My Heart is Healthy

Some are aware I've been having some heart problems. It started just intermittently at night that my heart would miss a beat and feel like a thump in my throat with the next beat. After Pepe got out of the hospital I had 2 days of where it would do it 24/7, after 3 beats or 10 beats or whatever. I had no chest pain, shortness of breath or pain in left arm. It was a Friday & Saturday and went back to normal on Sunday before I could see a dr. on Monday. We all chalked it up to stress. Then 2 weeks ago on a Sunday it started missing again. I went to the Dr. on that Monday and he but me on an anti anxiety medication in case it was stress related (not under a lot of stress that week though) and took me off caffine for a week. He ran blood work including an extensive thyroid check. My heart was still beating irregular and was starting to make me very tired. The medicine was making me unable to think or concentrate. We stopped that medicine and then when I saw the Dr. on Monday again he seemed more concerned. He ran an EKG, gave me an aspirin and got me in that day to go see a cardiologist.

The cardiologist was great. There are not a lot of doctors in Swaziland with proper or extensive equipment. Most missionaries with serious illnesses end up going to South Africa. The x-ray machines often are "out of order"; the EKG machine at the doctor's office wouldn't printout the results and things like that. I wasn't sure what to expect when I went to the cardiologist office. But I've been learning that God is sovereign and whatever was going on He knew about it and would be with me.

Dr. Mnisi (pronounced m-(click)-ee-cee), the cardiologist, was wonderful. He had a small office, very compact but with an heart echo machine, an EKG hooked to a computer monitor to average and analyze data and not just print it out and a set up with treadmill for a stress test. He was thourough. He explained how the heart works, what are signs of serious problems and then explained my diagnosis "ventricular ectopic”.

Sounds serious but it's not. My heart valves are working great. My blood flow is wonderful. No arterial blockage. My heart enzymes were fine. My bloodwork and thyroid are fine (with the exception of somewhat high cholesterol which I was put back on Zocor). "Ventricular ectopic” means I have an undetermined cause misfiring electrodes in the lower part of my heart that competes with the normal "pacemaker" in my heart that regulates the rhthym of my heart. It is common as one gets older (and just before my birthday, ugh!) but it is not serious. They have put me on a mild beta blocker to try to mellow it out so it is not so aggrevating and tiring. The funny thing is that when I exercised and increased my heart rate it would go back into regular rhythm so part of my prescription is "exercise". Wouldn't you know it!

I will keep you posted if there are any changes. I am going to Durban in South Africa for a few days on Saturday and resting for a few days with friends. It is on the beach and there is a "mall" to do some shopping. I'm so excited! Take care and thank you for all your prayers.