Pacemaker check

Just a quick update. I went for a pacemaker check today and there were no episodes of rapid/irregular beats over the last 6 months! Yay! That is great news. Now, to stay well during cold and flu season. That's when all my problems started last year, right after my yearly fall vacation. I got my flu shot today too. Everyone should get a flu shot....it's quick and painless and is much better than getting the flu! The flu in people with heart failure can be life threatening. So, everyone in my family gets one to keep me from coming down with the flu if they are exposed. You should do the same! Alright, I had a busy week and now I'm ready for vacation, which is next week! I'll be off in a secluded cabin in the woods enjoying the beauty of nature God created for us to enjoy! This is my favorite vacation we take every year. I've told many of my friends that I don't need a mansion in heaven, just a rustic log cabin with a moose in the yard! What could be more perfect?! Ok...do something good for your heart today! Don't sweat the small stuff! My husband just called and he's stuck in traffic. It seems he got caught behind the Ross High School homecoming parade on the way home from work. He's a little stressed! I just don't him told him not to sweat the small stuff. It's not good for yor heart! Oh...he is so stressed and nothing I say will cheer him up! So, the moral of the story today is, if you get stuck in traffic, don't stress about it. Take the time to reflect on your blessings and all that God has done for you. After all, he may be keeping you from being in an accident, etc.

One bad thing today, one of my favorite doctors is moving to California. The doctor that implanted both pacemakers I've had is leaving. I told him he couldn't, but he didn't listen to me! Can you believe that, the nerve! So, next time I have it checked, I'll have a different doctor and next time I need one implanted, I'll have a new doctor doing that also. So, Dr. Chow......THANK YOU for everything you have done. I'm going to miss you! You're a great doctor and people in California are lucky you're coming! I'm losing a good one!

Since I am talking about my pacemaker check today, I'll talk a bit about my pacemaker. I have a Medtronic bi-ventricular pacemaker with defibrillator. If you have heart failure and this has been recommended to you, run as fast as you can to get it! I was nervous when I got my first one. So, I asked my heart failure specialist (Dr. Chung) what his thoughts were. He said if it were him, he'd run naked to get it! So, I got one.....I have never regretted it. Since the left and right side of my heart do not beat together, this pacemaker works all the time to keep it in synch. It has made me feel so much better and has given me incredible energy. In most people, it also helps improve heart function or your EF. It has not done so in me but the other benefits I have gotten from it are well worth it. Doctors say it still can help my heart function, even after years. But, I can shop till you drop with the best of them and I don't get tired so I'm glad I have it. Don't be afraid of the procedure itself either. It's not bad at all. You are in the hospital overnight but you are not all the way under during surgery. You can talk to your doctor and everything but you don't feel a thing. I actually watched my heart on the screen the first time. I got my first one in 2004 and my second one just this past January. I got an upgrade to a defibrillator due to the problems I had last winter with my heart rate, etc. The technology gets better every year and they can do so many different types of programming to help your heart along. I didnt' want the difibrillator but now I'm so glad I have it. Like my friend Julie said....it's like a life squad in your heart! It's there if you need it so if you have been told you need one by your physician, don't be too afraid to get it. It could save your life! My new one is actually wireless, which means I don't need to be hooked up to anything when they check it! The nurses loved it when I came in for my first check because I was their first wireless patient. They had me go in another room just to see what all they could do. They got a kick out of it! Anyway, I'm thankful for the technology that we have and I hope this will help someone that is trying to decide what to do. Like Dr. Chung told me 4 years ago.......I'd run naked to get one! You will never regret it!

Ok....do something good for your heart. Exercise, watch a funny movie, or just relax! I'll try and post a new low sodium recipe tomorrow.