Stuff Happening With Me

Tuesday morning, I will go in for an angiogram on my heart. This results from a series of tests that docs have been running on me in the past few weeks. It started with the recognition by my primary care doc that the electrical circuitry in my heart appeared to be off. (Just a routine exam…)

That led to stress test, holter monitor, etc….

The result of that is the discovery that my heart apparently beats a whopping 20,000-more times a day than the average heart should. (Who knew?)

There are no physical symptoms of this, whatsoever. My heart rate is good. So is my blood pressure.
But it is troubling, to be sure.

So, Tuesday morning is an angiogram.

If it shows no blockages, then by process of elimination, it’s an “electrical problem.” The heart doc seems to think there’s a decent chance this is all it is. The evidence supporting this view is that the extra beats seem to go away when I am exercising. (That’s apparently a good sign…)

However, the troubling part is that the *pattern* of my extra beats is one that often indicates blockages. So, hmnn…thus the angiogram. That’s the gist of it.

So, we’re looking at one of these options:
a) Electrical problems…which means a short hospital stay Tuesday, and further treatment down the road.
b) Blockages…which means stints literally that day, and maybe staying overnight.
c) Blockages, which means surgery later on.

Needless to say, this has all been unfolding rather quickly.

Dennise, me, and my parents will be at the hospital at 6 am on Tuesday morning. I’m supposed to be in the procedure by 8 am. (arrival time, 6 am). We’re choosing not to say which hospital at this time, since I may only be there a few short hours. If I must stay overnight, we’ll let you all know more.

We’ll probably post updates to Facebook as we know more on Wednesday. Several clergy friends will be with me Tuesday morning, and I’ve asked Mary Clair to hold down the fort at the Church. We will be giving out info to Northaven through her.

So, point is,  asking for your prayers and happy thoughts.

More soon.

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Eric Folkerth is a minister, musician, author and blogger. He is Senior Pastor of Kessler Park UMC United Methodist Church in Dallas, Texas. Previously, he was pastor at Northaven UMC in Dallas for seventeen years. Eric loves to write on topics of spirituality, social justice, music/art and politics. The entries on this blog reflect that diversity of interests. His passion for social justice goes beyond mere words. He’s been arrested at the White House, defending immigrants and “The Dreamers,” and he’s officiated at same sex weddings in his churches, in defiance of what some believe is Methodist teaching. Eric is an avid blogger and published author, and 2017 recipient of the prestigeous Kuchling Humanitarian Award from Dallas’ Black Tie Dinner. (Human Rights Campaign) Eric has led or co-led hundreds of persons on mission trips around the globe, to places such as Mexico, Haiti, Russia, and Nepal. He has worked with lay persons to build ten homes, and one Community Center, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Dallas. He’s a popular preacher, and often tackles challenging issues of social justice in his writings and sermons. His wife, Judge Dennise Garcia, is a State District Judge for Dallas, County. As judge of the 303rd Family District Court, she consistently gets high ratings from area lawyers, and was named “best judge” by The Dallas Observer. First elected in 2004, she was the first Latina ever elected to a county-wide bench in Dallas County, and is currently the longest service district judge in that district. She was re-elected for a fourth term in 2018. They have the world’s best daughter, Maria, and an incredible dog, Daisy. Find links to Eric’s music-related websites, at the top of this site’s navigation menu.

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