Maybe you know this word. Me, I did not. So, I looked it up. Contraindications means something (such as a symptom or condition) that makes a particular treatment or procedure inadvisable... still not getting it, so I search further and find: For doctors, an indication is a symptom or circumstance that makes a particular medical treatment desirable. Serious anxiety, for example, is often an indication for prescribing a tranquilizer. A contraindication, then, is a symptom or condition that makes a treatment risky, such as taking certain other medications at the same time. Drugs and conditions that are contraindicated for a medication are listed on its label, and reeled off at high speed in TV ads.
How did I come across this word, you ask? It's in my new Medtronic Pacemaker Patient Monitor manual, of course! Last week, I had a pacemaker check scheduled, and my machine crapped out on me... wait, not the pacemaker! Just the monitor... lol. I went through the customer service calls, and yes, I had tried turning it off and turning it back on again. Anyways, I needed a new monitor. Today it arrived in the mail!
Who doesn't love mail?
I have to say, there have been plenty of times in my life where I've felt a bit down about my heart block. The 'why me's' can pile up. Tonight though, as I sat in the corner of my bedroom trying to manage and hide the new set of cords for my monitor, read through the manual, grasp how my machine and 4G even work, plus get my submission uploaded before dinner, I just chuckled through the ridiculousness of it all. Seriously, who knows what the fuck contraindications are and why there are no known ones for my pacemaker monitor?
I'm often in awe of the modern world and how little I know.
Tracy--Anyone who knows you wonders WITW (what in the world) you would do if did NOT have to contend with a pacemaker. (At least I imagine they wonder that.) Your joy is certainly not blocked. Your determination is not blocked in the slightest. Your laughter--how could that be blocked?
ReplyDeleteTech is amazing. Years ago my husband had a heart monitor on, and they called him and said, "You're having a heart attack. Get to the ER immediately." Hundreds of miles away (or wherever they were), they knew... Incredible.
I agree with Sioux--you're already such a whirling dervish of awesome energy; it's hard to believe you have to deal with something like this! You're awesome.
ReplyDeleteI think this has a terrific conclusion that broadens the piece and makes me reflect on all the ways our modern world is awe-inspiring and frustrating!
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