Yesterday, I had my 6 month visit with my cardiologist and these visits are not just contingent upon my age but because in 2009/2010, I had 5 stents put into my heart arteries on the left side (3 in the LAD) to avoid having a triple bypass performed.
My Cardiologist suggested that I have a STRESS TEST to ascertain if my stents were still doing their job and/or if other blockages had formed that may be hindering my ability to perform physical tasks that I had previously attributed to my sedentary lifestyle resulting from constant fatigue as a result of my 13 year battle with cancer and on-going cancer treatments.
So... I have 20 days to prepare my body for this physical test that only lasts 6 minutes. But, since I have been sitting around for the last 6 months, I am not sure if I will have the physical strength to complete this test... so, a gradual build-up my my endurance will give me a slight advantage... at least I am hoping.
What saved my life in 2008 was the fact that I was healthy and tiny vessels to carry blood had been created by my own body to compensate for the blockages. For the last 13 years, I have continued with my healthy eating so I am hopeful that those tiny vessels are still there and are still operating effectively.
If my stress test shows no additional blockages, my Cardiologist only wanted to see me once a year, but I objected to that because of my ongoing battle with cancer and the fact that cancer treatments can impact the functionality of the heart... so, we agreed to continue our 6 month visits.
You have to take charge of your own healthcare sometimes and not always listen to these doctors...
