During my first day, undergoing a lot of tests, technicians and nurses kept taking my pulse. Almost every time, they would ask, "Is your heart rate normally that low?" Yes, when I'm lying in bed, breathing slowly, my pulse is usually in the low 50s. Sometimes, it's even in the high 40s. I'm a runner.
This morning, a tech wheeled in an EKG machine, hooked up leads to chest, shoulder, arms, and legs, took a reading, and left. A little later the nurse came in and said there was some concern about my heart rate. During the 4:00 a.m. vitals check, my heart rate had been 48, and at 8:00 it was 49. She said they might move me to a different unit, one with telemetry, which means I would be hooked up permanently to a heart rate monitor.
"Does the unit have a treadmill?"
(Chuckle) "They don't use a treadmill on that unit."
That got my heart rate up. Here I had been proud of and encouraged by my low heart rates, and now there was a chance that having a low heart rate would cost me the ability to run.
Fortunately, the doctors are interpreting my low overnight heart rate as a return to a post-chemo normal, so it doesn't look like I'll have to move.
Joe,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the NSFM warning. Our family reviews your posts each evening during dinner and prays for your current needs. Last night, at your suggestion, we held off ‘till we’d cleaned up. Is it right to be laughing about someone vomiting during chemo treatment?
In addition to following your blasts each day, it has been wonderful to indirectly hear from many people who I’ve lost touch with over the years. Your many followers are a testament to your character.
You are a tribute to the term perseverance. We are here for you if you need us.
By the way, Bob has that low heart rate thing going too!
Mary