Update on My Heart and Health

Yesterday I finally had the appointment with my new cardiologist Michael Smith.  He was quite engaging and very interested in hearing about Lake Almanor as it is an area he wants to visit so I gave him quite a spiel on that.  He told me he was sorry I had to sell my home there before I left.

Anyway end result is that the report given me from Utah was not accurate he said.  The echo actually was the same result as before but they interpreted it wrong.  He said I still have severe aorta valve stenosis and am eligible for the TAVR anytime I want it.  However, the procedure is determined more by symptoms I am having than the actual reality of the severity.  So I need to report if shortness of breath gets worse or I have any other symptoms.  

I should exercise more and keep up the walking and good eating and care, etc.

He was most impressed by the lowering of my cholesterol so I explained about Dr. Serry explaining why I should try it and my internist talking me into at least 3 months.  I have always had a bad reaction to statins and since it did not help John I have not wanted to take them.  However, rosuvastatin has not caused any side affects and has really lowered my cholesterol!!!   So, been on it since fall 2020.  Feeling good!

Also numbness of hands at night is not poor circulation, from nerve damage like carpal tunnel.  Need to check.

Follow Up June 2.  I did see my Primary and she had me wear wrist braces to sleep at night to prevent my hands from going numb and voila, no more numb hands.  She also approved me for physical therapy and possible surgery on my carpal tunnel hands and made an appointment for the evaluation on June 16 at Torrey Pines Scripps.

Follow Up June 15,  Monday a scheduler from Torrey Pines called and said since I lived in Carlsbad wouldn't I rather have my appointment in Encinitas.  I said I had figured Encinitas did not have the therapist and so I was sent to Torrey Pines.  No, she said they did and I could call the number which she gave me and get scheduled.  Since I was looking at more than one appointment I agreed to do it.

However, when I talked to Encinitas scheduler it was made clear to me that they were short on therapists and had intentionally sent me to Torrey Pines and since I had cancelled the appointment they could not help me get it back.  (The scheduler had put on the form I had wished to cancel the appointment and as if she had nothing to do with it.) When I explained to her what happened she said she would have her boss call me.  I actually got two calls of apology and explanation but they were so short I would have to go back and reschedule.  We are talking another two weeks, month?

So next day the Torrey Pines therapist wrote on my Scripps Internet Chart and said she was sorry I had cancelled but if I still needed help she was there, just not for awhile.  I sent an explanation back and then I decided I did not want to be traveling by Uber for my appointments all the way to Torrey Pines while Linda was gone after the last experience I had with that so I wrote back and said I would just handle my problem with my braces etc and not do activities which caused pain.  After all it is not as if I have a job on the line or anything.   I do not have to correct carpal tunnel surgery at 90 years of age.  I just avoid things and handle the problem.

But what this Torrey Pines Scheduler did to me by phoning me and having me reschedule without direction from anyone because she assumed she knew what she was doing is one practice I drummed over and over to my loan processing assistants...NEVER ASSUME.  Too often an assistant does not want to appear that she does not know everything so she gives out erroneous information and it causes problems for everyone as it did this week.  Never Assume you know, IF YOU ARE NOT SURE, SAY YOU WILL GET THE CORRECT ANSWER AND CALL THEM BACK AND/OR NEVER CALL AND DIRECT A CLIENT UNLESS YOU HAVE ABSOLUTE KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT YOU ARE TELLING THEM.