My first visit to the cardiologist after my valve job was uneventful. That’s a good thing. My weight, a day after dialysis with shoes on and everything in my pockets, is 191.6 (87 kg)—dead-on my dry weight. My blood pressure is 130/90 and my heart rate is 80; both high because I have white-coat syndrome. Get me near a healthcare practitioner and my blood pressure and heart rate both skyrocket. The cardiologist listened to my heart and lungs and said all was well—no murmurs in my heart.
I’ve got to go back on 31 May for a baseline echocardiogram and see the cardiologist again in six months (after that it’ll likely be every year). Not to carp—I’m grateful for the care I’ve received—but how hard would it be to schedule these things together, with one co-pay instead of three? A sign-off from the cardiac surgeon, a sign-off from the cardiologist, and a baseline echocardiograph all happen in the same building and could easily happen simultaneously or at least in adjacent time slots. If you’re in a service business, why not schedule for your client’s convenience instead of maximizing revenue.
I’m pretty sure the cardiologist was the last practitioner that had to sign off on my valve job, so even though my chest still hurts—and will for quite a while—all in all it’s great to have survived a successful healthcare procedure in America. And one from which I’m apparently no worse for wear.
As of about a week ago, I seem to be back up to near normal. It’s the Radiators tonight, Bob Weir’s flying saucer debut tomorrow night (I’m really looking forward to seeing/hearing how the Meyer Sound Constellation models for internet streaming), and the Radiators again on Saturday night. Then it’s all downhill through August.
The hospital bill for the valve job came a few days ago. It’s pretty shocking. US$18,060 for room and board for eight days; US$11,326.15 for the pharmacy; US$15,473.21 for medical/surgical supplies; and so on for a total of US$101,700.56. My health insurer gets a hefty discount (more than 30 percent). I’m so glad I’m not paying retail and so fearful for those that are.
0 responses. Comments closed for this article.