Some of my closest friends may know that I have lived with a fairly common congenital heart rhythm issue. It has been a nuisance from time to time. However, as a young man, my Drs easily controlled it with medication.
What wasn’t the greatest news was that several years ago my cardiologist told me that one day, as I grew older, there was a good chance that the condition would need to be controlled by a pacemaker. So, I was thinking age 93, maybe.
Model of Brian’s New Internal Wiring
Not so much. Just had my yearly cardiologist checkup, followed by some further examination, and after a few days of wearing a monitor, it showed rhythms that Mr Cardiologist didn’t care for.
So, pacemaker (I’m sure it’s bionic) insertion day will arrive well before I’m 93. Actually, this
Monday. Furthermore, my doc wanted me to be monitored as an inpatient for a couple of days before the procedure. So, right now, Dec. 8 at 7:00 EST, I am in a luxurious penthouse suite of the Northeast GA Medical Center with a wireless heart monitor about the size of a walkie talkie in my pocket, and will be here until after the procedure.
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Dr. Joon Ahn, M.D., FHRS (who is A++ in several fields of cardiology) will perform the fairly brief procedure on Monday. “Brian,” he assures me, “this is a very low risk procedure, and very soon you can resume all of your regular work and pastoral duties and live normally” (as if anything about me has ever been normal).
VERY LOW RISK
However, I have a problem with the “very low risk” definition. As a pastor, I could not put a number on how many hospital visits I have done before and after medical procedures of those in our community. But, just sitting here in this room, I have found that I have always inadvertently defined “very low risk” as nothing at all to worry about….that is, when it is someone else’s low risk!
The phrase oddly seemed to take on a more intense definition when my name was inserted into the sentence. Isn’t that odd????
Anyway, I will be probably be here until Tuesday, Dec. 11 when I will return home for a short few days of recovery then back to my new life…. powered by Duracell.
(Update: I did get the pacemaker on Dec 10th and one month later it seems to be working well and I am thankful for all of the messages, calls, and prayers).