We Love You, Heart!

Brain cancer is...

 

Darrell's Heart:   Video Version Link

...giving us opportunities to appreciate more organs.

Today Darrell didn't wake up saying, "It's going to be a great day."  He woke up saying, "It's gloomy and doomy out there."  He was referring to both the weather (Come on, rain!) and to the prospect of another doctor's appointment.

Third day of the week, third appointment.  Dr. Park recently noticed a heart murmur, so today Darrell went in for a baseline echo cardiogram.  Many people have heart murmurs (including people in Darrell's family), and murmurs usually don't require treatment.  We'll get results tonight or tomorrow.

In the meantime, watching Darrell's heart beat and his valves open and close (see video link, above), was awe inspiring.  We thought about how many times those valves have opened and closed during Darrell's 56 years, and even before he was born.  We love you heart!

We committed to doing something nice for our hearts today.  If you'd like to join us in this "I heart heart" day, try one of the tips in this article.  No time to read?  Let us share some of our favorites from the article:

• Eat dark chocolate.
• Take a walk.
• Hug a pet.
• Hang with a friend.
• Love someone.  (Selfie kiss, anyone?)

Optune Update

Optune Amy dropped by yesterday to upload Darrell's Optune usage data.

A mere 96% compliance rating.  No big deal.

For the Medically Inclined:  A Heart Valve Lesson

In Darrell's video, above, that white "flapper" you see moving up and down is his mitral valve.  The heart has four valves, one for each chamber, that work together to circulate blood throughout our bodies.  Check them out in in this 30-second animation.