Aorta

Aorta
The Aortic valve is the exit valve from the heart

Twenty odd years ago I ended up in the hospital because of atrial fibrillation*. Doc prescribed some meds, things calmed down and I went home. I've been taking the drugs ever since and my heart seems to be pumping along just fine. Doc also discovered I had an enlarged aorta. The risk is that a larger blood vessel is at greater risk of bursting due to high blood pressure**, so I take drugs to keep my blood pressure under control and I go in for an echo-cardiogram to make sure the aorta hasn't gotten any larger.

I had an echo-cardiogram today and the exam seemed a little more extensive than usual. She's running the probe over my chest, but then she goes around my left side, up to my neck and down towards my stomach. I always thought the aorta was only a few inches long and adjacent to the heart, so now that I'm home I gotta look it up and I find that the thing is a monster. Huh.

The first part of the exam was to check on a specific area, but the rest of the exam was 'protocol'. It makes sense, I suppose, if you are going to all the trouble to set up the scan, may as well make it complete. Who knows what kind of other potential problems you might encounter, especially on an old dude.

Old is relative. A friend of my wife went to work for a guy 20 years ago. The guy is 88 now. Who'd a thunk that starting work for a guy who is 68 years old could turn into a career? Still going, I dunno how strong, but still going.

* as opposed to ventricular fibrillation which is generally fatal.

** if the aorta ruptures I would be dead within minutes. Good way to go if you are going.