Hi, I have a vivid memory of walking alone when I was much younger, just thinking and talking to myself. I did that a lot back then. I was born a year after World War II ended, and I think I was about ten years old then, so this must have been in the mid-1950’s. …
Hi, Side Story: I found out I had AFib in April 2021. Following the pandemic, I wanted to get back into the gym, so I asked my doctor if she thought I was healthy enough to keep up that level of activity. I had been working out three days a week before that. She recommended …
Hi, About two weeks ago (9-12-2025), I had a TEE (TransEsophageal Echocardiogram) performed, which was the first step toward getting approval for the implant of a Watchman device in my left atrial appendage. Try saying “TransEsophogeal Electrocardiogram” 10 times really fast!!! The Watchman was approved and, on September 22nd, I underwent a minimally invasive heart …
Hi, Literary Update: I may be slowing down my writing (again) for a while. The has been an interestingly interruptive year for me, and I’m not sure how much writing I’ll be doing for the foreseeable (near) future. The medical stuff below will help explain why. The Medical Stuff: As you should know by now, …
Hi, According to the ECG they took a couple of weeks ago, I still have AFib. The amiodorone I have been taking (twice a day) kept my pulse rate within a certain range (which is good), but the AFib is still there. I’m supposed to see a specialist in a couple of weeks to talk …
Hi, Medical and Literary Updates: When this posts I’ll be getting ready to leave for an appointment with my cardiologist. I have been seeing him since May 2021 because of my A-Fib, which we were treating primarily with Eliquis (to guard against stroke). Periodically, he would check to see if the A-Fib had settled into …
Newsletter 053 – December 29, 2023 Hi, Yes, “Sticks and stones [and stone floors] can break my bones, but words shall never harm me.” In the previous newsletter I led you up to an incident I had (on November 14th, 2023), but didn’t describe the incident or the aftermath. This is another long one. Sorry. …
Newsletter 052 – December 8, 2023 Hi, “Old age isn’t for sissies,” as the saying goes. In the last newsletter I mentioned a major incident that may affect my working conditions for several months. Let me preface this by saying I’m okay, but temporarily limited in my ability to ambulate. This will be a two-parter …