Matters of the Heart VIII: Stress Test

Matters of the Heart VIII: Stress Test

Probably the best news I have heard in a long time came from the Cardiologist today, when he told me I did pretty good on the stress test, and that since I have not had any pain in my chest other than the random flutter that comes and goes with having AFIB that he will not need to see me for six months. 

The stress test didn’t go as I wanted.  It is not the speed of the waking but the incline.  My hips can’t seem to handle it.  First progress, I was on there and going strong.  I felt about as good as I can, walking on a treadmill with no shirt on, in front of an attractive women who just dry shaved my chest.  Not to self, just shave your own damn chest when you go to the cardiologist next time.  What I noticed first and for most is that as I moved on the treadmill my diastolic seemed to be going down instead of up.  Seeing how my goal is to get that number down I thought that was a good sign.  I have no evidence of this, but hey I’ll take as a when.  My heart rate remained relatively low during the test as well.  Systolic blood pressure was going up, but at a normal rate.  The 2^nd thing I noticed was my hot little Russian accented nurse was doing calf raises as I walked, I asked her about this and she said she didn’t want me to have to work out alone.  I couldn’t help but laugh. 

I took the first three stages like a champ.  Then when we went into stage 4 around the 6 minute mark, I started to fade.  Not because my BP went up.  It didn’t.   Not b/c I was out of breath because I was not.  It was because my hips, my freaking hips started to feel like they were going to pop out of socket.  The 3.5 mph is not a speed I can’t do.  I have done it many times.  However, the incline, just killed my hips.  So, at the 6:34 mark, I called it.    

I was fucking pissed when I called it too.  I wanted to get to 1o minutes.  I wanted to max out my heart rate.  I wanted to push and see just how far I could go.  My body was having none of it.  I was visibly angry when getting off the machine.  And while there is no pass or failing really of the test, I felt like I had failed big time.  I could go walk outside for 2 hours and I can’t stay on the treadmill for more than 6 minutes. 

What I learned from talking to the hot chick and the doctor afterwards is that since I didn’t reach my max heart rate quickly was a great thing.  While he can’t be 100% certain there is no blockage, it doesn’t appear that this any.  He feels very comfortable with that.  He said the test was good and he was pleased.  I think I already said that but I am so happy, that my heart is doing ok, that I think I will say it another 15 to 20 times.  The doctor did tell me there was an abnormal rhythm to my heart but b/c of the AFIB that was to be expected.  He talked to me about an invasive procedure to kick start my heart and tries to put it back to a normal rhythm. 

What he said was most important to me was to lose weight.  Spoiler Alert!  As if we didn’t know that was coming and if we didn’t know that is needed.  However, he was very calm and nice about it.  He said look your heart is strong.  It shows you can put it under a lot of stress and you need to do what you can to get the weight off.  He said I can push hard in the gym.  I can lift weights, do cardio, swim, and you know do it ;)  He told me to do anything and everything I can to get it off. 

I told him about the medicine and about the gym at work and she said use them.  Do it all.  Do paleo, do weight watchers, do whatever I can.  He said JUST DO IT! 

I have been thinking a lot about that this morning and into the early afternoon.  I have sort of lost my weigh.  I felt like last November 15 when I went paleo, I found my path.  I feel like when I started to take this medicine, I lost the path.  I have tried to eat low fat items, with fake sugars or sugars in them and for me it just don’t work.  I am a junky.  I want to eat more when I allow myself to have the sugar.  Again, nothing new here and I have to find my way.  With travels coming up for a week in November and a week in December, I have to find my way. I have to find a way to eat less and move more. 

I know it sounds really simple.  And it is easy to say JUST DO IT.  However if this was easy, I would have spent the last 20 years lean and not morbidly obese. 

I know I can do this.  I think it starts with getting back to basics.  I know what those are.  It starts with me stopping every night on the way out of the office at that thing called the GYM.  I mean there is no reason not to b/c I have to walk by it every day. 

The craziest thing though today is simply this.   I believe again, that I have the power to change.  That I make my own reality and I can accomplish anything I put my mind too. 

So, it is time to “Break the Machine, clean the machine, and rebuild the machine!”

“Break the Machine, clean the machine, and rebuild the machine!”

“Break the Machine, clean the machine, and rebuild the machine!”

I can do this.  I will do this and the best thing is I am not doing it for a pretty face, I am not doing it for the doctor, my folks, or family, I am doing it for me because I was to feel better.  I want more appointment like todays.  Appointments where I leave and know the world is mine.  Appointments I can feel good about and want to talk about!