Columbus, OH

Lew saw the new cardiologist on Monday the 19th. The latter appeared mightily underwhelmed, continued Lew on the calcium-channel blocker, told him to exercise as much as he wanted, and asked him to report back by phone in two weeks. Lew immediately activated his old membership at the McConnell Heart Health Center (an upscale gym for worried geriatrics). And to his immense relief, at the primary care physician's direction, he returned the rhythm monitor.

Lew improved progressively with the exercise. So after spending his entire winter vacation convalescing from medication toxicity and anxiety, he went back to work 9 March. But he continued to be uncomfortably symptomatic, so returned to his primary care physician on 13 April. The primary care physician added a second antidepressant to Lew's regimen, increased the anxiolytic dose -- and referred him for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.