Syzlak’s SEM

Monthly Update

Posted on: August 27, 2009 by Syzlak

Hello Reader

I know that posting once a month is not ideal, but as I’ve said before, I’m busy. My SEM duties were diminished 3 months ago as I transitioned into a User Experience and Info Architecture role. I kept an eye on the industry, but in the end, it has been hard to pay too close attention to something I was rarely doing.

Search Master Steve was on leave for a family related issue, or else we would’ve had a big MSFT/Yahoo post.

I write today to let you know that tomorrow I’m having surgery for a rare heart disease called arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia, or ARVD. You can read about it here – www.arvd.com

Basically, I have inherited a nasty disease that has given me a heart infused with fat, making my right ventricle friggin’ huge (medical term) and beat irregularly. As the only known symptom is death and there is no real cure, I have to have an ICD put into my body to keep me from dropping dead tomorrow or 40 years from now.

I’m told the episodes are relatively minor ordeals, but one did bring my dad to his knees, so I’m not really sure how minor I would consider that. In all likelihood, the ICD will not kick in until I’m 50 or older and with any luck it will never need to be used. That being said, you can bet your ass it’s going to freak me out. In the end, a robot is in charge of me now, and I’m sure it will do its job just fine.

I am advised to avoid magnets as they will turn off my ICD until I’m far enough away from said magnets for the ICD to determine that it’s safe to turn back on. I also have been discouraged from taking up welding and I’m pretty sure I have to give up my black tar heroin habit.

In the end, both my brother and my dad have the same disease and the same type of little robot ensuring their hearts do not stop. I’m not worried about the procedure.

Thanks for listening, I’ll try to write more often.