True Blue Sam the Travelin' Man: Bradycardia Blues

David aka True Blue Sam

The cardiologist at Deaconess was a disappointment. He wasn't interested in the ekgs and notes from the family doc and the ER doc. He said they must be wrong. He told me to slow down and get help for doing my outdoor chores. It was a real bum's rush, or GOMER. Get Out of My Examination Room. He took my pulse at my right wrist for 30 seconds, gave a quick listen to my chest, and that was the extent of my exam.

My personal EKG machine is showing VPB Bigeminy...Ventricular Premature Beats, Bradycardia and Arrythmia. You can feel it beating in your chest, irregular and palpitations. Not good. Deaconess will be getting a review from me about their guy. My rate jumps around from the 30s to the 40s, but it drops to 28 regularly with palpitations. I will have to talk to another doctor.... Oh Well, or words to that effect.

I am going to return to normal activities and take my own ekgs throughout the day to document what the heart is doing. Thank goodness for the Internet. A person has to be their own doctor nowadays.

David aka True Blue Sam

I will see a cardiologist later this week, and I am behaving myself. Low blood pressure, highly variable pulse, palpitations, and weak legs remind me to not do anything stupid while I wait to see the doctor. No Grinding for a while!

David aka True Blue Sam

Take it easy, give dogs some lap time, try to move up doctor appointment. No Grinding! No Driving! Slow walking.

Second-degree (incomplete) heart block: With this type, your heart’s impulses only get to the lower chambers some of the time. The types of second-degree heart block are:

Type I, also called Mobitz Type I or Wenckebach’s AV block: This is a less serious form of second-degree heart block. The electrical signal gets slower and slower until your heart actually skips a beat.
Type II, also called Mobitz Type II: While most of the electrical signals reach your ventricles, every so often, some don’t. Your heartbeat becomes irregular and slower than normal. This form of second-degree heart block is more serious and may warrant a pacemaker.