How getting a pacemaker is like getting sober.

The corniest nurse at St. Luke's Hospital cut the dressing into a heart. I could use more corny in my life.

I got a pacemaker a couple of days ago.  All those tests revealed a 2nd degree type 2 heart block so in to the hospital I went a couple of days later and now my heart beats every time instead of every other or every third time.  I can’t believe how much better I feel.  I’m in a little pain at the place where they implanted the device and a little tired from the trauma – but other than that I feel great.

I remember getting clean was kind of the same.  I hadn’t really noticed in the process of becoming an addict just how much worse things were getting.  I didn’t see the pain I was in because the slide was a little bit incremental – and for a long time the “benefit” of using, the temporary getting out of pain, deceived me into not seeing the problem clearly.  And then when I got clean and sober, I was in pain, because getting sober can be hard, but I was also so relieved.  I guess these progressive diseases are like that.  They sneak in and slowly destroy us while we aren’t paying attention.

Just like with getting sober, I am very fortunate and very grateful that help was available to me when I needed it.  I would never have been able to get this kind of treatment if I hadn’t had affordable health coverage.  The investment I made in attending school for a semester immediately paid me a 500% return.

Anyway – I’m home and I’m healthier and I’m bionic now.  Yay!