Cardiac Kid

It sounds almost suicidal to talk about food after a sobering visit to the cardiologist. 

I had a nuclear stress test Friday and thought that this morning's visit was going to be a perfunctory sign off for my pending knee replacement.

But what can I say, I got no clearance, Clarence. 

Apparently there is some arterial blockage in my lower heart area that is going to require an angiogram and further remediation of some sort. 

The upshot is that there will be no new knee in the foreseeable future for yours truly. 

They were not sure that my heart could make the trip. 

Nervous Nellies.

They like to use a bunch of big words and try to scare you but I know their game. Here is half the list anyway...

1. Dyspnea on exertion

2. Abnormal nuclear stress test

• left heart catheterization (SURG)

3. CAD, multiple vessel

4. Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation

5. Hypertensive disorder

6. Mixed hyperlipidemia

• Leqvio 284 mg/1.5 mL subcutaneous syringe

7. Bilateral atherosclerosis of carotid arteries

8. LVH (left ventricular hypertrophy)

I ain't a scared. That's all you got? You know who you are talking to?  Pffft. Truth is, I have been a bit lethargic of late so maybe a cardiac tune up is in order? First thing I did after calling Leslie was to make sure I could still do the Santa Barbara show I was going to have to previously miss on my three month knee recovery hiatus. 

I called Gae and she assured me I still had a booth. Cool. Show must go on. Architectural Digest is coming, want to look good.

Kind of weird to think I could have heart problems with my careful and almost monastic diet but hey, if Adele Davis can get sick, so can I. 

Might have a short stint with a stent or two, we shall see.

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Speaking of food, after my meeting with the nurse practitioner (not the cardiologist, haven't seen her for about four years because she has been in the baby making mood and ready for yet one more maternity leave) I high tailed it over to Frazier Farms to pick up something for Leslie and saw this lady in the hat.

I applaud her sentiments and conviction.

After I drove to a market that Valerie had told me about. She knows that I love whitefish and tribal food from the diaspora.

It is called European Food Market. 

She actually goes to the one in Poway but this sister location is on Oceanside Blvd.

It is known online as Fish delights. 

She buys pate there.

Here you get an idea of some of the stuff they carry.

This is not a big place, Poway might be larger but it was sure chock full of wonderful and unusual fare.

I ended up getting a large smoked whitefish, a large piece of unsliced belly lox, cheese blintzes and smoked salmon pieces. 

Very reasonable actually. 

There are shelves of really cool looking dumplings, danish bacon, lots of pickles, definitely want to go back one day with my wife.

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She brought some wonderful things from the market home too. 

We had elk sausage and lamb basil sausage tonight which were both fabulous.

She made a great salad and marinated cucumbers.

I am having a premonition that I will be seeing a lot of salad in my future.

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BigDave is flying down tomorrow, we are going to catch the first game of the Padres Cubs together.

He is sort of a jinx, Cubs always win when he shows up, hope to break the spell.