Bad Ticker

IX XI catheterization/angiogram confirmed what I had been in denial about the last couple of years.  Like both parents and both grandfathers, I have heart disease.  A 90% stenosis (blockage) in the main artery, 4 or 5 others less so.  Explains a lot.  Angina - only aggravated by the large hiatal hernia discovered last November - and not caused by it.  Angina that has worsened in the last few months.

Cold feet and numbness; low HDL & high BP; frequent swelling of feet (edema); pink ankles; and evermore fall off of hearing (cochlea want blood!)  At least one bypass if not several seemed imminently ominous.  Enter the NP (nurse practitioner) for the head of cardio, who in answer to the question, "does 'natural bypass' occur?" (vessels are created around the blockage) said a blessed "YES!"  and that set us off on Bing and goo gull and Joie found this Mercola page  and  EECP or ECP - Enhanced / External Counter Pulsation.

(that's not me on the EECP table)


this is from few years ago

EECP
Basically during the resting part of the heart beat - the diastolic (lower) number of BP (blood presssure) - when the heart relaxes or unsqueezes - the large BP like cuffs on the calves, thighs and buttocks are inflated in that order - bottom up.  This makes it easy for blood in legs to go up into torso and to the heart and other organs.  The cuffs then quickly deflate during the next squeeze of the heart so they're not fighting the systolic pump of the heart - the larger number in BP reading.  It's all computer controlled and BP and heart rate and oxygen level closely monitored throughout the 1 hour session.

TOO MANY DONUTS - NOT ENOUGH ASANAS (YOGA)
We found an EECP Practitioner with Cedar Valley Cardiovascular Center in Waterloo, IA - 2.5 hours north of Fairfield.  It is generally recommended to do 35 1 hour sessions - 1 / weekday for 7 weeks.  Like many patients, however, I'm going for 2 sessions per weekday - AM and PM - to get it done in a month.  The treatment is FDA approved and Medicare pays.  (About $5,000 compared to $70,000 to $400,000 for bypass - depending on how many one has done.)

BUT
(and this is where you come in, dear family and friends,) as it is 2.5 hours to Waterloo, Big Kitty and I need to move to Cedar Falls (10 miles from Waterloo)  for the month and stay here:
Suburban Extended Stay Suites - About $2500 for the month.  My SS and food stamps (EBT) will cover other expenses, so I'm asking for $3,600 for a little "what if?" planning/prevention.

Most ECPers experience good results by 18-20 sessions.  If I haven't then Plan B is to start scheduling ByPass.  Whatever you can give to help me out will be graciously received and Joie and I will send out little thank you gifts.

Peace and Love
Jim Morrow