Chapter 13

Sheldon Cooper's syndrome

"Ex… extremely unusual?" Sheldon immediately knew something wasn't right. From the moment he learned about his heart problem, he had the feeling that it was more complex than it seemed. "What does it mean?" He felt his heart beating twice as fast, just hearing those words. Although the medication was apparently working his heart kept beating erratically in the worst moments.

"Doctor Cooper… sit down, please!" Said the cardiologist with a solemn expression.

"You've said my results are unusual. I need you to be more specific. They're unusual as in… Congratulations Doctor Cooper! You're completely healthy. You have nothing to worry about; now get out of my office. That's what you meant when you said the results are unusual. Right?" Sheldon swallowed hard, trying to remain calmed.

Dr. Sengupta shook his head. "Not exactly" He said.

"Okay, if the results are so unusual, I guess… I'll need a pacemaker or a heart transplant?" Sheldon's fingers tapped the surface of the desk nervously. "You're probably wondering how I manage to stand in front of you while suffering such a fulminant heart failure". Sheldon's blue eyes shined with a watery glow. He sighed deeply. "Is it serious? Am I dying?" Sheldon was practically begging for a reply.

"Dr. Cooper, I… I've been asking myself the same questions and I'm afraid I don't have an answer… yet." Dr. Sengupta made an uncomfortable pause. "This is… rather uncommon".

"Uncommon? Dr. Sengupta, you're the cardiologist. You should have an explanation for this." Sheldon looked at the doctor with pleading eyes.

"Please, calm down! I'm just trying to say that the registrations we've obtained from the Holter monitor are… How should I put this? Uhm… Inconclusive" Dr. Sengupta cleared his throat.

"Inconclusive?" Sheldon snorted. "So, you couldn't come to a conclusion. You only had to read the recordings of my heart rate. They're supposed to teach you that in Medical school." Sheldon said indignantly. How could a genius like him put his life in the hands of mediocre people.

"Of course I've learned how to read an ECG in med school and lather on, I've been intensely trained during my years of Cardiology residency, but your case isn't as simple as I initially considered it." The cardiologist tried to keep calm. Sometimes the Hippocratic Oath was so difficult to keep.

"But… the test was quite simple. I wore the heart monitor for 48 hours and then you just had to read those recordings." Sheldon breathed hard. "I need an answer now. I need to know what's going on. It can't be so bad. I… I've done exactly what you asked me to do. I've swallowed all those pills like candy. I've tried to relax as you told me." Sheldon pointed at the cardiologist with a severe look in his face. "Now, it's your turn. Tell me what's wrong. I'm going to die soon? Whatever it is, I think I can handle it." Sheldon couldn't stop elaborating the most tragic scenarios inside his mind. The confusing attitude of Dr. Sengupta wasn't really helpful.

Seeing how discouraged Sheldon was feeling, Dr. Sengupta tried to comfort him. He wasn't sure about Sheldon's prognosis but he was determined to find a diagnosis and a cure.

"Dr. Cooper, you're not dying. I still don't know exactly what's happening with your heart but I'm doing my best to help you. Trust me!" The cardiologist said with a reassuring tone. "Your blood pressure is fine and all your tests have shown results within the normal range; it's just that the recordings of the Holter monitor are…""

"Quit beating around the bush and just tell what did you see on those recordings?" Sheldon asked with a distant tone, as if he were talking about someone else. "My girl… my friend… Dr. Fowler is an experienced neurobiologist and I think she has some training in cardiology also. I'm confident she can help you to interpret those recordings. She's waiting outside. Let me call her" Sheldon said as he got up from his seat.

"That's not necessary. Dr. Cooper, as I've already told you, I'm capable of interpreting the recordings of your Holter monitor. The only problem I'm having is that… the pattern of your cardiac activity is extremely arbitrary. It's almost… random!" Dr. Sengupta added, almost with surprise. "There's segments of the recordings which showed a completely normal cardiac activity and there is also some periods of chaotic heart rate that doesn't follow any recognizable pattern. Even for a supraventricular tachycardia, the registrations of your cardiac activity are atypical."

