Welcome to the second episode of 2024. Today, I will revisit a post from my first blog titled “From Grievance to Gratitude”. As we dive in, let’s see if I’m still that guy who was so full of resentment. I don’t think I am, but I’ll let you be the judge.
I'm Ken Boone and this is my Podcast, “MUCH MORE TO SAY”. On our last episode, I told you how my podcast will be closely aligned with my blog. For example, every third Wednesday, I will publish a music-themed episode, followed by a music-themed blog post two days later, with a link to a YouTube video. On the fourth Wednesday, I will recap the events of that month, which will align with my “News, Notes & More” blog posts that I’ve been publishing every fourth Friday since July 2023. I promised to share more with you on this strategy in the coming weeks. This episode is based on an old blog post titled “Doctor’s Orders”, that was originally published on January 13, 2020, while recovering from Congestive Heart Failure. For me, January means it’s time for my annual follow-up medical appointments. This routine started back in early 2020, shortly after my first hospitalization. Initially I faithfully followed my doctor’s orders, I began to feel like I was visiting my local Jiffy Lube. That’s because it seemed like they are always trying to upsell me on things beyond the normal “stuff”. For example, last Wednesday, I was sitting in the waiting room of my Nephrologist. I was there because they needed to draw and test my blood for any abnormalities. It wasn’t his idea to put me through this battery of tests. In fact, after reviewing my prior lab results, he asked Celia and me why we were seeing him in the first place. The reason went to see him was that my new cardiologist was concerned about my slightly elevated Creatinine levels. The heart guy even stated that I have Stage 3 kidney disease, which is absurd. My kidneys have acted a little quirky since I injured them from a fall when I was five years old! I got my lab results the next day. I was happy to learn that my numbers were better than my prior results. Even my Creatinine numbers went down, although still slightly elevated. I have a follow-up appointment, with a Physician’s Assistant, to go over any next steps. I have an appointment with my cardiologist in a couple of weeks. But before I see him, he’s urging me to get an EKG and a stress test. While I’m open to the EKG, I balked at taking the stress test. As both my current and previous cardiologists said, there is no evidence of heart damage. They just want to rule it out. But the idea of taking the test is enough to raise my level of stress. I’m not going to go through all of that just so Dr. D can check off a box! Don’t get me wrong. I’m grateful for all the excellent care I’m still getting. Because of them, I lost over 60 pounds of bloat and can move around freely without tiring. My AC1 levels are still within the normal range, meaning that I’m at a low risk for diabetes. But I must maintain my regimen of exercise and a healthy diet, along with faithfully taking my meds. A lot has changed in my life in the past four years. I no longer must hear cardiologists using phrases like “treating this like I had a cancer diagnosis”, “trying to make me comfortable”, and “circling the drain” to describe my condition, treatment, etc. I no longer look and act like someone who doesn’t care if I live or die. Just like my friends in 12-Step recovery, I am taking suggestions and seeing positive results. I’m still addressing what is going on between my ears. To me, that is still the hard part, but I’m not giving up. One way to ensure success is to stick with my three resolutions for 2024:
When one of my healthcare providers insist that I do this or that because they want to “rule something out”, or simply “check off a box”, I remember Celia telling me about how my father-in-law, Dr. Louie, successfully practiced medicine decades ago. Back when he was in practice, many of the miracle drugs and procedures in use today were either in their infancy or hadn’t been discovered yet. In other words, his toolbox was rather limited. He had to rely on a lot of intuition to better serve his patients. Which leads me to the story of the old guy and the lawn mower. This story has been an inspiration to me, and I refer to it each time I’m encouraged to do or take something that gives me pause. It reminds me that sometimes good instincts beat all the bells and whistles that modern medicine offers us today. Dr. Louie once had a patient who was in Stage 4 Congestive Heart Failure. I was in Stage 2 when I got my diagnosis in 2019. And I believe that his patient was much older than I was. And, as I mentioned previously, the good doctor had less tools to work with than my doctors had. But that didn’t stop Dr. Louie from taking care of business. During my health situation, my cardiologist prescribed several legacy medications, mainly because they were much less expensive while still effective. Dr. Louie’s patient was prescribed many of the same drugs. Why? Because they work. While I was hospitalized, the resident cardiologist was aggressively trying to push me to purchase and use a vest that ejected ink whenever my heartbeat was irregular. To me, it seemed less like a medical device and more like a dye pack they use in banks to combat armed robberies. They wouldn’t even tell me how much it costs to purchase, or lease. Who would blindly fork over hard-earned money for some gimmick. Back then, Dr. Louie told his patient to get a manual push lawn mower and simply cut his grass. That may sound strange, but there was a method to his madness. All of this took place in Asheville, NC, a city located in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Since the terrain is not level, just by walking the property pushing a human-powered mower gave his heart a strenuous workout. Following that advice, I walked my way to good health. When I go shopping, I park as far as I can from the front door just to get the extra my steps in. I also take as many trips up and down the stairs in my house, since I learned that doing so helps with my heart rate as well as my blood pressure. And you know about how often I ride the stationary bikes at the fitness center. All those activities act as a stress test that I’m passing. So, what happened to Dr. Louie’s patient. Not only did he mow his lawn, but he mowed the lawns of his neighbors. And he lived for another 20 years, in good health! If it was good enough for him, who am I to argue with success? Parting Shots Unfortunately, I never got to meet Dr. Louie. He passed away years before Celia and I met. Everyone says that we would have really liked each other. He sounds like someone I can really look up to. Although we never met, in a strange way I consider myself one of his many adoring patients. That’s especially true when I’m visiting one of my actual health care providers. It seems that near the end of each visit, a suggestion is made for me to take a certain test, or try a different medication, or make an appointment to see a certain specialist. When one of those suggestions is made, I thank them and tell them I’ll consider their suggestions. When I get home, I talk it over with Celia. Then I ask her, and myself, what would Dr. Louie prescribe? Then I’ll decide to either comply or politely blow them off. Today's Quote “The soul always knows what to do to heal itself. The challenge is to silence the mind.” Caroline Myss – American Author
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About the HostKenneth E. Boone, Sr. is a writer, podcaster, music lover, sports enthusiast, and retired accountant. Archives
May 2024
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