Heart Strong

The 5th anniversary of Tom's death is in 8 days. In the last 5 years I've dealt with Tom's illness and death.  I've had cataract surgery on both eyes.  Then 848 days ago, while having dinner at a local Mexican restaurant, my heart went into a strange rhythm.  It had happened once before but converted back to normal quickly.  This time it didn't.  I kept thinking it would.  But it didn't.  A week later I took myself into the ER and was diagnosed with persistent aFib.  I was put on medication and sent home.  A month later I had my first cardioversion to put me back in normal rhythm.  It didn't last.  It began my long journey through various medications, multiple EKGs, 5 echocardiograms, one angiogram, one stress test, one cardiac MRI (soon to be two), four cardioversions, one surgical ablation (heart surgery), one catheter ablation (heart surgery), and a bout of constrictive pericarditis which caused diastolic heart failure (since resolved), a thoracentesis, a 14 day monitor and a 30 day monitor.  Last week I received the results of that 30 day monitor and my cardiologist has declared the last ablation a SUCCESS!!!!!  My heart is still in the healing process from what is believed to be a flare of the pericarditis from the second ablation.  But I am HEART STRONG! Today I felt good.  And its good to feel good. Up for 2020, two joint replacements.  And I've done all this while continuing to work, redoing my house, learning to ride a motorcycle and just trying to recover.  Dayum!  That is a lot of stuff.  I am pretty awesome if I say so myself.  And yet, it could be so very much worse.  I am grateful for what I do have, a home, an income, health insurance, great friends who have helped me through this.  And Zora--who is the only reason I got out of bed the next day.

It has been a long hard difficult journey. There were days I didn't think I'd make it through and days I didn't want to make it through. I know the joint replacements will be very difficult surgeries to recover from. But, hell, if I can survive the last five years, I think I will get through it just fine. Its the last thing I need to do to reclaim my life, which has become limited due to the constant pain when walking or standing.