Gratitude - Day 15

You know how you don't appreciate something until you (almost) lose it? Today I am grateful for a healthy heart. It's been a few nerve wracking weeks waiting to find out that my heart is healthy. I've always had an occasional irregular heartbeat and it's never been an issue. After Kelly went back to Iraq after Christmas I started having irregular beats many, many times a day. I went to my regular doctor and she ordered an EKG, bloodwork and had me wear a Holter monitor for 24 hours. When the results came back they showed that I was having PVCs and PACs which means that my heart is missing one pump, letting extra blood build up and then when it does pump I can feel it. So, she sent me to a cardiologist who ordered an ECHO/stress test. They did an extensive ultrasound on my resting heart and then had me on the treadmill, then did another quick ultrasound while my heart was still pumping hard. The result was that when my heart pumps blood to my lungs it sometimes misses one or two pumps. It is apparently not dangerous, quite common and doesn't require any treatment (unless I choose to). So, I was given clearance to go about my life without any restrictions with instructions to come back if it gets worse and having a follow-up appointment in one year. After all this, I am very thankful for my healthy heart!