Heidi ~ May 30

 

The cardiologist blows into the room like a wisp of fresh air.  The minute he sees our masks he retreats:

 

“I will get a mask.”  Kelly is already sold. 

 

Back he comes, a bouncy short guy with spiky hair.  He is 55 according to the internet, younger than my daughter who is here for a long list of issues associated with long covid. While we were waiting, just the walk across the hall to the bathroom and back set her to breathing heavy.  Noted: I must be sure to let the doctor know that.

 

Kelly’s weight has been increasing substantially since lymphoma, chemo and covid all of which have kept her virtually immobile for over a year now.  Once neat and dressed to flatter her shape no matter what her size, she now wears baggy pants and a worn hoodie.  There is a creak when she sits on the exam table, her 190 pounds making a dent.  All that weight must be adding to her heart stress, I think.  Another stone in the worry bucket for me.  I so want to say something about it to her, as if she hasn’t noticed, as if that were the worst of her concerns, as if she could exercise her weight away when research has shown those little energy cells, mitochondria, misbehave with LC and give out with the slightest exertion.  If only I could fix her by telling her the obvious.  So, I hold back.  

 

The Good Doctor is interacting with Kelly.  This is going well. He is very cheery, almost too cheery.  He repeats himself a lot, but is totally supportive and validating of Kelly’s complaints, self-diagnosis and efforts so far.  Especially when it comes to POTS, sending him off into stories about patients with POTS who suddenly fall down in a variety of circumstances and there is one young girl he can’t her get to do what she needs to do and he clearly cares about her and is frustrated that she doesn’t comply and therefore keeps falling down.  With each patient story his voice rises and his face flushes.  

 

Back to Kelly.  

 

“You are doing a great job addressing POTS” he repeats as Kelly hands him a salt supplement she is taking.  “You are doing all the things I would tell you to do.”  Kelly, doesn’t mention the naturopath, and neither do I. This is all going so well why introduce a thorn in the medical system. 

 

Kelly will get an ECHO heart test to check for underlying heart issues.  As cheerful and caring as the bouncy doctor is, that is all he has to offer so far.