WHISTLING BY THE GRAVEYARD

For the past few years my cardiologist has been telling me that I need to eventually have surgery on my carotid artery. His estimated blockage ran from less than 50% to almost 80%. The last number comes from the last visit, where he sent me on my way to visit a surgeon, to have an evaluation and do the surgery.

The cardiologist used the tried and true method of a Doppler scan on my neck, reads the results or the technician tells him the results. Upon reading this, he sends me to a medical center for another set of scans and blood tests. After the results he tells me the scan shows almost 75% blockage! Off I go to a surgeon, who sends me for an MRA, which is just like an MRI, and asks that when I get the results, to bring them to him on a disc.

I go back to the surgeon expecting to make a date for surgery. They will either cut the neck directly or use a tube that runs from my body to the blockage. This is risky since if anything gets loose, it can run to my brain and I have a stroke. I choose the first option. He decides to do one more scan, in his office and I wonder: “Why the heck do I need another scan, the fourth one of the same area?”

I have the san and wait for the surgeon to come into the examining room.

“I have some good news and some good news!”

Me: “Give me the good news first!”

“You don’t need surgery! They were reading it all wrong, confusing the inner carotid artery with the outer one, the one that runs to your brain. The inner one runs to the face, and we never touch that, but the one that runs to your brain shows less than 50%!

The nightmare is over, no more worry that an operation was necessary, one that might have interfered with my trip to see La Principessa (my gorgeous granddaughter) which would have crushed me.