Blood Pressure Wars

Read the instructions. That's always good advice. I read the instructions that came with my Omron blood pressure monitor on how to take your blood pressure properly. Sit, relax, make sure your back is supported, arms at the level of your heart, take three measurements a minute apart and average them. If you do it this way you may find that your readings are generally lower. I did.

Road Trip

It's been quiet on the medical front here lately. I did get a clean bill of health from my dermatologist yesterday which made me happy considering how much time I spend in the sun. On Wednesday Dan and I made a day trip by train to Washington, DC. We had fun and saw several major attractions while we were there. Next Friday I have an appointment with a new cardiologist. So, we'll see how that goes. I daydream often about the heart valve problem trying to figure out how much time I have left before it finally goes. One year? Two? More? Who knows?

Winter Walks

It's been tough lately to get my daily walks in with all the snow and wind and cold. But I get to see beautiful sights like these sculptures in Fairmount Park. So, there are incentives to get out there and walkl. I have cleats that I wear over my sohes so that I don't fall on the ice.

Anna Netrebko / A. Dvořák - Rusalka

THis is good for the heart.

The Undiagnosed: Palpitations

I can remember being told as a child that I had a heart murmur, but I was assured that it was noting to be concerned about. I've had palpitations, pounding sensations from my heart, for a long time. I can remember actually going to a cardiologist about 20 years ago to simply ask him why I was having these sensations. "Too much caffiene," was one of the possibvle explanations he gave. Again, not to worry, I was told.

It wasn't until 2004 and my first echocardiogram that someone finally told me, oh, by the way, you have a problem with your aortic valve. It took a long time for the alarm to finally go off. I wonder how many other people are out there walking around with heart probelms that they don't know about. No wonder a lot of poeple just keel over and die.

The photo shows one of the the beautifuly reconstructed pathways near the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I walk by this just about every day on my afternoon walk.

Walking For Exercise

Walking continues to be my preferred mode of exercise. Having a great dog who likes walking along with me helps to insure that I get out twice a day at least. I usually walk four miles a day 365 days a year. Only rain, snow, or ice slows us down or stops us. On our morning walk we pass this lovely boat house on the Schuylkill River.

Symptoms

People feel a variety of symptoms of valve disease and aneurysms. My experience is a tightness in my throat on exertion (sometimes into my jaw and face) which has gotten worse over the years. It stopped me from jogging a few years back and now I get it if I climb two flights of stairs or walk up a hill. It'[s a reminder that no matter how well I feel otherwise, I've got this valve/aneurysm problem.