Because this is February’s Heart Health Awareness Month, I will post more on my heart disease and me.

A month after my appointment with my cardiologist, I had some minor chest pains. I wasn’t sure if it was my heart or my Rheumatoid Arthritis. Before the heart disease diagnosis, I assumed the pain I had in my chest was from my RA or Costochondritis. But I wasn’t sure anymore, and that scared me.

I took Xanax the night before because of some heart palpitations. I couldn’t say that Xanax made me feel better. It made me sleepy, but the heart palpitations continued. I did have a coke yesterday, so maybe the caffeine from the coke soda could have been the culprit.

Regarding the chest pains I had, I took a couple of over-the-counter pain meds, and when the pain was still there after an hour, I called my doctor.

Three days later, I had my first cardiac catheterization. ( a procedure to examine how well your heart is working.) This procedure was outpatient; thank God I didn’t need an angioplasty or stent treatment.

I was nervous about the procedure, even though I read that significant complications are (Mayoclinic.org) rare; I kept thinking, what if something did go wrong? What then?!

On March 16, 2016, I got up that morning around the same time. With some anxiety, I laid back down for a few minutes. As I laid on my bed thinking about my pending procedure, I knew I needed to be positive. I read my bible and prayed to God that everything would be okay.

A nurse took me into a pre-operating room a few minutes after I checked in. While I was in this room, the nurse gave me a gown to change into, and then the nurse politely asked to empty my (which I didn’t have to do at the time) bladder. I was surprised that removing my dentures wasn’t necessary.

The nurse took my blood pressure and pulse (both were good); I wished my daughter was (in the waiting room) with me. Perhaps, had she been, I wouldn’t have started picking my (a terrible habit of mine) lips. I knew I needed to stop, but I couldn’t. Even after my bottom lip began to bleed a little, I couldn’t stop.

After all my surgeries, I should have been used to feeling or being so vulnerable, but I wasn’t. I trusted my cardiologist and God but didn’t trust my heart.

At the follow-up appointment with my cardiologist after the procedure, he informed me that the cardiac catheterization showed I had two blocked arteries, one on the right and one on the left side of my heart. The artery on the left side of my heart was 80% blocked, and the one on the right was 85% blocked. I was jittery; other than that, I can’t describe my feelings, but the plan was to continue taking a daily dose of Aspirin and my other heart meds. I was to continue exercising and eating better as well.

Part three coming sooner than part two.