Back Home by Chris Hardie
Poets and ancients called it the center of our intelligence, our emotion … our soul.
It’s also one of the most important organs of the human body, performing more work than any other muscle in our body by pumping an average of 2,000 gallons of blood per day and beating more than 2.5 billion times in a lifetime.
It’s our heart, circulating blood throughout our body that delivers essential oxygen and nutrients while removing waste products.
The power and significance of the heart has been on my mind the past few months after a medical journey of appointments, tests and procedures that is a stark reminder of my mortality and the future.
I share this personal story not to gain sympathy; nor do I seek pity. I am fortunate to be in a position to tell it and grateful for all those who have shared the journey.
It was probably a year or so ago that I began to feel a little off. While many believe that my “off-ness” has never been closer than a half-bubble anyway, I felt different. I was frequently tired, sometimes a little dizzy and felt off-kilter sometimes when I walked.
That culminated in a trip to the emergency room last fall and kicked off a series of tests when I was finally able to see a cardiologist after a few months’ delay. What I first thought was a very serious diagnosis when a test revealed a hole in my heart, I found is actually quite common and usually not a health concern.
The concern showed up during a heart rhythm evaluation when the monitor picked up episodes of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia. This is an irregular heart rhythm that starts in the lower heart chambers. The fast heart rate doesn’t let the chambers fill and squeeze enough blood to the body.
Brief episodes can be only a few seconds and may not cause harm. But episodes longer than that can be life-threatening. A cardiac MRI followed by a coronary angiogram revealed that my arteries were not blocked but there was scarring on my heart muscle. The scarring was found in the middle of my heart muscle at the bottom and side of my left ventricle, which is the main pumping chamber.
The cause of the scarring is not known. At some point I had an infection that caused damage to the heart. After considering inserting a defibrillator in my chest – which was rejected by my health insurance company because my pumping rate was still good (I was not sick enough) – my cardiologist performed an electrophysiology study. The study uses a catheter and medication to stimulate the heart to try to trigger dangerous heart rhythm.
The good news is no dangerous rhythms were induced. A loop recorder implant was placed in my chest to monitor my heart longer-term to capture any future arrhythmias. I was also placed on beta-blocker medication to help manage my heart rate.
I am actually not on a quest to become a bionic man, but I now have what amounts to a mini computer like a USB drive implanted inside of me, along with two artificial hips from previous surgeries. Perhaps I can put my favorite playlist on the monitor so I can listen to tunes internally.
Kidding aside, I was lucky to have caught this when I did. Instead of ignoring my body (I am trying to learn as I get older), I was able to get this diagnosed and get some treatment. I’ve also substantially reduced my caffeine intake and will try to remain vigilant on getting regular exercise.
No one except our supreme power knows when our mission in this world will be over. There are no guarantees except the finality of the inevitable.
Perhaps this medical trek was a reminder that I’m not young anymore and need to embrace a less hectic lifestyle. We must appreciate and enjoy our blessings while we are able.
Chris Hardie spent more than 30 years as a reporter, editor
