And Now We Wait ...

I am sure that  the title could repeat itself 100 times in the days to come. After a diagnosis comes, there are long days of waiting, for insurance approvals, medical opinions to factor in, planning on the patient's part - and waiting and planning are, really, a luxury! Some people don't have that choice. Especially, with heart disease, most people get rushed in and under the knife to stay alive. So, this is really, just good. 

We repeated the echo-cardiogram on Christmas Eve, and the readings are right: my aortic velocity is 4.86 m/s (it's normal lower than 2.5 m/s - see this article for values), and the aortic opening is 0.5 cm square. So, all measurements point to one thing only: severe aortic stenosis which requires the aortic valve to be replaced. I guess I could cheat fate for only 40 years before I succumb to heart surgery. I will try my darnest not to "succumb", however, but to come out of it stronger and better. 

Right now, I made an appointment just with my cardiologist, to understand better of how soon we need to do something about this, and possibly to understand what kind of valve it's fitting for me to get. He will also recommend the heart surgeon on that appointment. 

I am a conundrum of questions and doubts, as there are no clear "winning" options for a stress free and doctor free and worry free valve: if we go with a tissue (animal or human) valve, it will require re-operation withinin 10-15 years, if we go with a mechanical (artificial) valve, it will require coumadin daily, which has a ton of side effects and many other health concerns because of heavy bleeding. Not something to take lightly. I am reading and researching all I can, but will know more on the 5th, when the next appointment is. I hope.

It's been a blessing to have some time off during the holidays, just to spend it with my husband and to really wrap our heads around this, but it's also given me much time to worry about things too - which is, of course, premature. 

I hope you all walk into the new year healthy, happy and if not, at least with a heart full of hope that miracles are possible! 

Happy 2016 to all! 

Back in the Roller Coaster

I have been meaning to post an update on my numbers but I keep waiting for more results to come, so I can make a complete post. But, this FH life is sometimes just a string of waiting moments; waiting for the results to come, and for the other shoe to drop, to know what the next step is to take. 

In the beginning of this month, I went in for my routine lipid and liver levels blood tests. The liver was fine, and the lipid levels were actually lower than in July - below - which is always a plus. The only thing I did differently is adding back the zetia to my drug cocktail. My new cardiologist seems to believe this definitely will help with the numbers. 

 

As you know, any improvement is a great thing in this world, so I was grateful for this. The happiness was short lived, however, as my annual echocardiogram was due also - where they are monitoring the regress of my stenotic aortic valve. The results from this test just came out this week and it's not looking good. There is a sudden drop in the area of the valve (from 1.1 cm2 to 0.5 cm2) and a sudden increase of the velocity of the blood through it (from 3.5 m/s to 4.86 m/s) - which my doctor considers to be "a huge jump". My angina symptoms are not worsened, however, and that's the only saving grace at this point. 

Usually, any aortic area less than 0.9 cm2 is considered dangerous and it begs for open heart surgery to replace the leaking/ broken valve. An idea which  I have been "playing with" for the past couple of days. It's living me speechless and numb at this point. 

I called for a repeat of the test, which the doctor was onboard with, so this is to be done tomorrow. And then, we wait and try to make a decision. 

Surely, not what I had in mind for food-for-thought material for Christmas and open hear surgery was definitely not on the menu for the new year. I'll try to stay positive, but it's hard, as the numbers and the statistics you read are pretty telling and grim. And, alas, there is no more "alternative" way around this - no more diets, meds, or lifestyle changes that can fix a broken valve. 

I hope everyone's load is light this Holiday season and into the new year! Be grateful for today. 

Crock Pot Goodness

I have been thinking about making something in the crock pot, as the season for it has come. I have never done anything without meat in it, so it took a while for me to wrap my head around what exactly would go well in there. The thing about it is - not all veggies are alike, and some of them are more tender than others. Some cook faster than others, so it was hard to come up with a recipe for a while now. 

