Taking One Day At A Time

Now I guess I need to update everyone on my health situation, after moving to Tennessee I had to eventually find a healthcare provider.  I did some medical auditing at first so I was able to find a good primary care physician much like the one that I had left in Kentucky.  She is very nice and like all good physicians really listens to me about all my health concerns. I was referred out to a cardiologist for my heart problems and a neurologist for my migraines, than over time I started to see a diabetes specialist /endocrinologist.  Although I see all my doctors on a regular schedule the main one is my cardiologist who had been wrestling with my high blood pressure issues since my move to Tennessee, along with edema in my lungs and after my blood sugar kept shooting up I was referred to the diabetes specialist to try and lower my A1C which at its highest was 11.3 I believe.

In other words once I moved to Tennessee my health seemed to take (at least to me) a significant downward spiral. In the beginning, I felt like stress from the move along with my new job and having the Federal investigation still lingering was really taking a toll on my health and causing my medical conditions such as my CHF to increase, as I already knew I had heart problems and was well aware that my diabetes was uncontrolled. Needless to say as my health started to deteriorate, my CHF issues caused me to be placed on FMLA so that I could have more time off as medically necessary. For the most part I felt like it was a balancing act, work, doctor appointments, medicine changes and feeling bad was all just a part of it. 

After the company I worked for moved to our new facility, I had noticed that it was harder to manage my medical issues and I had started having chest pain more than I ever have had before. I was struggling to juggle my medications, work and health issues when I found out in December about the settlement and I remember thinking how much of a blessing this was since having the settlement should take some pressure off of me and it definitely did but just because you have some money in the bank doesn't mean your health issues subside.

This year definitely began on a good note, having settled the case and now being able to move on with my life. However by late March I was complaining even more of chest pain and my cardiologist was finally able to talk me into a CCTA in which to look for a blockage. I remember going to pick up the test results and reading it for myself >70 percent in LAD,  I remember thinking immediately that even with my limited medical knowledge I knew what that meant I needed intervention. Surely this was what had been building and causing my pressure issues. I remember thinking I had no real choice now but to allow my cardiologist to do a heath cath, get a stent / bypass or whatever was necessary to get this blockage taken care of.

Now normally you would think this might be when I say .. so just to let you know I am now doing fine and tell you about how well the surgery went .... well you would be WRONG!

Well I did have the heart catheterization but it definitely didn't go as planned.  After all the talking I had done with my cardiologist and the plans to put a stent or do a LIMA LAD.  I was told that it was less than 70% and no stent was placed.  I was told that I would still have all my medical problems as before.

To be exact my cardiologist stated that it didn't mean I couldn't have a heart attack tomorrow or next year but at the present time nothing was done. Lets just say I was not a very happy person, looking back  I still feel as though I shouldn't have even had that surgery because it was for nothing I should have just waited until I had a widowmaker (LAD) heart attack and taken my chances from the time I had learned I had the blockage on April 5th, because all the surgery did was add to my medical expenses.

So that pretty much catches you up to where I am now.. except .. here is a little more information.. So I am still not working, a long story but I will tell you short term disability is a rip off, they haven't paid me a dime because even though I put in for my short term due to the fact I was having surgery on a the new diagnosis of a blockage found in my heart they are trying to judge it to be pre-existing due to my chest pain.  So take it from me don't ever take out short term disability because they will do everything in their power not to pay you for the time taken, even my physician says the same thing and he even wrote a letter on my behalf stating that the time taken was based on a new diagnosis (not pre-existing) Anyway, I have filed an appeal and I am still waiting to hear their decision.

The doctors are all trying to adjust my medications and I have been trying to manage my health better since I'm not working. I must confess I feel as though I have been doing better after all not working has allowed me to relax from the stress, take my medications and basically get some much needed rest. I know the blockage is still there, and I still have all my issues but I have had much less chest pain while being off work, which I attribute to the lack of exertion (couch potato lifestyle).

I guess that is where I will end things for now.. I don't know what the future holds but I can only hope I still have some time here on earth before that heart attack comes for me.. Keep me in your prayers

The End.