I had my follow-up appointment with the Cardiologist this afternoon and that was another surprise. First, the stress test showed that my heart is pumping blood as it should, but my heart function is 55% (the average for a woman my age is between 50 and 75%). The monitor showed that my average heart rate was 70 (that is good) - no concerns about the low heart rate that was found at my annual checkup. The echo cardiogram showed that my heart walls have damage, possibly because of a previous heart attack that I was totally unaware of. Well maybe not - is this what was going on in the middle of the night when I called 911 while visiting Bob in KC? That is when the Bundle Branch Block drew attention. Who knows???
The plan is to have no treatment for the time being unless I start to have any symptoms like chest pressure, shortness of breath, fainting, etc. If I do have symptoms, then I need to have an angiogram that would check my arteries for blockages. So, I am relieved but not real happy with the heart function number that I was given. I am still fairly active and plan to try to continue that - he said there should be no problem doing anything that I am accustomed to do.
Pat and Roger joined me for dinner and we had another great visit. Rog made me the best Old Fashioned that I've had since leaving Wisconsin.
Tuesday, October 29. That Old Fashioned really helped me to have a good night's sleep - I didn't even start to stir until almost 7:00 this morning.
The windshield installers were to show up by noon and weren't here. Then I looked at my phone and realized that the ringer was off (since my doctor appointment yesterday) and I had missed several calls from them and they went on to another job. Darn. No problem, as they came to my house when they finished that job and I now have another new windshield.
Wednesday, October 30. It is a chilly morning, only in the upper 50s. I had to grab a sweater and some socks to keep me warm this morning.
Frisco and I went to see Allan and Sharon this morning. The dogs seemed happy to see each other and they had fun chasing and playing. And I got to see the paintings that they completed over the summer and are currently working on. I just love visiting them, as it is like going to a gallery and also getting a feel for what the landscapes in different parts of the country are like. Best of all is the great conversation that we always have together, not to mention a yummy lunch too.
Friday, October 31. Happy Halloween to all! Not much happening in my world for this least favorite holiday of mine; no decorations, no costumes, and no trick or treaters coming to the house. It was fun seeing photos of my niece and nephew's kids, though. And here is one of my trick or treating Lion.
