| Complications are winning this time
. Since 2002, diabetes, coronary and peripheral artery disease have observed certain rules over me. Diabetes stayed within 6.5 to 7% A1c while CAD and PAD blocked one artery at a time with a respectful interval of about 5 or 6 months before getting another stent. I excercised, dieted, quit smoking, retired early and moved to the peace of North Carolina forest lands. I've been on a full regimine of pills and blood tests every 3 months. For that, I got a 3 year reprieve from seeing the inside of a cath lab.
. That ended September 11. Had the familiar angina at rest which wouldn't go away after a few nitro's. Called 911, ER visit and got stent #10 the next day in my right coronary artery(RCA). And I new it was going to happen before hand so I didn't take metformine on the 11th. Good thing too because metformine and the dye used during a cath are tough on the kidneys.
. Normally, that would be the end of the story for at least a few months. But not this time. After doing the stent thing, the doc had a little dye left so he checked a few other arteries. Got an 80% blockage in the right iliac which explains why I get those pains in my upper thighs and buttocks after a little walk. Told the wife about this because fixing it will be a scheduled one day thing at the hospital. We've done that a few times in the past, so nothing new there.
. I didn't tell her about the doppler ultrasound of my carotids I had last week. It seems while I was getting time off from coronary blocked arteries, those plaque guys were busy elsewhere. Right carotid about 40%, left about 70% and the left vertebral is 100% blocked. I know that last one rather well. Six years ago I had a total blockage of the left subclavian artery which feeds the vertebral. Called Subclavian Steal Syndrome (SSS), which means that the blood for my left arm was coming back down from my brain.
. Did I mention that I also have a 70% blockage in my left femoral? Maybe that's called piling on.
. This Thursday I get to talk with the people in the vascular surgery department to figure out how and in which order to fix my problems. There's a good chance I'll get admitted immediately because they probably won't like the symptoms I have. Unfortunately, Thursday is also my wife's birthday.
. It looks to me like the complications of CAD and PAD played silently while I sat back and enjoyed peace and quiet. Now there's an added dimension: stroke, and quite frankly, that scares the s--t out of me.
. Here's hoping I get the same cheer leader type nurses I got last September.  | 
Love doesn't make the world go around, but it makes the ride worthwhile.
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