That may not sound like great news but hopefully by the end of this post, you will understand why I am so enthusiastic about this diagnosis.
In April of 2009, I saw an iridologist for a checkup. Everything checked out fine except she noticed that my heart was not right. I mostly blew it off but did start rebounding and taking some baby aspirin daily but that stopped after a few months.
On August 6, 2013, I was playing morning tennis with my men's tennis group on a very hot day and I noticed shortness of breath after the 2nd set. The men, who are older than I, said to get it checked out. I blew it off and went about my business.
On September 18, I attended a powerful sweat lodge in Arlington, TX. During the lodge I felt the same shortness of breath which subsided during each outdoor break. I went home feeling fantastic, had a wonderful performance in Dallas the next night and then another in San Marcos the following night. At around 11pm, I started feeling really weird in my chest as if 100 lbs. were sitting on me (don't go there) and it felt like I needed to burp but couldn't. It just felt like really bad heartburn. This lasted about 2-3 hours and finally went away when Angelina got me to drink some soda. At one point I was crouched on the floor with difficulty breathing. Now my body had my attention.
I shared my experience with a few close friends and my friend Lynn and my bride Angelina became very adamant about having this checked out. I typically trust that my body and mind can heal all ailments so I was my typical reluctant self, but I decided to listen to two of my favorite ladies and see an internal medicine doctor in Crowley, LA who is a dear friend of my uncle, who is also a surgeon. I also got another friend of his to become my temporary cardiologist.
On Sept. 26th I got an EKG and chest X ray and passed them both.
On the 30th I got full heart monitoring blood work and passed that too. Because my dad had a heart condition, as well as a heart attack at 43 and then a pacemaker and fatal heart attack at 59, the medical staff wanted further testing.
On October 1st I took a Stress EKG and when my heart rate hit 140bpm, I began to fail the test. Something was not working correctly in my heart. At that point I began being very careful with how exerted I got, whether playing tennis, rebounding or how hot I kept my hot tub. I also began taking a baby aspirin a day and also took some Turmeric. I was also prescribed Nitro Glycerin pills to take if I ever had severe chest pressure again. I have not had to take them at all.
On October 24th, after we got home to Orlando, I got another Cardiologist at Orlando Heart Center. My new doctor said my blood pressure was a bit high, looked at the Stress test results and set me up for a Coronary CT Angiogram. She also noticed a heart murmur so she ordered a carotid neck ultrasound to see if I had a blockage there.
On November 1st I took the Angiogram which was a blast since they filled my veins with iodine and it was like being in the most wonderful warm womb. They did blood work, etc. and the test went very well.
Today, November 7th, I spent the morning with my cardiologist and she went over all the results with me. Here's the great news.....my ultrasound was negative. All is right with my neck carotid arteries. My resting heart rate is wonderfully athletic at 54bpm. My blood pressure is generally great AND it goes a bit high when stressed which can be solved with less fats, more cardio and a supplement called Red Rice Yeast. My LDL is also high for my condition so that also can be solved with above regimen. The CT Angiogram showed that I have a 50% blockage of plaque in one of my coronary arteries. If it were 70% or higher, they would recommend surgery. Hallelujah! Thanks to my amazing bride, friends, family and medical staff, this was caught early enough to make it very doable to heal without invasive shit.
These last 6 weeks have been emotionally and physically challenging since I didn't know what was up with me. I was able to put my new Mindfulness Practice and Sobriety from Unhappiness to the test and with only a few moments of losing presence, have stayed wonderfully peaceful and happy through it all. I even bought an annuity for my bride as well as helping her understand all the finances, passwords, accounts, etc. in the remote case that I wouldn't be here for her.
New lifestyle....more cardio, 30 minutes a day for at least 5 days a week. Drop Coconut Oil, high fat yogurt, eggs, fatty dressings, barbecue, and reduce animal protein even more. Envision my LDL, blood pressure and artery plaque reducing greatly over the next 3 months before I am re-evaluated with blood work by my cardiologist. (man, it feels weird to actually have a cardiologist.)
I am so excited to use this information to get healthier. I have a new passion for heart-health and Life in general. I have spent 40 years of my life dealing with anxiety, sadness, addiction, etc. I am now ready to have at least 20 years enjoying my new life of peace and freedom with all of you dear souls in it. We have lots of fun to have, lots of love to share and lots of performances ahead so I am gonna stay strong and healthy for us all. Thank you for being such a valuable, important part of The New Earth with me.
