In about 11 days I’m going to get up at about 6am (as usual), shower well, shave, brush my teeth thoroughly, and get dressed very casually to prepare to go to the hospital. I will not eat anything, since I am to be fasting since midnight.
My daughter, Christine, will arrive at about 7 to be my designated driver. She’s needed cause I’m gonna be knocked out for a procedure I’m getting. She’ll have to drive me home.
We will arrive at the hospital at 8am for a 10 am Esophageal Echo Procedure. —-Translation—- The cardiologist will, carefully, I hope, shove a probe down my throat to an area where he can observe via echo, the placement of the Amulet device which was implanted on my heart two months ago. To be effective, that device needs to perfectly occlude (cover) a specific lobe of my heart from which, studies have shown, almost all strokes emanate.
If it’s placed correctly, which is most probably the case, I will be well on my way to getting off blood thinners, medications which prevent blood clotting, the main cause of strokes.
Unfortunately, they also can cause excess bleeding, which is my current problem.
I’m already off Eliquis, a high-powered blood thinner. But, I’m still on Plavix (a lower-power blood thinner) until the Amulet is proven effective.
Caveat ——. The prior three paragraphs are my feeble attempt at explaining a complex medical procedure. I am not a doctor, nor have I ever played one on TV. So it may be all BS. But I tried.
The procedure is outpatient. I should be home by late that afternoon. Then Christine will be off the hook.
Hopefully, my cardiologist, who regularly saves my life, will talk with me about when, in the next few weeks, I can stop taking blood thinners altogether without high risk of stroke.
I’m only 85 now and my hope is to wear out at least three more 5 year batteries to my pacemaker. Think, I’ll make it??

Thank God for doctors.
Enuf.