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I'm long-overdue for checkin here. Life has kept me busy for the last couple of years; lost my job and finally got rehired. Not something I want to repeat! Healthwise, the 2 mechanicals are still clicking along, and pacemaker is pacing away. Looks like I'll need another one in about 3 years...

Haven't been by here in quite a while, so I thought I'd drop in and say howdy. I'm 6+ years out now, and still doing pretty well. Last month I had to undergo my 3rd cardioversion due to atrial flutter. Increasing my Sotalol seems to have helped settle that down. Blood tests last week...

In my unending quest to experience as many serious medical conditions as I can, I can now proudly add Type II diabetes to the list. I just got a call from my doctor this evening (during my wife's birthday party, in between pieces of really good cake, no less) where he informed me that my blood...

I thought about posting this in "signficant others", but thought that might be pushing it a bit :D 3 wives greet man after triple bypass surgery And he thought all he had to worry about was that !#$#@*& ventilation tube. :eek:

So I got this shiny new pacemaker on the 19th - the procedure went well (exept for the part where my heart stopped on the table) and I was healing up nicely. I only missed 2 days of work. About 4 days afterward, I began to notice weird palpitations and severe lack of cardiac reserve (starting...

OK, so I know I've been pretty quiet lately, but rest assured I check in everyday. Here's an update on what I've been cooking up: I've been struggling with syncope (fainting/blackouts) since January. I've blacked out 3 times, and one time seriously messed up my back when I fell. I haven't...

Well I had a good birthday earlier this week, but the couple of days since are not among my fondest memories. Thursday morning here was cold and icy. I was entering my building at work after having gone to get a cup of coffee, and slipped on the ice. I went down on my butt HARD - it happened...

2 years ago this morning, I was climbing the mountain at University of Washington Medical Center. When I got to the other side and was sent home 15 days later, I was equipped with 2 SJM mechanical valves. The 2 years since have been interesting. My pulmonary hypertension (that's why I was in...

There are a few threads running around the board right now that got me to thinking about this. I read about huge variations in advice given to people with regards to managing their anticoagulation, and it seems something is missing. My wife averted a "problem" while I was still in the...

I know many of us are on diuretics for various reasons. My cardio has given me pretty much free reign to experiment with the frequency and timing of 2 diuretics that I take (He just sets the daily total dose of each). I take a daily diuretic - Demadex (Lasix has no effect for me). When I...

This made my day. Doesn't seem to be an urban legend so far as I can find (nothing on snopes.com). :D Chilling crime: Streakers in restaurant watch as their car stolen

I note: "The study was funded by Esperion Therapeutics Inc. of Ann Arbor, Michigan, a small biotechnology company that makes the product. " http://www.cnn.com/2003/HEALTH/11/04/cholesterol.breakthrough.ap/index.html

Finally, 16 months after my surgery, I decide to get agressive about getting back into shape. I was in lousy shape before my surgery, had a very long recovery, and have been struggling with some irrational (or so I thought) fears of hard exercise ever since the operation. I have a completely...

Assuming 70 beats per minute, 70 bpm x 60 minutes x 24 hours x 365 days = 36,792,000 times in a year. Heart valves each open and close 36 million times (or more) in a year!

OK, so I'm usually a benchmark of INR stability - usually right around 3.5. My group of Drs wants me at 3 to 4, but 2 weeks ago I was 4.7 and today I threw a 5.0. I'm not too concerned about that, but I am concerned about the orders to hold 2 doses..today and tomorrow. I'm kicking myself...

OK, so I've run across a minor annoyance that I hadn't anticipated. I've suffered from cold sores on or around my lips for as long as I can remember. Usually they form in the corners of my mouth, or in the cleft in the middle of my upper lip. For me, the two triggers seem to be: - Shaving...

Wow, I can hardly believe it. A year ago today, April 15, 2002, I checked into University of Washingon Medical Center for my pre-op procedures - namely, a cardiac catheterization. Versed and other drugs administered in the following days have blanked most of the next 2 weeks from my memory...

I was looking up one of my meds (Demadex aka Torsemide) in one of the big popular online databases. This is a diuretic, and it lists one of the side effects as "frequent urination." :D

I've replied often on this site about how little taking Coumadin has effected my life. I fly R/C model planes as a hobby, and they have sharp-edged propellers that can reach 15,000+ rpm. I'm just careful. I'm considering taking up helicopters, but since I've had non-Coumadining friends get...

I've seen a number of queries on the site lately about the patient registration cards that St. Jude sends out a few weeks after surgery. I've scanned the front and back of mine so you can be on the lookout for yours in your snail mail: