I’m a little embarrassed that I didn’t put this out myself – so, Thanks, Karen – but it was a sort of no news thing. I had what my cardiologists calls a stress test in which I got an ultrasound and a reading of a radionuclide – I don’t really know what that word means either – isotope injection of my resting heart, then walk on a treadmill programmed with a standardized protocol that increases speed and grade every three minutes. When I’m whopped, they repeat everything. The whole procedure is interesting the first couple of times and mildly uncomfortable thereafter. The isotope is injected through an IV in my hand – while I’m on the treadmill – and I can feel it enter my body, which is slightly creepy.
Then, nothing for a day because the isotope readings take a little time to decipher. I usually take a default position that everything came out fine until I hear otherwise so the phone call saying my heart is strong didn’t change much. Of course, saying my heart is strong is not exactly the same as saying that everything is fine; it is sort of like saying a car works great except for the constant backfiring. The good news is that I am healthy enough to try a reboot and, if that doesn’t work, an ablation.
Meanwhile, my cardiologist has gone skiing and Michele and I have gone to Arkansas for a Memorial Service for her Cousin Fred.
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