A Look Inside

Here’s a secret. I have an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Its better known as the silent killer. Why? Because it exhibits no symptoms. They only screen for it if you are or were a heavy smoker. I’m not and never was. Apparently, I have a defective gene or two that do a less than stellar job of repairing my artery walls. So, they weaken and balloon. Mine is at a stage where a vascular surgeon will help me monitor and manage it. No repair needed at the moment.

So, you might ask, how did you find it. I complained to my heart doctor about upper back pain and asked about aneurysms. He scheduled an ultrasound. There it was. That was October of 2018. I’m now five ultrasounds in as we watch it grow. The odd thing is the upper back pain with an aneurysm only happens when it’s rupturing. Mine obviously wasn’t. I just lucked into a doctor who felt an ultrasound was a fairly inexpensive way to relieve my anxiety. Although, my family history might have played a roll. My dad, a smoker had one, and my mother died of a cerebral hemorrhage. Genes. It’s who we are.

Anyway, my doctor told me not to worry. I can still golf and exercise, although he said bull riding would be out of the question. That was a relief. I’ve always wanted a good excuse not to get on a mad bull and ride it. Now I have one. Plus, he said exercise lowered blood pressure and that was good. He also said there was no evidence activity caused an aneurysm to rupture. I guess this will now join my sciatic nerve as something I get to watch while I navigate this thing we call life. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to step outside and watch the sun rise.

John W. Wilson is the author of The Long Goodbye: A Caregiver’s Tale