Hey everyone,

I hope you are all fine.

I would like to tell you about the little device that goes with me wherever I go (except in the shower because it is not waterproof!). This little white box that beeps from time to time is called an oximeter (or saturometer, or even SpO2 monitor).

It is usually used to measure the level of oxygen in the blood. It’s a small clamp-like with a screen that you place on a finger (usually your middle or index finger). I don’t use it to check my oxygen level because it’s good and I don’t have any problem with that. But it allows me to see my heartbeats and to check my condition. It reassures me, it gives me some control over the course of my pericarditis.

I used to run three times a week. Without being an athlete (far from it), I was in my best shape just before I got sick.

For those who are familiar with running or endurance sports, you have probably seen or used a heart rate monitor. It is a device that athletes use to record their heartbeats and calibrate their workouts. It is a black elastic strap with a sensor that is placed on the lower part of the heart. The watch screen, which is the second component of the device, indicates the heartbeat for a workout in a specific exercise zone. The disadvantage of the heart rate monitor is that the strap compresses the rib cage and causes pain when the pericardium is inflamed. Better to avoid any form of chest compression.

To avoid this inconvenience, the solution I have adopted is to use an oximeter to monitor my heart rate. In addition to the heartbeats per minute, it shows a small graph representing the succession of the heartbeats, like small blue waves on the tiny screen. I easily got an oximeter from a drugstore. He hasn't left me since then.

I make absolutely sure to keep my heart below 100 beats per minute. This is the limit that should not be exceeded when you have pericarditis. It also allows me to see if I'm having extra systolic beats because the little blue waves get irregular. It’s a way of keeping my condition in check. It is reassuring, but also encouraging to see that there is progress, that each day brings me closer to recovery.

ONE DAY AT A TIME. SLOW DOWN.

Pericordially yours,

Vali