Flu & Heart News

Road Trip Odyssey Part IV

My road trip involving the Mayo Clinic is on hiatus while I visit Nathan, Laura, & Calvin. Back to Mayo on SUN 1/21. Thursday turned into a pretty hectic day, because they kept squeezing in extra tests & consultations that hadn't originally been planned.

• Exercise Test:  I could tell that I was laboring much harder than was good. Sure enough . . .  the cardiologists saw evidence of a blockage or partial blockage, so I had a 2nd exercise test, which confirmed her suspicions. More on that later.
• Audiogram/Hearing Test:  I have hearing loss that is typical of those who worked around heavy machinery or who play music in their cars at decibel levels that would make a jet airliner proud. However, the hearing specialist said that my kind of hearing loss, which is pretty common, doesn't necessarily respond well to a hearing aid. He did suggest that I try a hearing aid for 30 days to see if it helped. We'll see.
• I had another exercise test. That's right . . . 2 in one day. Not only that, but in order to check out of the Grand Kahler Hotel & make it to the next appointment, I had to take 2 rolling suitcases to the car in the parking ramp, drive down to the curbside outside the hotel, scamper back up to my room on the 8th floor, bring the rest of my luggage down, then park in the parking garage again before hurrying back to the Mayo Bldg.
• The cardiologist felt that her initial finding confirmed a possible blockage. More on that later.
• I had my Executive Wellness Program exit interview w/Dr. Mikhail, who was my managing physician. He went over all of tests & consultations thoroughly & hinted that cardiology would most likely be in touch with me for another follow-up. 
• I finally left around 5:00, stopped to get a hamburger from McD's, & pulled into Nathan & Laura's driveway just minutes after 7:00. Calvin seems happy to see me.

While all this was transpiring on THU, I was working on a painful cough, which had started the evening before. I pretty much lost my voice, & didn't sleep most of the night. This cough was one of the worst I've ever had. More on that later.

This morning (FRI 1/19) I got a phone call from my cardiologist who shared her concern about the results of my exercise tests. Basically, she wanted to follow-up on MON with an angiogram. She explained the procedure to me & noted that she wasn't able to meet w/me to go over the results until next THU 1/25.

My original plan was to head back to Rochester on SUN evening, finish my tests & consultations on MON, then drive to Jackson, MN. My intention was to visit my Uncle Royce & Cousin Dan in Lakefield on TUE, before heading back to Norfolk. Well, that plan has been altered. Now I'll have the angiogram on MON, have more consultations that I couldn't fit in last THU, then wait until I see the cardiologist on THU.

When was I planning to get back to my cough, you ask? I went to an urgent care in Eagan this morning & tested positive for Influenza A . . . ironic since I had a flu shot this year. I came back to Nathan & Laura's loaded down w/Tylenol, OTC cough medicine, & tamiflu. Hopefully this will resolve itself in the next few days. When I shared this result with the cardiologist's nurse, she felt that it shouldn't interfere w/my angiogram.

Meanwhile, I am thorough fatigued, not to mention depressed over this turn of events.