Author: noorali

Well, I am home now. I have been grounded by my cardiologist. I have to stay off work for two weeks and then get back to normal activities slowly.

If you read my column last week, you will recall that I was suddenly taken ill and admitted to the intensive care unit of the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital (MHRH). I went there on a Tuesday. I was diagnosed with unstable angina. On Thursday, I was flown by air ambulance to Foothills Hospital (FHH) in Calgary.

Unstable angina is a condition in which chest pain occurs at rest or minimal activity because coronary vessels are narrow and the blood supply to the heart muscle is compromised. But the heart muscle is not damaged as it would have happened if I had a heart attack.

Within an hour or two of arriving at FHH, I underwent coronary angiography. This is an imaging technique in which X-ray pictures are taken to visualize the inner opening of blood filled structures, including arteries, veins and the heart chambers. My angiogram showed two areas of narrowing in the right coronary artery. Immediate angioplasties and insertion of two stents were carried out to keep the blood flow to the heart.

Angioplasty is carried out by inserting a balloon-tipped catheter (thin tube) in the diseased narrowed blood vessel. The balloon stretches the blood vessel improving blood flow through it. A stent is a mesh of thin metal which helps keep the blood vessel open.

On Thursday night I was kept on Unit 103B of the FHH for close observation to monitor for any complications like chest pain or bleeding from the groin where the catheter was inserted. My stay was uneventful. Next day I was transferred to Unit 4W substation at the MHRH for more observation and blood tests. I was discharged on Saturday.

I was lucky that I did not have a heart attack or a stroke. I was fortunate to have everything done in five days. In Calgary, within 24 hours, I was seen and taken care of by four cardiologists. The staff in the angiogram room, Unit 103B (FHH) and 4W substation (MHRH) and paramedics in Medicine Hat and Calgary took excellent care of me. I am grateful to them and other health care workers who do an excellent job under difficult circumstances.

What do I have to worry about now?

It is important to remember that coronary angioplasty and insertion of a stent is not a cure for coronary artery disease (CAD). Research shows that narrowing in the coronary artery will recur within six months in one out of five people who have had coronary angioplasty. My aim will be to prevent this from happening.

How can I do that?

I should try and control the process called atherosclerosis. Athero in Greek means paste and sclerosis means hardening. In atherosclerosis, there is a deposit of fatty substances, cholesterol and other substances to form a plaque which makes the blood vessel narrow. It is usually a slow, complex disease that typically starts in childhood and often progresses when people grow older. Like arthritis, it is a progressive disease.

The underlying risk factors for atherosclerosis are: family history of heart disease, high bad cholesterol (LDL), exposure to tobacco smoke, high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, obesity and physical inactivity. The only risk factor I have is bad genes. I cannot change that. My LDL is within normal range but my cardiologist wants me to reduce it further. This can only be done with pills. I am not obese but I can afford to lose some weight. Otherwise, I don’t have other risk factors.

It is hard to predict the future. I am getting back to normal slowly. I have received many messages of good wishes and that has helped in the recovery process. Staying at home means I have more quality time with my family. I am enjoying that. See you in couple of weeks.

Start reading the preview of my book A Doctor's Journey for free on Amazon. Available on Kindle for $2.99!

I am sitting in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital and feeling sorry for myself. I am not here as a doctor but as a patient. An impatient patient!

The other day I was driving to work and felt unwell. I reached my office and felt my condition getting worse. So I turned back and went straight to the hospital emergency department. I was stabilized and then admitted to ICU. The attention and care I have received from the wonderful doctors, nurses and other health care workers has been outstanding.

You see, I have been under the weather for the last couple of weeks. But like a typical male-patient and a doctor-patient, I was treating myself and postponing my visit to my family physician as long as I could. And that is a stupid thing to do.

In some of my recent columns, I have mentioned 2005 being a good year for me in many ways. I was lucky to have many wonderful things happen to me. I also wrote how I try to adhere to the principles of ELMOSS (exercise, laughter, meditation, organic healthy food, stress relief and no smoking). And my plan was to continue to adhere to these principles for 2006.

But somebody had different plans for me. As I drove to work that day, I realized I needed help. I could not postpone it anymore.

So here I am, lying on an ICU bed with oxygen prongs in my nostrils. Millions of cables running from my hairy chest (ouch!) running to the cardiac monitor. An intravenous catheter is in my right wrist. A name tag and allergy tag on my left wrist.

My vital signs are monitored every two hours. Thank goodness they don’t use rectal thermometers anymore. And not every patient admitted to the hospital needs an enema. That is called scientific progress.

My smiling nurses and physicians keep me stable and amused with their care and visits. My wife and children are concerned but very supportive and patient. Their visits are a great strength to me.

But I still feel miserable and sorry for myself. The invincible Dr. B is in the hospital again! I had to cancel my office and several procedures for the rest of the week. Some patients had gone through that ghastly bowel prep for their colon check in my office that day. They will have to drink the stuff again. I had to cancel several vasectomies for that week. These young fellows take time off and get themselves psyched up for the procedure. Now they will have to go through all that again. Several patients were to see me for consultations and follow-up. They will have to wait little longer.

But if I don’t get better now then I may not see any patients ever. “So doctor, heal thyself first,” says my doctor. Here I am trying to be a model patient. Trying to enjoy the wonderful care I am getting. I am also waiting for Calgary to phone as my internist wants me to have more tests and treatment which is available in Calgary. He has been making phone calls and we hope to hear from Calgary as soon as a bed is available.

I hope to be back at work very soon. Probably by the time you read this column I will be working. I hope to be back on my ELMOSS schedule. I hope to be optimistic again about 2006. I will consider this episode as a hiccup in my pursuit of happy and healthy life. Let’s think positive. Life could worse.

Let me end by thanking all the nurses, doctors and other health care workers who took care of me in the emergency department and ICU. I greatly admire the people who work in the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital. They do a good job. Keep it up. And now that I have shared my feelings and experience with you, I feel better already. Sharing is caring.

Start reading the preview of my book A Doctor's Journey for free on Amazon. Available on Kindle for $2.99!