Guess what? MS doesn't cause all my health concerns

I was lying on my side watching the ultrasound monitor show my heart beating. I started laughing as I thought to myself, “Wow! That’s my heart on that there Tee Vee!”

So, my heart is beating. That’s good, Doc.

So, my existing minor heart condition—mitral valve prolapse—is confirmed. That’s fine, Doc.

So, I have a slow heartbeat. That scares the hell outta me, Doc. What do you mean?

So, the normal range is 60 to 90 beats per minute and I checked in at 30 to 35. What can cause such a dreadful heartbeat, Doc? Tell it to me straight. I’ve been diagnosed with having MS. I can handle it. And my lovely wife, Jennifer, I know she’ll be strong enough for both of us. What did I do to deserve this?

So, yes I do exercise. I run about 40 minutes three or four days a week, Doc.

So, that explains, justifies and excuses my slow heartbeat, Doc. That’s, good, I guess.

Seems like much of my health care is a guessing game.

Recurring lightheadedness is what led me to the doctor today. Every morning when I squat down to help Jennifer put on her socks and shoes, I get a rush of blood to my head when I stand up. The rush has been hitting me harder lately to the point I’ve had to pause several seconds to get my bearings and avoid passing out. Turns out it has a lot of potential causes, including:

·      Mitral valve prolapse – I’ve had this relatively minor (at least for me) heart condition that flares up only when I’ve had too much caffeine

·      Improper diet ­– I’m a fully active person (40 minutes at least three times a week) but sans breakfast I eat the same foods as Jennifer, who stringently adheres to her Weight Watcher diet to lose weight

·      Multiple sclerosis – That darn chronic disease of the central nervous system I’ve lived with for nearly 10 years

Oftentimes people who have MS are quick to pinpoint the disease as the cause of every health concern. MS is powerful; I’ll give him that. But I’d hate to think he’d get the best of me by taking all the credit for an entirely treatable symptom or condition that I missed out on fixing simply because I erroneously chalked it up to MS.

What I appreciate about my family physician is that he is willing to pause, assess the situation and make an educated medical guess, or hypothesis, if you will.

So, we started with the heart. I have one more heart exam tomorrow in Midland, and as luck would have it, my regular six-month check-up with my neurologist also is tomorrow in Midland.

Is my lightheadedness caused by my heart or my MS? Maybe one. Maybe the other. Maybe both. Maybe neither.

But I have a qualified physician and neurologist on my side. And their educated guesses hypotheses are better than mine.