A Health Experiment

NOTE: The following will be far too much information for any person to read.. So just be aware.

Yesterday marked the beginning of my 'no daily aspirin regimen' experiment. Why was I on a daily aspirin regimen in the first place you might ask? Well, this requires some back story...

I was born with what is called a Congenital Aortic Stenosis. In layman's terms, this means my aortic valve was blocked... by itself... when I was born. As in, it would only open less than a centimeter to pump blood through. To add insult to injury, I was born with a bicuspid aortic valve, which means there were only two flaps opening rather than the traditional 3 which come with an aortic valve. Long story short, I had open heart surgery at a very (less than 1 year) young age, and have been mandated to see a cardiologist every year since.

A few months ago I went to see my very first ADULT cardiologist (I won't get into why I am nearly quarter of a century year old and I was only just then seeing an adult cardiologist, but it has to do with fierce loyalty to the doctor who had seen me since birth... then he retired). It was very different and at the same time very similar experience to a pediatric cardiologist. They took my cholesterol (something ped. cardiologists do not do). They ran the same tests: echocardiogram, EKGs, lots and lots of listening to the heart. Then my new doctor asked, "Are you on an aspirin regimen?" To which I replied, "I didn't realize people did that at 23/4? Isn't that something old people do to prevent heart attack?" How little I knew.

He went on to explain that with my aortic insufficiency (the remnants of aortic stenosis of days gone by) and mitral valve regurgitation, and a host of other small heart defects, that it is best to be on an aspirin regimen, as these kinds of problems raise the probability of the valves calcifying and blood coagulating and me having a heart attack or something like it.

Thus the aspirin regimen began. And, shortly thereafter, so did the stomach pain and diarrhea once or twice a week. I went on like this for three or four weeks, always assuming it had something to do with the pizza I had eaten the night before, laiden with grease. Or the fact that I don't eat enough healthy stuff.

Finally, this weekend, as I was running to the bathroom every 30 minutes on Saturday night, when I had just had the same experience the previous Saturday, pre-engagement party (which I attributed to nerves about CB and I's families meeting), and then again on Thursday just before school started, I had a long conversation with CB about the problem (which he was already aware of long before this. We are very open to say the least). CB is in medical school. Second year, deep in the midst of a year long pathology course and microbiology course. He proceeded to tell me: Well, if it was after next week I could tell you more, since we learn the GI system then. Useful.

The next morning he called me with good news: He had been looking through his mail and stumbled upon his regular American Family Medicine Journal, and there was a supplement on over-the-counter meds. He was browsing the information and came upon aspirin, also known as NSAIDS. He read me the side effects of regular aspirin use: Stomach pain (check). Diarrhea (check). Blood in stool (check). Hmmm. Could there be a connection here?!

So I too looked this up online (I am so so scientific. Give me my MD now). And all the information I found supported CB's findings in the (more scientific and credible) medical journal.

Thus the health experiment was born. I will not take aspirin for 2 weeks (I know, my heart doctor mandated it, but quite frankly, I cannot keep running out of class and swallowing pepto bismol). Should the occurences subside, I will do the following:

A suggestion to alleviate the side effects of aspirin use by one of these sources said to take aspirin with a meal, and do not drink a lot of caffeine (eeeffffffffff. I am inclined to chose Coca-Cola over functioning heart valves. Okay. Not really.) So my plan will be to take the aspirin in the evening rather than morning, and I will take it with dinner. I do not drink Coke in the evening (or at least I won't when this plan is in effect), so hopefully the Coke I drink every morning will not negatively mess with me and my aspirin.

So there it is. My personal health experiment. Based off of a dire necessity to stop going to the bathroom.

If all of this fails. I have to go to the doctor. To have my butt examined. Neat.

IN OTHER NEWS.

CB had to perform a gynecological exam on a woman last week. A real one. Stirrups, speculum and everything. Contemplate that for a second. Most women would leave their significant other in a heartbeat for touching another woman in that way. I asked for details. (Much like I did when he had to give a breast exam to a woman last May). I am just dying to know what the experience is like from the doctor's (or trainee's) point of view.