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She gets rhythm

3 comments on She gets rhythm

She gets rhythm

: Everybody think nice thoughts today for Instawife as she gets heart catheritization to try to fix an irregular heart beat, a condition I share (and so did Tony Blair until he had the same procedure). I’m on a new ($5 per pill) medication called Rhythmol that (knock on wood) is helping. Glenn is in the hospital at 5-something-a.m. blogging; it’s one way to stay sane while waiting and waiting and waiting. Good luck, Reynolds.

: UPDATE: Here’s the latest from Glenn on Helen; it’s not over yet; damn.

3 responses to “She gets rhythm”

  1. Mumblix Grumph Avatar
    Mumblix Grumph

    I had that done last year.
    It was a bummer. Forget about getting something to make you relax. They want you nice and nervous so the cells responsible for the erratic heartbeat are easy to spot.
    I was on the table naked for over three hours, wide awake and buzzed on stuff designed to induce the erratic beat.
    They cut into my femoral artery and poked about 6 electrodes up into my heart. They jostled them around FOREVER to get them placed right.
    They had an oldies radio station playing during the festivities. I started to wonder if I would die on the table and what would be the last song I ever heard.
    I hoped to God it wasn’t “MacArthur Park” by Richard Harris.
    Then they started zapping away.
    That part hurt like a sunuvabitch. They forgot to tell me that part in the pre-briefing.
    The groin shave was an unexpected treat too! Having a surly orderly wielding a razor that close to the old shtuka was a real thrill. I’m surprised that that the buzz bomb was still needed after that.
    UGH…anyway, after a year, I’m still good and the stutter beat is gone.
    I hope her day is as succesfull as mine was.

  2. Howard Owens Avatar
    Howard Owens

    In the closing days of August 2001 — I’ve told this story on my blog a couple of times, actually — I came home one evening with a new stereo. And while carrying components up the stars, my heart started to be irregularly. I’d had short episodes before, but nothing like this. Still, we went to go see Dave Alvin in Santa Barbara that night (the concert was released on CD as “Out in California”), and I sat there all night feeling uncomfortable.
    When it was still going that way by early afternoon Saturday, I went to the hospital.
    Stay over night. They were ready to give me electro shock in the morning if it didn’t return to normal. That sounded very scary to me. Fortunately, about 6 a.m., my heart started beating regularly on its own.
    The doc said, lose weight, cut caffine and sugar, exercise.
    I joined the gym the following week. Then 9/11 hit. The turmoil of those few weeks have always been linked for me. It was the most radical turning point in my life where so much for me changed.
    The doc put me on beta blockers, and that controled the arhythmia. What really seemed to do the trick though was going on Atkins, losing about 40 lbs, and really cutting out the sugar as a result. A bit more than a year ago, the doc took me off the pills and I’ve been pretty much fine since.
    Doc tells me though, it will come back. But some day soon they’ll be able to do a little arthoscopic procedure where they go in and snap the cells in the heart that cause the arhythmia.
    For those who might be reading this wondering about any dangers associated with arhythmia — no danger of heart attack, but if left untreated, could lead to stroke.
    Of course, my thoughts and prayers are with Glenn’s wife and my best wishes to you Jeff in treating your own case.

  3. Cara Lyons Lege' Avatar
    Cara Lyons Lege’

    I have been in atrial fibrilation for almost three years. I see my cardiologist every three months. Each time I ask him if I should be seeing other cardiologists who specilize in rhythms, etc, he brushes me off. Not rudely, but implies that there is nothing they can do.
    I am distressed and don’t know what to do.
    I posit that if I were in imediate danger, he would suggest alternatives in my treatment.