How very ironic that the last post I put-up here had to do with cycling on my weekends. Now, my wings have been cut and I feel that I have been kneecapped.
My heart. My big, strong athletic heart.
Last month, I awoke and could feel that something was amiss. I went to the clinic here and then found myself in an ambulance. It turns out that I have an "athlete's heart." No shit.
It only means that from all the training my heart size is actually larger than those who do not train as I have done for so many years. I also have a lower heart beat. However, there were a few other things.
First they found a bit of plaque on some of my coronary arteries. Strange since I eat so cleanly, but after reading a good number of articles on this condition, I discovered that long distance sports can in fact cause this. However, a student's father who works at the hospital went over the CT of the heart and told me that in fact he could see how very open my arteries were and that my diet and lifestyle was to commended as I had wonderful arteries overall.
Yet there were other things, conditions beyond my control and unrelated to exercise. It was discovered now (though I had done a test 10 years ago that should have revealed this), that I have a bicuspid aortic valved. It was not working great and causing blood to pool in my left ventricle. Nobody yet has explained to me why this is happening, and I am still befuddled what caused this.
Fucking befuddled.
What is so confusing is that I keep getting mixed messages from the doctors. One says just go on with what you have been doing (he did the echo cardiogram). That's crazy for I still feel pain and regurgitation (when the blood pools in the left ventricle).
Another told me after meeting with for 10 minutes that I needed Beta Blockers because my systolic BP was 140 (this morning 112/70). I told him that I was nervous and that I chart it and that it fluctuates and is overall very good. I have since been working on this via diet and notice a further downward trend on my morning readings as evidenced by the one this morning.
He also wanted me to start taking statins, for life, and this confused me. I have a "bit of plaque" and he feels that although my cholesterol is 144 overall with an LDL of 85, that the number should be around 70. I explained that through diet (I have been eating eggs, a bit of diary, coconut oil and far too many nuts) I could most likely lower this significantly.
He didn't agree and told me that he wanted to "stabilize" the plaque. I have attempted to read up on this and honestly I don't quite understand all the literature or studies. Thus, I am having an online talk with a very trusted person in the health field next week to figure out what is the best course of action. Even the taking of a baby aspirin is up for debate.
He also wants to decondition my athletic heart by having me do nothing...nothing...for 6 months. I was confused with this as it does not sound very healthy to me. Nothing?
He also seems a bit angry with me for even questioning these things.
So I have been on a search for more information. A good friend of mine sent an article about runners (from the Wall Street Journal) who have cardiac issues. In this article there were some quotes by Dr. Paul Thompson who is the head of the Cardiac Unit at Hartford Hospital. He also runs a cardiac unit for athletes.
I called and got in touch with this amazing nurse. She told me that they did not have any openings for the time in which planned to be back in CT.
Then she asked me my story.
Then she created an opening for me! Thus I am going to see Dr. Thompson (who is a marathon runner) to discuss what is going on with me and how this can be addressed.
I am, however, learning something. First, I don't need to spend so much time riding. I like walking and it's good getting back to TRX and my photography. I was riding for social reasons and also for the love of competition. I wanted to ride in the 60+ group at the Maccabi Games in two years as well. The social reasons have not panned out. I speak so little Hebrew and the after ride get-togethers are uncomfortable affairs for me.
My hope and desire is that I will still be able to take some nice long rides on the weekend, though I will take them at a much slower pace with much less Watt output.
Right now all I am doing is about 30-45 minutes keeping my heart rate lower than I ever did before. I only hope that this is safe as well. Again, I am getting conflicting feedback.
On that note, how much does a major physical event change one's life? I think it does enormously and that is just a fact of life. Gathering all the facts and getting all the needed information is essential. For me the language barrier is in itself going to cause me to have a heart attack and for one who can wander the back roads of Europe or deep into the hills of the Whites, not being able to fend for myself is frustrating and anxiety producing. "Heal thyself" is impossible when you don't have the facts in regards to what needs healing!
J
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