I’ve been cleared to fly. I’m shocked and amazed. And on the train to the Gatwick Airport.

I’m headed to New York, where I’m going to meet up with my father and in a few days fly down to Argentina for a cruise. I tried to reschedule it when the doctors in Poland advised against flying, but we were past the cutoff for getting credits or refunds¹ so I mostly wrote it off. But when I saw the cardiologist in the UK first time, they were more open to the possibility. Not positive, but at least neutral. So when I booked the follow up visit, I made a point of scheduling it before my flight was leaving. And I scheduled it as late as possible to give as much time as I could for recovery. That was a day ago.²

So yesterday morning I had an echocardiogram, and in the afternoon I had a video call with the cardiologist. I’m not much better, but neither am I much worse. The clot in my heart is still there but it’s smaller and, more important, it’s sessile meaning it’s not floating around singing “Wrecking Ball.” That’s good. And I’m now out of the most dangerous period for having another heart attack, which is the first month. All of which means my cardiologist feels there’s no real reason to advise against travel. Even flights. Even flights to New York and then Argentina.

One of the odd things I found out during this whole thing is that there’s really not much additional risk of having a heart attack while flying. You might have a blood clot which triggers one — the massive doses of blood thinners I’m on make that extremely unlikely — but beyond that you’re roughly as likely to have one on the ground as in the air. The reason to avoid flights is simply that, if you do have one, you’re quite far from proper medical treatment.

But, you know, I’m always going to have a much higher chance of having a heart attack now. It’s not like it’s gonna be safer for me in three months. I’ve basically reached my new baseline. I’m gonna have to learn to live with it.³ And if there’s a cardiologist I trust saying there’s no great risk in getting on an airplane, I’m willing to accept their opinion.

So I’m heading back to the United States far sooner than I expected. I’m a little apprehensive; I really was expecting to stay through the end of the year. Current plans are to be back in Europe just before the New Year.⁴ Beyond that, I’ve simply no idea. I still don’t feel I’m ready for long-term planning. Let’s try to get to 2024 first.

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Footnotes

¹ Actually, the first time I called about it they said I could get 25% back, so I waited until the doctors told me definitively I shouldn’t fly, and by that time we were past the cutoff for any kind of refund.

² In retrospect, it would have been nice to have a couple days to prepare.

³ I’ve been instructed to stay on the medications and see a cardiologist in another six weeks or so for another check on how my heart is doing. We’re sliding into maintenance mode now.

⁴ I have no plans and likewise no shame in angling for an invitation, if anyone’s throwing a party. Preferrably a quiet, sedate one that won’t raise my heart rate.