Hearty News

Yesterday, Doctor Mike came in to pick up his comics, so I asked him about my recent cardiac problems. He couldn't have possibly been more concerned or more helpful. "Come in to the office tomorrow... I'm working tomorrow, so come in," he said.

"I have a dental appointment to fix my crown at 9 in the morning and..."

"I don't care when you come in," he said. "You come in. I'll see you. We'll do an echo cardiogram, run some tests, try to figure out what's going on. Don't make an appointment. Just come in."

(Have I mentioned how doubly lucky I am to have the best cardiologist in the world and the best dentist in the world both coming by my store every week?)

So today, I saw Doctor Sturn, who took care of the crown thing in no time (and didn't make me have to taste that purple goop for very long at all), then I headed to Doctor Mike's office.

It was packed. SRO.

I went to the window, feeling a little sheepish.

"May we help you?"

"Umm... yes, please. I don't really have an appointment, but..."

"You're Mister Biggers," she said immediately. "I'll let the doctor know you're here."

I felt guilty, really, seeing all those people who were waiting... but I was also very appreciative.

A little while later, I was called in. Tests were run. Lots of tests. Echo cardiogram sensors were stuck to me, results were printed out, then it was done again. And again. "We want to be sure that we get it right," the physician's assistant said.

And then Doctor Mike came in. And while he couldn't tell me what had gone wrong, he could assure me that it wasn't life-threatening. No major problems, no new blockages, no severe damage. There were some anomalies, but they could be dealt with.

And when Doctor Mike says it, I believe him.

I now have a prescription for nitroglycerin. I didn't know that they still used nitroglycerin, but Doctor Mike says it's actually very effective for chest pain. (I told Charles that I felt like I should be in an old noir film, sitting in a room rich with dark judges' panelling, waiting to clutch at my chest and call quickly for the nitro tablets...)

And Doctor Mike told me that, if I have a problem again, I should call his service and tell them to call him. Not an assistant, not the physician on duty... him. "Tell them you're my friend and I told you to have them call me," he said. Makes me feel a lot more comfortable, just knowing that.

And while I don't know what is wrong, I have a better idea what isn't. And that's sometimes the best we can ask for, isn't it?...