Date: Sunday, Feb 9th 1997
Subject: Cardio Report ... Just in time for Valentine'sThough I certainly should have been by now, I ain't dead yet. And I do mean DEAD! This week I had the extreme pleasure of twice visiting Hanover NH, home of Dartmouth College and our very own Dead Runners Society mail list. It is also the home of the college's affiliated hospital, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. And that is where I spent 36 hours of my life this weekend - in the Cardiology area, getting the scoop on the condition of my heart. You know, the one that the aliens exchanged for my original human heart? As it turns out, this story ain't far from the truth!
I need to provide a little history for those who aren't already familiar with my episodes in Cardiology. Stick with me this time, you might find this relavent as well as interesting.Way back in my first post to DRS I said:
All I want to do before I leave this world (and become truly DEAD) is to run 400 meters in under 60 seconds. Shouldn't be too tough for an ex-sprinter right? ... Except NOW there is one problem - as of today [7/11/96] I am 42 years old!And in that same post I also added:
My love for running originated on the track in high school. Back then the thought of running more than a mile was horrifying! ... Endurance has forever been an obstacle for me and back then anything over 220 yards required strategy. My longest distance was 320 yards ...As of this past Friday I think I have discovered why my endurance has always been so bad. After I describe the ordeal of this last test I will build my case.
Most everybody knows about the 400m thread which ensued last July and how it culminated in the DRSWC4 event on the morning of September 1st, The 400m Challenge. Basically, a group of us Deads went out full tilt for a lap on the track to see if we might slip under 60 seconds with 400m Guy, Pat Mitchell as our rabbit. Let it suffice to say only Pat made it, but it was a blast just the same.
Then in my quest to continue on my own the rest of the Fall, I realized I had a serious problem with pain and swelling in my right knee. Off to the orthopedist and by November we set the date for arthroscopy to clean up the broken cartilage.
On December 21st I described the exciting events that took place the day before in the OR at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital:
... some tense moments when we came close to losing this Negative Guy! As in, he stepped off the planet for a few moments. ... About 15 minutes into the procedure ... there I was, so content that the problem was being treated once and for all. Thinking about my sprintin' potential once I was pain-free. I was definitely feeling NO pain and cheering to myself as he removed clump after clump of inflammation and broken cartilage, when the image on the monitor gradually became distorted. Soon after that I was losing focus and then the image started jumping around! ... Seconds later I was out. A few more seconds later (maybe 20, I can't say) I opened my eyes and saw that all the doctors had stopped what they were doing and were simply huddled around me. One intern then subtly informed me that I had "left them for a bit".... I didn't think it was much more than my anxiety-induced fainting episodes that I so often have in the dentist office. But later as I was leaving, one of the nurses informed me that my heart had literally stopped for a brief period and that I was revived with some [atropene] they injected into me.
Maybe the mitral valve prolapse I had as a teenager is coming to call again. I have no idea.
Not hardly I'm afraid. But on December 22nd I wrote to virtual friend, Vida:
I am convinced that whether or not I do have a serious heart problem I would have a much worse one as well as a lesser quality life had it not been for running. So I will go on business as usual.The only problem with such a "noble" attitude was that I couldn't run for several weeks because of my kneecap dislocating after the surgery. On January 3rd I wrote:
Going to see a cardiologist today in an effort to explain what caused my heart to stop during arthroscopy 2 weeks ago. I don't buy into the theory that it was due to the fact that I am an athlete and therefore my heart rate was lower than normal to begin with.Later that day I replied to a comment from fellow Dead, Laura Mayerovitch:
You know what, Laura? I still don't have a clear answer on whether my heart REALLY stopped or not! Today, the cardiologist said he'd have to call my orthopedist to find that out. Jeez, what are medical records for?I did get word eventually from another nurse who was tending to me before and after surgery. She said that my heart DID stop and that it took two doses of atropene to bring it back up!
But after a thorough examination, the cardiologist doubted very much that it's due to a problem with my heart (though there is good evidence that I have a Rheumatic heart ... already knew that). Instead he suggests, as dehydrated as I tend to become from my daily high caffeine intake combined with little or no water intake, the blood volume level stays low and the stage is set for fainting any old time ... just add [nervous] stress!
So, my cardiologist and I both thought we had explained it all! But he insisted that I was due for a routine checkup on the mitral valve condition. Another visit to BMH for a echo-cardiogram - an ultrasound image of my valves in action. Sounds exciting, doesn't it?
Indeed it was! And on January 8th in a reply to virtual Dead friend, Steve Cangemi, I wrote:
More interesting developments in the area of heartbeats, leaky valves and unidentifiable blood vessels after my echo-cardiogram today. The same brilliant cardiologist, who so eloquently explained my dehydration and stress induced HR drop, is now telling me to hold off from running altogether until he can figure out how and why the extra blood passages above my heart developed. I should have been up front with him and told him that I was an alien. More on this story when the diagnosis is complete.And more whining on January 22nd:
Cardiologist says I can't run until we know what's going on ... I say I can't run because of my G%D D*MN kneecap dislocating all the time! So what does it matter? I'm wondering if I will get a single mile in this Winter between the two.Finally last week, in a note to virtual Dead friend, Donna Eriksen:
The cardiologists are going to get their last look at this thing next week. I will have spent all day Friday at Dartmouth Medical by the time the procedure is over. After that I don't care what they tell me ... I'm proceeding based on how I feel!Sounds manly enough, eh? Totally nieve, actually. Puting on my game face!
And with that bit of history I am ready to update the world of Dead Runners to what my Brattleboro VT cardiologist, Dr. Burke, my Hanover NH cardiologist, Dr. Jayne and myself have all learned as of February 7th.
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