So today, bed ridden with a cold and hacking up a lung, I just threw everything my weary imagination came up with into the thing and made some soup. Here's the recipe, if you want to try it - it came out pretty delicious:

Kale (mine was blanched and frozen)
Two cans of Northern beans, not drained
Baby carrots
Baby fingerling potatoes
Cherry tomatoes
Sweet potato and garden burgers, minced in the food processor, cooked with chopped onions - to add towards the last hour of cooking. 
Garlic powder, salt and pepper. 

It cooked for about 4 hours and the soup was bursting with flavor. I think in the crock pot the flavor lasts longer than in the regular pot, because there is less evaporation, and the ingredients preserve their shape and texture longer, as they cook. It was delicious! Just what the doctor ordered for this sick chest of mine. 

You want to make sure the onions are really soft and cooked through before putting them in the pot. Cooking onions or garlic in the crock pot makes the whole thing taste very metal-like, for some reason. I learned that the hard way, trust me! 

An Accidental Weekend, Some Cravings and a Leftover Aside

I sometimes worry I won't be able to find anything to eat when I go out, especially with company. You always have to "explain" yourself (because they ask, not because you volunteer) and you can hear the eye rolls as you go over the way you eat. But you know what?! Even in Godforsaken Utah, things are much, much easier anymore. And plus, you need to stay a little bit creative, too ...

I had a "team activity" at work on Friday, where they took us out to get cooking lessons. The way it works: we cook the food, after some instructions from a chef, and then, we eat it. On the menu?! A full menu called "Mediterranean madness": chicken kebabs, tabbouleh salad, tzatziki sauce, pita bread and baklava. I cooked the tabbouleh and the rest of my team cooked various other dishes, and then we all shared what we cooked.  I had a pita bread stuffed with tabbouleh and that was more than plenty.

What goes into tabbouleh: bulgur (a grain), tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, green onions, lemon juice, a bit of olive oil. The pita bread was made from wheat flour, and no dairy, eggs or soy products. I definitely recommend the wheat flour over the regular white for the pita, because the nuttiness of the wheat gives extra flavor to your dish.

Tabbouleh salad stuffed pita bread.

On Saturday, my husband and I went to one of the local chain sandwich places, one of those joints that makes a big deal out of using all organic and local ingredients. I was still a little nervous that something might be contaminated by some food that might make me sick, break out, and feel guilty about what I am eating (because of the fats). I ordered a minestrone soup, which was loaded with mushrooms, oddly enough, and it was delicious. In Italian tradition, though, it did have a bit too much olive oil floating on the top, though.

Then, I ordered the hummus plate, which was plenty delicious! I did not eat all of the pita, as it, too, had some extra fat I could taste. What can you do?! You win some, you lose some, right?!     
                                            

Hummus plate and minestrone soup at Blue Lemon

 
For Sunday, I was craving two things (I guess, continuing with my Mediterranean theme from Friday): pasta and baba ghanoush. So, I roasted an eggplant in the oven, and after draining it, I threw it in the food processor with some white onions, salt, pepper and just a teaspoon and a half of vegan mayo (Earth Balance brand, which I can only find at Whole Foods around here), and made this delicious spread. My husband had made some vegan bread, and the combo between the smoky eggplant and the fresh bread was amazingly tasty. Just what the craving asked for!

Baba ghanoush and fresh home made bread

 
For the pasta, I made a creamy tomato sauce, using rice milk, fresh cherry heirloom tomatoes and lots of garlic, fresh parsley, onion and dill, simmered on low for about an hour. I mixed the sauce with the cooked rotinis, fresh sweet peppers and frozen sweet peas and threw everything in the oven for about an hour. That was our dinner. 

                                  
                                    Baked pasta, veggies and creamy tomato sauce 
 
One little "leftover" note I forgot to blog about: we had lots of leftovers from our Thanksgiving dinner. And I usually love to re-invent the leftovers into some other dish, so we won't eat the same ol', same ol' dish all over again. My favorite re-invention this year was also the easiest one to make and so delicious: with the leftover mashed potatoes, I dumped some canned mushrooms into a Pyrex dish with the potatoes, mixed in some vegan cheddar cheese and lots of crushed garlic, and put it in the oven for the mixture to "get happy" for about 45 minutes. I just ate it with home made bread, just for extra comfort starchiness. 

 

Mashed potatoes and mushrooms casserole