Heart Month

The Canadian Heart and Stroke association have dedicated February as heart month. It's a nice coincidence with Valentine's Day and probably something that they considered in making their decision. Given the last few weeks, I certainly agree with their decision to make this heart month, but likely for different reasons.

This is the view from the cardiology ward at the Vancouver General Hospital, for both day and night. Starting late last year, my dad started to show symptoms of fatigue and loss of breath. Given his really good health, good living (no smoking or other bad habits) and low weight, it was really puzzling. After spending a great deal of time in doctors' offices doing tests, they diagnosed him with heart problems. He eventually went to the hospital to shorten the wait time for an angiogram, and because his condition was worsening, and then was shipped out to Vancouver General a few days later. After performing the angiogram, and much to every one's surprise, they determined that the blockage was too severe for angioplasty, and so he was scheduled for open heart surgery. He caught a break, and ended up taking someone else's surgical apppointment much earlier than anticipated.

I recall, that while I was in high school, before the days of reality television, the public television system broadcasted, for educational purposes, a real open heart surgical procedure. I'm not much for bloody things, but I was fascinated by the whole thing. They had two teams working on two separate surgeries- one for the chest cavity and one for the removal of a leg artery. They has an incredible amount of tools, even a small electric saw, to get through the breast plate. Now, I did look away when it was super bloody, and I do remember shuddering as they sawed, but it remains as a vivid impression for me today- which is saying something. It is, when you think about it, an incredible intervention, that today can extend your life by a great number of years.

On a detached level, I think that it is absolutely amazing that they can reach in, yank veins, sew them in a totally different location in your body, make it work, sew you back up, put you on your feet the next day, and send you home four days later with a few pills, and a lot of instructions. The machinery on the ward, alone is worth waxing eloquent for days. Medicine has indeed come a long way from inadequately treating simpler things (couldn' think of a good example).

On a personal level, I'm pleased that we live in the present day. The staff at Vancouver General Hospital were knowledgeable, friendly, and not at all adverse to answering a mountain of questions. Thanks to their treatment, and the skills of the surgeons (notably Dr Gravenstein/Bernstein), my father will likely be around to argue with me, and others, for a long while. For this, I am grateful.

On a final note, as we near the end of the month, I'd like to encourage everyone to eat well, manage your stress, exercise whenever you can, and take care of your heart as well as the hearts of the ones around you- not just for this month, but forever. Check out the Heart and Stroke Association web sites for new research, helpful hints and other matters.