News You Might Be Wondering About

Dearest Children, I went to the doctor yesterday, and talked to him about some test results (ie) Echo Cardiogram. This test tells how your heart performs. How the blood flows through the valves and so forth. Not to be confused with the veins or blood vessels of the heart. (ie) Does not tell you if you have a blockage. As far as we can tell I do not have any blocks, although it has been 12 years since I had an angiogram. It does tell how the heart's electric system performs. Since there is a question of why this was done, I hadn't had one since 2004. Also my blood pressure was elevated and they keep it low so my heart doesn't have to work so hard. So they went checking to see if the heart had a problem. I am the same as I was 4 years ago. That is I have 29 to 30% of the pump, cardiomyophy,an enlarged heart) any of you could get the weakness from me and have this, I get it from my mom) a left bundle branch block( this has to do with the electric system) caused by a virus earlier and a moderate to severe leaking of one of the valves. This long explanation is simply to tell you that as far as I know and the doctor knows I am the same as I was 4 years ago. It actually isn't a lot different from 12 years ago when it was diagnosed. This explains why I don't lift, walk fast, climb stairs, dance and jump around anymore as I used to do. (Or go shopping until I drop HA! which makes grandpa happy.) In fact I rarely walk very far as I get out of breath, which is why I no longer do some of the things I used to love to do like take a long walk on the beach. I walk in the water and do some easy strengthening exercises. I tell you this so if someone says they are concerned about my heart don't worry, I am the same as I was yesterday, I am totally thankful that they have some medications to help with this. I am also very grateful that I found out about it while I could still do most of the things that I usually do, clean my house cook and grocery shop. I can still go shopping He! He! I just park close to the store I want to go in and only go to one or two places and stay at it an hour or two. Sometimes when people have heart failure it isn't discovered until the heart is damaged to the point of functioning 5 to 8% which really limits them and their ability to function. I have a great doctor and cardiologist. We are doing well, grandpa is having a little down time because of the loss of his brother. He was pretty close to him and you know how you feel about your siblings, and he only had the one. I have a hard time imagining how it would be as I have so many. But I think it is probably the same as you love them all so much. I have to stop, grandpa will be needing dinner early as he has to go to plumbing school tonight. This one is at Lane C. C. thank goodness, the one last month was in Salem. So the drive isn't so long for him. He has to get 16 hours a year so he can keep his plumbing license, just one of the small things he has to do to keep up. Love Grandma