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June 13, 2008
a heart beat from happiness
It's the responsbility of each to own their own mortality. But others do help us sometimes.
My locum doctor panicked recently when she saw my heart rate was only 43.
'That's quite low,' she said.
I did tell her that I exercised and that it was always like that - but she still sent me for an ecg at the hospital.
'That's quite low,' said the Australian nurse this morning, though she added that marathon runners have heart rates in the 30's. 'The heart is a muscle - the more it's used, the stronger it is.'
I like that. And then just as I thought we were done, she spotted something on the print out.
'I'm sure its nothing,' she said, 'but I do just want to check this with the cardiologist.'
Mmmm. Somehow, 'I'm sure it's nothing' doesn't cut much ice, when it's the heart, so I sat and prepared for my final weeks on earth, which I should really do more often. It was all about the nature of the goodbyes.
15 ninutes later, I was told that yes, it was nothing by the lovely Australian nurse - so the goodbyes must wait. In a way.
As I say, it is the responsibility of each to own their mortality. But sometimes - others do help.
Posted by Mr Bojangles at June 13, 2008 05:32 PM