Ted Kaczynski's Letter Correspondence with his Doctor's Office
(T-89) - 4/18/91
[Ted writes to Dr. Carolyn Goren and describes occasional "premature heartbeats" when under stress. He has an appointment on April 29th to see doctor. He is concerned that he might have an atrial flutter. States he had a high red blood-cell count when he was 19 years old. When the stress is gone for a week or more the heart symptoms go away. He has insomnia which is alleviated when the stress is off. States that his heart is "struggling" when he starts to exercise. Wants the doctor to arrange all tests so he does not have to make two trips to Missoula.]
Theodore J. Kaczynski
HCR 30 Box 27
Lincoln MT 59639
April 18, 1991
Dr. Carolyn C. Goren
P.O. Box 7189
Missoula MT 598070-7189
Dear Dr. Goren:
I have an appointment to see you, for the first time, on 29 at 3:00 PM. In this letter I’d like to describe the symptoms about which I want to consult you, for two reasons. First, by writing the information down I can communicate it with less risk of forgetting something, or explaining something unclearly, than I could by conveying the information orally. Second, if any tests are required, maybe this letter will enable you to be prepared in advance to give me the tests when I come in, thus reducing the likelihood that I will have to make a second trip to Missoula for tests. such trips are expensive and very inconvenient for me.
General symptoms. I’m now 48 years old. In my early thirties I started having occasional premature heartbeats when under stress. Since the age of 38 for certain reasons I have frequently been under strong stress. The reasons are personal and I do not intend to discuss them. For the last 4 or 5 years I’ve been under more stress than previously.
Since the age of 38 I've continued to have premature beats, and in addition, my heart has been performing various other antics. Some of these are very hard to describe. Very frequently my heart just feels as if it isn’t running smoothly, as if it were struggling against something. At other times I’11 have a sudden l:urst of irregular beating, as if several premature beats occurred so close together that they were almost simultaneous. Sometimes my feels as if it had taken too large a gulp of blood and expelled it too forcefully. In a few cases, when I’ve been lying in waiting to fall asleep, my heart has stopped dead for two or three seconds, then started going again. This hasn’t happened recently but, instead, sometimes for two or three seconds my heart will go into wildly irregular contortions that cannot be described as beating of any kind. Ordinarily there is no pain, rut, when my heart is acting up, occasionally when I bend over suddenly I get a twinge that seems to come from the heart.
In a general way I’d say that the symptoms are worse now than they were when they started 10 years ago, rut not markedly so. It may be only that I’m under stress now a larger portion of the time than I was earlier. But it does seem that a lower level of stress is sufficient to produce the symptoms now than was the case earlier.
Atrial flutter? What finally induced me to consult a doctor about my heart was a couple of news reports within the last few months than mentioned a type of irregularity called "atrial fluter" or "atrial fibrillation" which is associated with a very high risk of stroke. I believe the reports mentioned some 60,000 strokes a year in the U.S. due to blood clots produced by this irregularity. It was also stated that a certain type of blood-thinning medication reduces by 80% the risk of blood-thinning medication reduced by 80% the risk of stoke in those afflicted with this type of irregularity.
During the last couple of years, very often when lying in bed I have felt a kind of vibration or fluttering sensation that seems to permeate the whole upper part of my body. I don’t know where this vibration comes from, but since I can find no other explanation for it, I suppose its likely to come from the heart. I wonder whether this might be atrial flutter. This vibration generally late for perhaps half a minute or a minute, and it most commonly occurs just after I've awakened.
Red-cell count. When I was about 19 years old I had a physical exam at the conclusion of which I was told that I had an unusually high red blood-cell count. Years later I read that a very high red—cell count had been found to increase the risk of stroke due to blood clots, so I'd like to have that checked out too.
Effect of stress. When the stress is off for a week or more most of the heart symptoms go away, but even then I have occasional premature beats or bursts of irregular beating. Also, relief from stress does not seem to affect the vibration or fluttering sensation that I described above.
When under stress I often suffer from insomnia. This means 1 to 3 consecutive nights of perhaps 6 hours sleep. I need 8 to feel right. The insomnia is greatly alleviated when the stress if off.
The following are the kinds of stress that seem to cause my heart irregularities: hurry, frustration, anxiety about problems I can’t solve, or in connection with which I have to defer action to a future time, or “anxiety about more than one” problem so that there is conflict concerning which one to take action on.
There is another kind of stress that makes my heart beat hard and fast, but usually not irregularly. This tends to occur when I to do a single important task that dominates all my attention. have this kind of stress when I have to keep any sort of appointment, including doctor appointments.
