need any maintenance). I disagreed with him but what else was new .... (They do need maintenance to make sure the batteries are charging/charged up and make sure the paddles work, just another instance where he knew less about my job than I did but like a seagull on a chess board, he strutted around squawking knocking over the pieces and shittin on everything, and not having a clue to what was going on ...

One day we got a calll for one of the big a/c's at the 911 building not working. It was dispatched to me via the two way radios we had at that time by the office manger. The County Judge had a radio as he liked listening to the heartbeat of what kept his kingdom moving everyday.

Azzhat comes on and tells me, "be sure and check the outdoor ambient switch on that machine" trying to impress his boss, aka the Judge.

I relied, " no problem if it had one I would check it but that machine does not have one !"

Crickets after that ...
I worked onna big chiller for one of the buildings with a Carrier technician and we changed a valve that was bad in the refrigerant side of the machine, they have freon and chilled water, the water is what cools the building. Anyway this machine is as big as two pickup trucks and at the end of the day I took the valve into azzhats office and put it on his desk and sat down.

He looks up from his computer at me and then looks at the valve and then looks at me and says, "what is that?'

I tell him that is what was broke on the League City Chiller and not only do you not know what it is, you do not know what it does !

He sits looking at me and I then say, "and you want to tell me how to do MY job ?"


I loved poking that bear with a stick ....

 

[olbriar]

I had never seen one before. I suspected it was a defib machine but had to confirm that via google.

 

[ozonetrooper]

All of ours were in a common area inside the buildings. Some of my mainland buildings may have gotten away with having them outside, but to make sure we put them inside.

On the island they HAD to be inside, or else the crack heds, would steal them ! ! !

 

[olbriar]

All of ours were in a common area inside the buildings. Some of my mainland buildings may have gotten away with having them outside, but to make sure we put them inside.

On the island they HAD to be inside, or else the crack heds, would steal them ! ! !

This is outside a public restroom facility at a very new upscale ball park. It is basically a multi softball complex and a super nice dog park with activities and a dock for the dogs to jump into a lake in pursuit of a toy tossed and an obstacle course. Three different areas for doggies. The fields are amazing and are different sizes for different ages. It has a new huge indoor facility that is between two ball fields. Spectating, eating, and drinking while the kids sweat their butts off is what it looks like. It's not open yet and I don't know if the defib machine is the one and only or if there are more.