You know it is going to be a good visit when you step on the scales at the doctor's office and weigh 2 1/2 pounds LESS fully clothed than you weighed at home - with nothing on but a smile! I LOVE that scale. I am down 18 pounds from my visit 5 weeks ago. And by my scales, I'm down 143 pounds - whoohoo! The doctor was tickled with my progress - and said how I feel is one of the MOST IMPORTANT indicators to how I am doing.
They did make some minor adjustments to my pacemaker, to allow me to get the exercise in. Last night, I tried Tai Chi for the first time - and loved it! But when my heartrate goes above a certain level, my pacemaker kicks in and tries desperately to slow it down. The adjustment raised that level so that my pacemaker won't work TOO hard against me as I exercise.
But, to be honest, it is not all GREAT news. The echocardiogram shows my EF% (Ejection Fraction) somewhere between 20 and 25 percent. This is down from my last echo at 30% or so. The doctor said not to panic about this - at best, it is a visual estimate, so a drop of 5 to 10% is not as bad as it sounds. None of this really surprised me. My research indicates that often heart function does not improve. The doctor said that he has many patients who live full lives with such low numbers, but it is important to be aware of it - and if I get winded or fatigued - to stop and rest. I had hoped for better news - like my heart was much improved - but knowing that it is NOT worse is good, too.
I was hoping that he would let me drive. He said the guidelines for not driving after an incident are SIX MONTHS! (Five weeks ago, my husband and I both heard him say TWO MONTHS!) He didn't say I couldn't drive, but he let me know he didn't think it was a good idea. I'll let everyone know what I decide.
No comments:
Post a Comment