All a Flutter

My heart's been going crazy. I might have written about this before...if so forgive me but it's on my mind and my intended post--more pictures of the snowmobile climb--has to be delayed since I forgot to email them to myself. Anyway, a couple of years ago my heart started acting up. Maybe it hadn't been getting enough attention, I don't know, but every few minutes it would do some sort of wild breakdance move inside my chest. Kind of like a muscle spasm, except with a muscle spasm your nervous system doesn't send frantic messages all through your body, down your arms and legs, into your toes and fingertips. But when my heart, the most important muscle in my body, wants to make itself known, it screams at you in no uncertain terms. So I did the thing I dislike most--next to cramming salt and vinegar potato chips under my eyelids--I went to the doctor. He sent me to another doctor, so I got to do the thing I hate most twice in one day. This doctor hooked me up to a heart monitor and left me alone for awhile. As if it were auditioning for some sort of reality show, my heart danced all over the place. When the doctor came back, he looked at the read out and his eyes widened. He was actually surprised. I don't think a doctor has ever looked at me like that before. I guess he thought I was full of crap until he saw the proof on the little piece of paper. He told me I have some sort of arrhythmia. Not just any arrhythmia either. He told me the scientific name for it, but since it's in latin or martian or whatever, I can't remember it. What I do remember is that it only happens to old people. In fact, it was happening to Senator McCain at the time. So I can be a politition. Well, I guess the doctor didn't trust the machinery completely so he sent me to a hospital where I was to pick up a heart monitor and wear it for the next couple of days. I guess my heart got a little stage fright because it didn't do it again. Not once. They wanted to do some more tests but I didn't see anything wrong anymore. There was no longer any need to worry. My heart was fine. For two years. I did worry a little, though, when I got a message from the county saying that even though there was a shortage of flu vaccine that year, that I was on the high-risk list and could come and get my shot. But I didn't, of course.

About three months ago it started again. All the time now. About every thirty seconds it flippity-flops around my chest cavity sending those awful adrenaline signals throughout my body. Surges of electricity making my triceps ache. The thing is, I don't think there's anything to be done about it. I can go and wear the heart monitor again, but then what? Some horse pill with side effects? But then again, the thing is driving me nuts.