Good News

 

 

The cardiologist told us that all the bypass arteries the surgeon put in my heart six years ago are all perfectly open and clear.  That doesn’t always happen.  He told us that statistically, at five years out, 50% of bypass arteries are already clogged again, so that mine were still clear was really good news.  He knew mine were clear because he was inside them at the cath lab at UC Health Hospital outside Longmont.  We were at the cath lab because I woke up Saturday morning with some chest pain symptoms that lined up perfectly with symptoms we’re supposed to be watching for.  When my chest woke me up, I popped a nitro pill and that made the pain go away.  Good, but darn.  No blaming that discomfort on indigestion.  We drove for a checkup to our favorite Colorado hospital, not far from Becky’s house and they took it from there.  Popped me right into the cath lab with an overnight stay to make sure that I sealed up properly.  Today we’re back to Becky and Brian’s to resume our visit. 

 

We’ve been wondering for years about how my grafted arteries were doing.  It’s like looking at a black box, wondering what’s inside.  We’re testing and guessing, but historically I don’t really show any symptoms until intervention is urgent.  We’ve been wanting our Texas cardiologist to go in and take a look just to see, but without something to suggest there is a problem, that’s not something they do.  We provided enough reason yesterday and got the great comfort that all my major arteries are fine.  The chest pressure/pain was apparently triggered by a really small artery that is closing up, and that artery is too small to do anything about.  Now that we know what we know, any time the chest discomfort happens again, pop a nitro and call it good.  Excellent!

 

Here is the heart artery diagram the doctor drew for us on the hospital board in our room.

 

It’s the entire history of my heart, blockages, stents, bypasses, and current condition.  He was that good.