Celtics ☘️ Sentinel

  Women seem to generally see their doctors on a regular schedule. Men , conversely, often avoid medical pros like the plague . In my early 50's, I was one of them . But that changed. "Your first symptom may have been to drop dead!"  My story is not an uncommon one. It started with a hernia that needed repair . But my blood pressure was sky-high. And I had no symptoms . No surgeon would operate until that BP came down . My general practioner, David Spiegelman (Pepperell, MA at the time) was on it. The BP became controlled, and the operation was successful. Than came the high PSA - followed by a biopsy that revealed prostate cancer. Once again - no symptoms. The prostate was removed - followed by 37 sessions of radiation. This all took place roughly 19 years ago . However, four years ago , Doctor Spiegelman, during a routine exam, found that I had a heart murmer. Any symptoms, you may ask. NOPE! A cardiologist determined that I had "aortic stenosis", a clogg...

  Survival is not just about staying alive and healthy following physical attacks, illness and injuries. It also involves making the right decisions at the right time . I have had three medical conditions that could have been life-threatening , and NONE of those maladies had any symptoms. "Your first symptom may have been to drop dead" --- My thoracic surgeon Several years ago, my doctor picked up a very faint heart murmur and sent me to a cardiologist. The cardio specialist did some tests and determined I had aortic stenosis . My heart's aortic valve was clogged and would continue to get worse. That was the bad news. The good news was that by the time I needed a valve replacement, the operation could be done without cutting my chest open. The new valve would simply be implanted via an artery in the groin area. The procedure, known as TAVR , was done two-and-a-half years ago, up to which time I had ZERO symptoms. Prior to the operation, my thoracic surgeon told me what...

"Your first symptom may be dropping dead!" -- my thoracic surgeon I spent 4-plus years enduring aortic stenosis with ZERO symptoms until March 31, 2022 when I underwent TAVR (trans catheter aortic valve replacement). Aortic stenosis can occur when calcium builds up on the aortic valve and hampers its functioning. The TAVR procedure at Leahy Clinic , Burlington, MA, took a little more than one hour while I was awake and sedated. Four of us had the procedure that day and all of us went home the next day.  The key point here is that even when the issue became critical - and absolutely life-threatening - I had no chest pain, dizziness or breathlessness - all symptoms of severe aortic stenosis. I felt fine.  The surgeons were amazed at the amount of blockage at the valve site, but the outcome was near-perfect. My medical team and I expect near-full recovery very soon, unlike the three months required after open-heart surgery. Just a heads-up to my followers . If it helps even one...