Pondering Mortality
If you've been following my blog for a few years, you might remember that I have seizures occasionally. If you haven't, or want a refresher, check out this post. And this one. Once they figured out it was seizures, they put me on medication, and I haven't had a seizure in over a year now. (Yay!)
Before they figured out it was seizures, when it was just syncope, I was referred to a cardiologist, who did a bunch of tests and found some issues, but none of them would cause the syncope, so I kind of dismissed them. He did put me on some medications though, and I've continued to take them, and yesterday I went to the office for a yearly check up, kind of wondering why I bothered now that I know that the syncope episodes were seizures, and not heart related. Now I'm wondering if I should have paid more attention.
One of the tests that the cardiologist did at that time was a test for Lipoprotein (A) The doctor gave me another copy of the results from that first test yesterday. I remember him telling me at the time that it was high, and that it meant I had a greater risk of heart attack or stroke, but it didn't really sink in for some reason. Yesterday I really looked at the numbers. The ideal amount of Lp(A) is less than 75 NMOL/L, moderate is between 75-125 NMOL/L, and high is anything greater than 125 NMOL/L. I have 172 NMOL/L.
Lipoprotein (A) is a type of cholesterol (similar to LDL) that clings to the sides of the arteries and causes blockages which lead to blood clots, heart attacks and strokes. Everyone has some amount of it in their blood but to have a high amount of it is genetic. The amount doesn't change much over the lifetime although there is an increase when a woman hits menopause. It isn't affected by diet or exercise. And there is currently no medicine to treat it. (See here for one of my sources and more information.)
The current treatment involves lowering other factors that can lead to cardiovascular disease. This is why I'm on cholesterol lowering medicine even though my normal cholesterol is already pretty low. It is because of the high risk of having a stroke that my cardiologist recommended that I take aspirin every day.
Yesterday, the cardiologist recommended that I come back in six months so they can do a test to see how much blockage there is in my carotid artery, and he suggested another ECG in a year.
Ever since I left the doctor's office yesterday, I've had the thought rolling around in my mind that the life ahead of me could be short. I knew a man who passed away suddenly just a couple months ago from a heart attack, and he was maybe ten years older than I am. That's young! All this has gotten me thinking: What do I want to do before I die? What things have I been putting off, thinking there will be plenty of time later? What should I be spending my time focusing on? I'm not really morbid - I don't expect to die in the next few months, or even in the next few years, but what if I do? What if I die in a car accident today? What do I not want to leave undone?
Before they figured out it was seizures, when it was just syncope, I was referred to a cardiologist, who did a bunch of tests and found some issues, but none of them would cause the syncope, so I kind of dismissed them. He did put me on some medications though, and I've continued to take them, and yesterday I went to the office for a yearly check up, kind of wondering why I bothered now that I know that the syncope episodes were seizures, and not heart related. Now I'm wondering if I should have paid more attention.
One of the tests that the cardiologist did at that time was a test for Lipoprotein (A) The doctor gave me another copy of the results from that first test yesterday. I remember him telling me at the time that it was high, and that it meant I had a greater risk of heart attack or stroke, but it didn't really sink in for some reason. Yesterday I really looked at the numbers. The ideal amount of Lp(A) is less than 75 NMOL/L, moderate is between 75-125 NMOL/L, and high is anything greater than 125 NMOL/L. I have 172 NMOL/L.
Lipoprotein (A) is a type of cholesterol (similar to LDL) that clings to the sides of the arteries and causes blockages which lead to blood clots, heart attacks and strokes. Everyone has some amount of it in their blood but to have a high amount of it is genetic. The amount doesn't change much over the lifetime although there is an increase when a woman hits menopause. It isn't affected by diet or exercise. And there is currently no medicine to treat it. (See here for one of my sources and more information.)
The current treatment involves lowering other factors that can lead to cardiovascular disease. This is why I'm on cholesterol lowering medicine even though my normal cholesterol is already pretty low. It is because of the high risk of having a stroke that my cardiologist recommended that I take aspirin every day.
Yesterday, the cardiologist recommended that I come back in six months so they can do a test to see how much blockage there is in my carotid artery, and he suggested another ECG in a year.
Ever since I left the doctor's office yesterday, I've had the thought rolling around in my mind that the life ahead of me could be short. I knew a man who passed away suddenly just a couple months ago from a heart attack, and he was maybe ten years older than I am. That's young! All this has gotten me thinking: What do I want to do before I die? What things have I been putting off, thinking there will be plenty of time later? What should I be spending my time focusing on? I'm not really morbid - I don't expect to die in the next few months, or even in the next few years, but what if I do? What if I die in a car accident today? What do I not want to leave undone?
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