Wired

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Ever been monitored 24/7?

It's kind of a creepy feeling...but that's part of the 'let's see if we can figure out what's going on'  processes the dr. ordered.  So I'm strapped up to a little gizmo that transmits EKG data to a cell phone (which is much nicer than my actual cell phone) that can't be more than 10 feet away from the monitoring device.

Can you say bulging pockets?  Sagging overweighted waistbands?  Looking for my baggy mid-90's sweaters?

We're doing this for 21 days and I'm supposed to punch a button if I experience any more odd/fast pulse episodes...and then the technicians will call me on the cell phone to see what's going on.

I could see this could be interesting if those arrhythmias hit at inopportune moments.  And I may have to forego church choir while I'm wearing the monitor, as electronic stuff like that tends to mess with the wireless microphones on the platform.

But I've also been put on a low dose of some alpha/beta blocker medicine, and I can tell that I feel more, um, stable, for want of a better word, so who knows if I will even have another one of those episodes in the next three weeks.

All of this is an interesting counterpoint to the fast.  While I'm talking about health things, I might as well mention that part of the reason I wanted to go on an extended fast was to give my upper GI tract an opportunity to heal.  I've been really battling w/ acid reflux and an apparent hi*atal  h*ernia,  to the point where eating just about anything costs me sleep and comfort.

Which is making it relatively easy to fast.  I can't eat anyway.  Is that cheating? ;-)


I did a 3-week highly restricted fast a few years ago that brought those symptoms under control; I am giving it another try before going back to the GI dr for more aggressive measures.  So now you know the complete truth.  This is a spiritual fast, yes, but there's more going on.

Physical healing is one of the things I was seeking, even before all the other stuff happened.  And I believe I'm on a journey to that point, and that changes in diet and activity and such will be made, and I will come out of it healthier and more responsible.

So I will try hard not to complain for the next 3 weeks about the monitor.