kerthump, kerthump

On Wednesday, I went to Victoria for my cardiologist's appointment. Joelle (my friend who moved from Nanaimo last fall - the mother of Victoria's friend, Kanika) and Claire met Wanda and I at the hospital for a quick lunch before my appointment. We waited a bit in the office before the doctor came in, but what an enjoyable wait. The receptionist is French, from France, and her English is quite limited, but boy is she ever a hoot. The waiting room was full of people, and she had us all involved in a conversation and was passing out little candies to us. Finally, the resident called me in. He looked over the result of my echocardiogram, which was done three weeks ago, and asked if I had been notified of the results yet. No, wondering "what now". However, he had good news.

Explanation of an echocardiogram:

An echocardiogram, often referred to in the medical community as a cardiac ECHO or simply an ECHO, is a sonogram of the heart. Also known as a cardiac ultrasound, it uses standard ultrasound techniques to image two-dimensional slices of the heart. The latest ultrasound systems now employ 3D real-time imaging.

In addition to creating two-dimensional pictures of the cardiovascular system, an echocardiogram can also produce accurate assessment of the velocity of blood and cardiac tissue at any arbitrary point using pulsed or continuous wave Doppler ultrasound. This allows assessment of cardiac valve areas and function, any abnormal communications between the left and right side of the heart, any leaking of blood through the valves (valvular regurgitation), and calculation of the cardiac output as well as the ejection fraction.

My results were normal! Yeah. My ejection fraction is at 60%, up from the 45% it was when they detected trouble. Now it's back up to normal.


Here's another explanation:

A normal cardiac ejection fraction is between 45 and 60 percent. Any number lower or higher needs further investigation by your medical team. If your ejection fraction is below 45 percent it is an indication that you may have significant risk of heart attack because of weakening of the heart muscle itself. If the heart is unable to pump an adequate amount of blood to the rest of your body other organs are in danger of collapse. If your ejection fraction number is over 60 percent it is an indicator of high blood pressure. Your cardiologist will be able to determine the appropriate course of treatment. Early intervention will help you avoid a possible tragedy.

So I'm tickety-boo in the heart department. I still have the extra beat, but that is being looked after with medication.