"You should call it, Sheldon Cooper syndrome then" Sheldon said condescendingly.

"That's actually an idea that crossed my mind." Dr. Sengupta replied. "That's why I thought you had manipulated the registrations of the heart monitor. I know you're a well-known academic, and maybe you've learn how to reprogram this kind of equipment."

"You're accusing me of fraud?" The lanky physicist questioned furiously. "I assure you, I haven't manipulated that device. You know I can sue you for defamation. Do you?" Sheldon raised his eyebrows. "This is outrageous. I need a second opinion."

"You have the right to visit another doctor, I encourage you to do it if you're not comfortable with me, but first, I think we should analyze your recordings together." The cardiologist suggested seriously. "For instance, what were you doing at 06:20, yesterday morning?"

Sheldon immediately recalled a moment that will live in his memory forever.

"Yesterday morning at 06:20?" He repeated nervously. "I… woke up at 6:20 and I just got up from bed". Sheldon kept for himself some important information. He couldn't tell Dr. Sengupta that his heart had skipped an entire cycle of beats when he'd secretly seen Amy's nude form, for the first time. "Why are you asking that?"

"I'm asking that because your heart rate shows a segment of hectic activity that started at 06:20 and ended at 06:28"

"Perhaps that hectic cardiac activity coincided with the release of endorphins that occurs during the first hours of the day". Sheldon tried to find a plausible explanation for his unpredictable heart rate.

"That's possible." Dr. Sengupta acknowledged. "Nevertheless there are some other moments of the recordings that I'd like to analize. What were you doing yesterday at 2:34 pm?"

"I was reading some papers. Quantum mechanics… you… you wouldn't understand it" Sheldon stammered anxiously. "And, I had a paper cut. It was deep and it hurt. That's all that happened yesterday at 2:34 pm. I guess that's why my heart beat was so erratic at that time" Sheldon was a terrible liar. His eyelids twitched and his face turned red in seconds. He gently rubbed his forefinger as he recalled the humid trail of saliva and raspberry lip gloss that Amy had left on his skin.

"As I've told you before, this unusually chaotic segments of your heart activity, coexist with periods of completely normal heart rate. Yesterday night, and early this morning, your heart rated showed the most regular and steady patterns. I guess you finally got some rest last night and the Holter monitor has register that event." The doctor continued analyzing the results.

"I was really tired and I finally had a good night's sleep" Sheldon nodded. "Having Amy's chest pressed against mine worked better than any of those pills" he thought to himself.

"Penny, I know you want to start planning your wedding as soon as possible, but I don't know if this is the right time for a girl's night" Amy told her bestie when they talked on the phone.

"I know, Ames, but I need your help to choose the perfect dress, and the colors, and the food… You love weddings and you're my maid of honor". Penny said.

"I'm glad to be your maid of honor but I'm worried about Sheldon. What if he needs me during the evening? He's convalescent." Amy sighed. "He's with the cardiologist right now, and I still don't know the results of his tests."

"He'll be fine" Penny added with certainty. "Trust me!"

"I hope you're right" Amy looked at the door of the doctor's office as it suddenly opened. "I'll call you later".

"Sheldon. What did Dr. Sengupta say?" Amy asked with concern when she saw Sheldon coming out of the office.

"The doctor said the recordings of the Holter monitor are inconclusive." Sheldon muttered softly. "This might be just a benign arrhythmia or the onset of a severe heart failure, but we still don't know. Probably I'm the first case of Sheldon Cooper's syndrome". Sheldon let out his breathy chuckle, although he couldn't hide his sadness.

Amy struggled to hold her tears. "That's not funny! Sheldon, this is unfair. We're back where we started. I need to talk to Dr. Sengupta. We need an answer!"

"There's no need to do that. The doctor said I should wear the Holter monitor for 24 hours more. In fact, I'm wearing it now. He wants to rule out malfunctions of the equipment." Sheldon pointed at his chest. "I've always wanted to be a cyborg but this is kind of annoying" He finally added.

"Okay" Amy said as she gently stroked Sheldon's arm. "Let's go home. I'll take care of you".