Yesterday I attended the second part of my cardio appointment, where I had iodine dye injected into my blood stream and then the arteries of my heart were imaged. Before the procedure begins, most people receive a beta blocker to reduce their heart rate. I was a little concerned when told this as I’d jogged to the appointment, so I expected my pulse rate to be higher than normal. Maybe I’d have to have more beta blockers than usual. I mentioned this to the medical technician when he was taking my reading. I needn’t have worried. My heart rate was still only 50, which meant I didn’t have to take any beta blockers at all.

The process of having a cannula inserted in your arm and then dye injected is not one I’d care for on a daily basis. But it wasn’t too bad. There were certainly no lasting effects and I recovered quickly. While I don’t get the official results until I speak with the cardiologist in a couple of weeks, his assistant did call me later to tell me I got the ‘all clear’. Which means no blockages at all and zero chance of me having a heart attack, at least for the foreseeable future.

Another photo below from the prairies of South Dakota, taken close to six years ago today. Although I’ve highlighted the emptiness of the prairies with these photos, there actually are towns in the state – and nice ones too. It was a very pleasant state to run through, particularly the Black Hills in the western part.