Heart Check

I didn't announce anything, but since the first of the year I'd been experiencing heart palpitations. I thought they were likely a result of stress, and didn't give them much thought. As winter continued, I noticed them more, and out of curiosity checked my pulse during one such palpitation and found my heart racing. This concerned me a little, and Julie quite a lot. She got me into a cardiologist, who checked me out, drew a lot of blood, and diagnosed me with atrial fibrillation. This diagnosis came with several a significant prohibition--no caffeine. I had just been telling the kids the night before that my only two vices were coffee (the blacker the better) and chocolate (the darker the better). Just like that...gone! I was not happy.


I continued to train at my typical frenetic pace. During exercise, I wore a heart rate monitor (and have for some time). All other times, I was forced to wear a portable EKG monitor. It was a nuisance, as several times a time I had to send in a recording of my heart's activity. The real low blow came the week following Easter--my cardiologist put me on a beta blocker. No two words scream "middle age" louder than beta and blocker. My energy was gone. I was dispirited. Then came the coup de grace--a complete prohibition against exercise. Only "easy walking" would be permitted. I was wrecked. How do I go from 12 hours of intense exercise per week to none? I was more concerned that I might have a nervous breakdown quicker than a heart attack.


So, un-caffeinated, without the joy of chocolate to finish a meal, unable to exercise, and sleepwalking my way through the day on that goofy beta blocker, I had a vision of the rest of my life. It was a not a vision that possessed much greatness. Yes, I'm presenting this all rather melodramatically. Not life or death, to be sure, but these simple little things have been important parts of my life for a long time, and Julie will be the first to tell you that I don't transition through change very easily.


Today, I met with an expert at Loyola Hospital--Dr. Wilbur. He told me I don't have afib, but rather atrial tachycardia. No worries. My heart is fine. No prohibitions. I can drink coffee, eat chocolate, and exercise to my heart's delight (pun intended).


What is the moral of the story? One, always get a second opinion. Two, I appreciate simple things in life like coffee and chocolate. Three, exercise is not a hobby; rather, it is part of who I am. Four, I could live without all of it. I enjoy these things, but I could live without them. They are important to me and part of who I am, but they don't define me.


Finally, I have an amazing wife. She loves me, cares more about my body than I do, and is far wiser when it comes to healthcare (I told her after my first trip to the cardiologist that I had diverticulitis...honestly, I don't know how these doctors keep all these hard words straight).


In the end, I am reminded that God has given me a heart of flesh. On this side of heaven, I daily need to do a heart check. The Bible acts as a sort of EKG to gauge the health of our heart. It probes and finds those areas of disease that must be healed. Jesus always heals. This is the process of sanctification.


Tomorrow morning I am going for a run. Back home, I will make a beautiful cup of Ethiopian coffee, black. I will read my Bible (I read the passages as prescribed by the daily office). I pray the Lord's Prayer, and lift up those people and situations that I feel particularly compelled to lay before the Lord. I ask Him to give me the strength I need to get me through the day.


Tomorrow, I am going to be thankful for all these things.