On December 29th, I went to my cardiologist appointment where an Echocardiogram test was done to determine my heart function. While I was looking forward to this appointment, I was also somewhat apprehensive since this test could impact my goals for recovery. Once again, the not knowing began to take over my thought process and began to stress me. However, this appointment was very important and I knew that no matter what I learned, I still need to keep moving forward. I did not want to consider anything except a successful recovery outcome.
On January 2nd I received a message from the cardiologist who performed the emergency catherization to inform me that my Echocardiogram test revealed good results. The message read: “Good news, your heart echocardiogram shows your heart function has improved compared to the one you had in the hospital, suggesting that the medicines seem to be working after the heart attack” which made me feel really good. This was the news I was hoping to receive as I was preparing to begin my cardiac rehab in just a few days.
This news was so important in my first steps to truly realizing the recovery I imagined. I joked with others that by the time I finish with my 36 sessions of cardiac rehab I could look like Arnold S. The looks I got from them were somewhat funny, but did give me optimism. If you have every experienced a major health impact you know what I am speaking of. For me personally, I try to find a light-hearted expression in my talking that take away the unknowing feeling so that I can more easily imagine my recovery at its best, and what a new me might look like or feel like.
Next up, cardiac rehab…