It’s well into the afternoon of the third day of 90+ F (32+ C) temps with no air conditioning. I’ve just taken a cold shower to try to alleviate the obvious heat stress I’m experiencing. It doesn’t seem to have made much difference.
Continue readingCardiac concerns as a transgender woman
11 JulSomething I’ve been struggling with lately is the intersection of my identification as a trans woman and my recent diagnosis with cardiac issues. To recap that: I was diagnosed with AFib, POTS, and an enlarged aorta, among others.
Continue readingAFib Again
18 JunI spent a little over 3 hours in an ER today because of a prolonged AFib episode. I tried to wait it out for a couple of hours before giving in and going. I don’t think I’ll wait that long next time. I’m exhausted and I think I’ve triggered another fibromyalgia flare.
I’m home and resting.
Bradycardia episode
12 JunI had an episode this afternoon where for roughly an hour, my heart rate dropped to 30bpm. This is according to my smartwatch readout. You may remember that I have experienced some bradycardia in the past year, and it’s part of why I had a loop recorder implanted in my chest recently. Never before has such an episode lasted this long though.
Continue readingEchocardiogram
26 MayI had a transthoracic echocardiogram on Monday 20-May, as a followup to my cardiac diagnostics. They wanted to check on that enlargement of the ascending aorta, as well as the aortic valve calcification. Short story: Everything is stable.
Continue readingCough update
5 MayI made an appointment this morning and went in to Urgent Care. The cough had progressed from bad to worse.
Continue readingImplant surgery update
2 MayTL; DR: The procedure was quite uneventful. I have an implant (or as my heart sister called it, an alien implant) in my chest. It’s under the skin of my left breast, which is tender and sore at the incision site.
Continue readingNew doctors, progress update
6 AprI’ve made progress in finding new doctors since leaving Atlanta and settling here in my new home.
Continue readingLoop recorder implantation, and Shingrix
18 JanI called my insurance company (Medicare Advantage plan) about the procedure to implant the loop recorder. They quoted me a copay amount of $295. That’s the same cost as the (not yet rescheduled) echocardiogram.
Continue reading