It’s been about a month since I found out I have aortic stenosis. I’ve spent that time doing many things, including an Alaska cruise, from which I’ve posted a few photos on Facebook — the rest will get edited and posted RealSoonNow.

Despite the cardiologist’s clearance, I haven’t tried yoga yet. But golf class continues apace at West Valley (and I’ve even played nine holes with a friend and not lost by too much). However, I have had to make some modifications to what I do; for example, I can’t be one of the Stunt Doubles when we play that game at ComedySportz San Jose Rec League. And I’ve had to consider what this means to my job search; it’s clear that it’s not the time to look for an immediate full-time gig, though I am continuing to meet with people (I hate using “network” as a verb) and go to classes.

On the medical front itself, nothing much has happened. I don’t feel any different than I did before; I’ve had one consultation with the cardiologist, and am planning to meet with another one for a second opinion. Yesterday,I had my first call with my nurse from Empire Blue Cross (the insurance company), which was very helpful; I haven’t made it through all the material she sent! I’ve also been researching thoractic surgeons and hospitals — the best hospitals in the area are at least 30 minutes from home, so it would be nice to be able to use Good Sam (5 minutes from home), but having a successful outcome is far more important than anything else. More research looms.

The next active step is an angiogram, sometime in October; that’ll let us know whether the surgeons have to do anything else for sure while they’ve got the hood open, and I guess that will also let us know if we can wait until early next year, which would be my preference at this point.

I’ve had a lot of support from friends and family, which I greatly appreciate; having knowledgable friends is a real boon!

A few years ago, I happened to have completed a vigorous workout at the JCC just before visiting my doctor for a routine checkup. When he listened to my heartbeat, he heard a murmur, and referred me to a cardiologist. She had me do a stress echocardiogram, decided that there was nothing to worry about, and asked me to come back in a year. I did; that time, she only did a stress EKG, and sent me on my merry way.

A few weeks ago, I was at the JCC for Body Sculpting class, where we had a new instructor, who added quite a bit of cardio to the mix. One of the additions was a quick run around the room; I was surprised to feel some tightness in my chest while I was running. But if I slowed down a bit, all was well. And it didn’t happen every time. But I did make a point of mentioning it to my doctor at this year’s routine checkup. He decided that it needed to be investigated; a chest X-ray showed nothing (whew!), but something about my EKG didn’t look quite right, so he sent me back to the cardiologist for another stress echocardiogram, which happened yesterday.

They started by wiring me up, then doing some baseline measurements and getting a baseline echocardiogram before putting me on the treadmill. It seemed like the process took longer than it did on my first visit, so I wondered what was going on. When the cardiologist came in, she and the tech conferred for a bit, and then she told me that she wasn’t sure I should take even the test — that my aortic valve was clearly not opening fully. But then she decided she’d get more data by putting me on the treadmill, so away I went.

Taking the stress test is a lot like playing a coin-operated video game — the machine is going to win, it’s just a question of how long you’ll last. This time around, I made it to the fourth level (16% grade, about 4 mph) before the doctor stopped the test; my heart rate was up around 150, and I was starting to feel a little tightness in my chest. Right after the test, they took another echocardiogram, and that confirmed the diagnosis: I have symptomatic aortic valve stenosis, which means I have surgery in my future. Not, fortunately, the immediate future, but probably within a year or two.

In the meantime, I’m excused from the classes I’ve been taking at the JCC and from giving blood; I also need antibiotics before I visit the dentist. But I can continue to do aerobic exercise (as long as I stay below the point of discomfort), and I’m cleared to try yoga (but not pilates) and to continue to frustrate myself with golf. What could be better?

Needless to say, I have lots of research to do before making any decisions, including where I want to be treated (and making sure that my insurance plan offers choices). I am very glad to have time to make decisions on this one!