Well, the internist called last evening with the echocardiogram results. There is a major number they use to determine overall strength of the heart. It is based on how much blood the left ventricle moves to the lungs with each stroke. It is called the ejection fraction. In a normal heart this is about half the blood in the heart so the fraction is set as a percentage, eg, 55%. Normal range is 55-70%. MY EF IS 15%. In other words I have a failing, if not already failed pump.
I think Mike was dumbfounded. I believe that he thought I had a strong heart. He might have even said that the EF from my last echo-c-gram was normal. I asked about pacemakers. Too late, they are based on a healthy heart. He mumbled something about looking at outside veins and arteries but that doesn't sound productive. I will hear more today after he and the cardiologist consult. I am guessing that once that left ventricle is injured it stays injured.
My own sporadic numbers reflect the downturn. More O2 readings below 89%--way below with HRs in the 30s,
I haven't yet asked the critical questions: how long? what kind of terminal event? etc.
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