A belated update on my April “Incident”

I was talking with a friend last week, and he asked me what came from the heart incident I had back in April. It dawned on me that I had posted about having a problem, and that I emerged okay, but I never really shared what actually happened, or how it was resolved. Not cool of me. I received a tremendous outpouring of prayers and love from friends and readers while it was happening, and you all deserve better, I apologize.

Here’s the story, for those that are curious, and for my own records:

Chrissie and I were running errands between the Saturday afternoon and evening sessions of General Conference. As I was driving and watching the road in front of me, I said to Chrissie, “Hey, something’s not right, and I think I need to go to the hospital.”

“What’s happening?” she asked.

“My heart rate is elevated, my blood pressure has been really high, and I’m having pain in my left arm and shoulder, and I feel a heaviness in my chest.” (All the classic symptoms of a heart attack.)

“How long has it been happening?” Her concern was tinged with fear.

“A couple or three days.”

“What? And you waited to tell me?” Her voice was now tinged with frustration and even a bit of well-deserved anger.

“What can I say? I’m a guy. I wanted to make sure that it was a thing. And today, it seems worse.”

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Shortly after, we were in the E.R. room at the hospital. Miraculously, it was almost empty. Within minutes, they had me in the triage area. My pulse was, indeed, elevated, as was my BP. A few uncomfortable swipes of a razor, and I was hooked up to an EKG.

The results of the EKG showed nothing abnormal. (I knew this would be the case because I had done one earlier that day at home.) They drew blood and sent it off to the lab. Then I waited for them to take me back.

After a while, and another apology from me to Chrissie for being stupid, the doctor came in. He told me that the EKG and the blood work were mostly good. There were no indications that I had had a heart attack, which was a huge relief. However…there was one number that concerned him.

There is a marker called “D-dimer,” that is “a marker of both clot formation and the body’s process of breaking down those clots. Elevated D-dimer levels can indicate the presence of a blood clot, but a high level doesn’t pinpoint the exact location or cause of the clot.”

Apparently, my D-dimer was a “little high,” and they wanted to do some more tests. I noticed that things were suddenly moving quicker and with a different level of intensity. Within minutes, they had me in Radiology to get a CT scan of my chest. The thinking was that maybe I had a P.E. (Pulmonary embolism: blood clot it my lungs.) The thought was that maybe I formed a blood clot in my legs from recent travel and it had migrated northward.

I went back to my bed in the E.R. and immediately started researching. I asked AI what a d-dimer of 7,800 meant. The response was brutal:

A D-dimer level of 7800 ng/mL is considered significantly elevated and well above the typical threshold for concern, which is often set at 500 ng/mL for a “positive” test indicating possible clot formation. D-dimer levels in this range are associated with:
• Severe systemic diseases such as disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)
• Massive pulmonary embolism
• Severe infections or advanced cancer
• Thrombotic episodes
Levels above 5000 ng/mL are sometimes termed “ultra-high” and are linked to high mortality, especially if no clear cause is identified.

Yikes. Other research basically said, “Get to a hospital, you might die.”

We had felt relief that there were no signs of a heart attack, but this unknown issue was scary. Around this time, my son came over to the hospital and gave me a blessing. No grand miracles promised, but enough to calm my troubled – yet problematic – heart.

The results from the CT scan showed no signs of a PE. (Phew!) After more questions, the doctor sent me home with instructions to start taking aspirin, double my BP meds, and get to my cardiologist. Also was given the caveat: “If it gets worse, come back.”

I was grateful for what it wasn’t, but still concerned about the unknown. I was also really irritated: It was almost a year to the day that I had been wheelchair-bound because of my leg and knee injuries. I had spent that year working my tail off to get in shape and lose weight, and was now in the best shape I had been in for decades. And then this. Grr!

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The next eight weeks were interesting. I was scared. The possibility of some unknown tumor, heart blockage or stroke potential was with me every waking moment. Yet the answers would take time.

The days were full of insurance approvals, lab tests, CT scans, ultrasounds, MRIs etc. I had ultrasounds of my carotid arteries and of my legs, searching for clots or answers. I had an echocardiogram and a nuclear stress test for my heart. I even sprang for a full-body MRI to look in all the nooks and crannies.

The happy results: There is nothing wrong with me.

The best explanation for my event seems to be that, perhaps, I had a DVT (blood clot) from traveling that my body took care of by itself. (Or maybe not by itself *wink*) Either that, or the D-dimer test was faulty. So there is no definitive answer as to what started this whole thing. That is the only downside from all this.

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I am quick to acknowledge that I am blessed and fortunate to not have anything serious going on. While it know that I inevitably will, it is nice to know that things look good right now.

Other things that are nice to know:

My father had a series of heart issues when he was my age. Knowing that my heart has a clean bill of health reduces the nagging worry that I might follow suit. Finding out that I don’t have any occluded arteries or veins in my heart actually surprised me. I would have lost that bet.

It is nice to know that my brain is not showing signs of Alzheimer’s or dementia. While some might accuse me of losing my mind, the MRI says different.

All of my organs are intact and looking good. (Too often, I read of someone unexpectedly dying of undiagnosed cancer far too early.) It is nice to know that my lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas, etc. are currently tumor free.

I love the fact that technology lets us peer inside our bodies and look around. I also love that I can take my pulse, check my BP, or even do an EKG from the comfort of my own home (With my watch!) is surely a modern miracle.

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Thoughts during and after the fact:

I know that I can’t predict my demise, accidents still happen, and the unexpected is always expected. But, all of the tests that came about from that incident on General Conference Saturday have given me peace of mind that I am grateful for.

From the days before the hospital until now, I am far more attuned to making sure that if something happened to me, Chrissie would be well taken care of. There’s a bunch of stuff that we need to do, legally, and financially.

My thoughts have also been more attuned to “What’s next for me?” How will I spend these next years? When will I retire? How can we serve?

The inevitability of shuffling off this mortal coil makes me think of Hamlet:

Not a whit, we defy augury: there’s a special
providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now,
’tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be
now; if it be not now, yet it will come: the
readiness is all: since no man has aught of what he
leaves, what is’t to leave betimes? (link)

The readiness is all…and I’m not ready.

I am grateful to God for letting me continue my journey. I am also grateful that I have opportunities and options ahead of me.

I am tremendously grateful for the outpouring of love and concern from my friends and readers who reached out. Again, I apologize for not updating. You deserve better.

I am grateful for my family, for their love and devotion, especially that of the wonderful woman who signed up to be with me forever. I’m grateful for her chastisement on this issue. It was well deserved.

That’s my story! Ain’t life grand?

I wanna sing with all my heart a lifelong song
Even if some notes come out right and some come out wrong
Cause I can’t take none of that through the door
Yeah, I’m living for more than just a funeral
I wanna burn brighter than the dawn

Life is short; I wanna live it well
One life, one story to tell
Life is short; I wanna live it well
And you’re the one I’m living for
Awaken all my soul
Every breath that you take is a miracle
Life is short; I wanna live it well. (link)