Met with Dr. Patel today to review the results from last Thursday's catheterization. Test showed 60-70% blockage in the left main coronary artery. We discussed options and he felt that bypass surgery was my best option. I asked him if he had ever heard about Dr. Ornish's reversing diet. He didn't and his main concern was that the type of plaque I had was a softer plaque that could break loose and cause a heart attack.
In discussing the diet and medication option, he felt that most people don't have the discipline to follow such a stringent diet. He doesn't know me! After all I was so obsessed with running in high school that I had a streak of running at least 2 miles per day with an average of 6 miles per day over a 800 day period. That's not missing a day in nearly 3 years, rain, snow, blistering heat and numbing cold.
He prescribed a beta blocker to lower my heart rate, aspirin and cholesterol lowering medication and was ok with waiting a couple months to see what affect the diet, exercise and medication program has.
I was leaning toward taking the doctors advise and scheduling the surgery and even went as far calling the Cleveland Clinic to get on the schedule, but told the Doctor I wanted to get a 2nd opinion and asked him to refer me to a good cardiologist. He recommended Dr. Bhatka at UH Geneva. Appointment next Monday.
Ok to start walking, but no sex or baseball. Bummer, the team was starting to win and I was really zoned in at the plate.
We've been on the Ornish program for almost a week now. Did cheat a little bit when we shared a grilled chicken breast in a salad. It's not too bad, grocery shopping takes a lot longer because we find ourselves reading the labels on everything. Pretty shocking that crap I've been putting in the temple all these years.
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