Blood pressure. Because of this stress, when my blood pressure is taken in a doctor’s office I tend to get a slightly high reading “90” -- on the order of 150/90 to 95. About 15 years ago I bought my own sphygmomanometer, and, taking my blood pressure at home, got readings that averaged about 130/80. ...
Sincerely yours,
[signed]
Theodore J. Kaczynski
(T-90) - 5/26/91
[Ted writes to Dr. Goren and inquires about a holter and echo test and their costs. Sends her a self-addressed stamped envelope along with a piece of paper for her response to him. States he is no longer taking eight aspirins a day and has cut down to one. He then talks about an article regarding aspirins.]
Theodore J. Kaczynski
HCR 30 Box 27
Lincoln MT 59639
May 26, 1991
Dr. Carolyn C. Goren
P.O. Box 7189
Missoula MT 598070-7189
Dear Dr. Goren:
On May 20 I spoke on the phone with your nurse, Ms. Cooper, and she told me that the results of my blood tests were all normal. I asked her whether this meant that no further medical consultation was necessary in connection with my irregular heartbeats. She then reminded me that you had noted that holter test and an echo test might be considered for me, but, she added, "I don't know how strong that recommendation is."
I don't know how much the echo test costs, ...
(T-93) - 9/2/91
[The letter starts with reference to Dr. Goren's nurse asking about his health. Ted wants to consult the doctor regarding a matter of the "heart." He stated he was interested in someone who he had been seeing professionally and wants to ask her out to dinner, but was afraid of rejection.]
[When asked by the interviewing Agent if she recalled anything unusual regarding KACZYNSKI, GOREN stated, "He asked me out to dinner". GOREN stated that this invitation came in the form of a letter, and she chose to ignore it and did not go out with him. GOREN stated that she recalls receiving a letter from TED'S brother, DAVID, regarding his concern that TED might need to see a psychiatrist, but GOREN stated that she did not refer TED to a psychiatrist, and does not recall the reason for this.]
Theodore J. Kaczynski
HCR 30 Box 27
Lincoln MT 59639
September 2, 1991
Dr. Carolyn C. Goren
P.O. Box 7189
Missoula MT 598070-7189
Dear Dr. Goren:
I respond to the note dated August 22 that I've received from your nurse, Ms. Cooper.
As far as I can tell, I am doing well with respect to my health. For the most part I have been able to avoid stress during the last few months. I still experience irregula heart beats now and then, but very much less often than I'd been experiencing them in the period preceding my visit to your office. I haven't kept count, but I would guess that I feel a skipped best or similar irregularity less than once a day, on the average. I still sometimes experience a vibrating sensation, but I think this happens much less often than formerly.
I may still have a little tendency to insomnia, but very much less than during the period immediately preceding my visit to your office. On most nights I get enough sleep -- in the neighborhood of 8 hours.
There's something else about which I'd like to consult you, though only by stretching a point pretty far can it be considered a medical matter. It does have to do with the "heart," but only in a figurative sense. A little more than four months ago I met a woman whom I liked a great deal. Just about at the end of April I consulter her in a professional capacity. She seemed to be highly intelligent and capable, and for reasons that I won't try to analyse here, I liked her personality very much. She had the nicest blue eyes.
I've thought about her often since then and I'd like to get to know her better, but at the moment it doesn't look as if I will have occasion to consult her again professionally in the near future. I thought of phoning her at her office and asking her out to dinner, but she might not want to receive calls of that nature at her office. And I'd certainly look like a fool if it turned out she were married. I have a vague impression that she wasn't wearing a wedding ring, but that may be just wishful thinking, since I didn't make a point of noticing her left hand when I visited her office. At that time I was mainly concerned with the matter about which I was consulting her and only afterward did I begin to wonder whether she was married.
Also, if I asked her out to dinner and she wasn't interested, and if I later had occasion to consult her again professionally, she might feel uncomfortable for fear that I might make unwelcome advances to her. I would under no circumstances make advances to a woman if I had reason to think that those advances would be unwelcome, but she doesn't know that.
Well, what do you think? Dare I call her office and ask her out to dinner? Shall I do something else? Or had I best forget about her except when I may need to consult her in her professional capacity?
If you care to give me any advice on this point I will appreciate it very much.
Sincerely your
[signed]
Theodore J. Kaczynski
(T-94) - 7/24/91
[small notes of activity prior . . Chart of Ted's blood pressure with through . napping, exercise . . . etc. From July 91 - Jan. 92. 1/12/92]
...
(T-95) - 1/20/93
[Dr. Goren's nurse (Ms. Cooper) requested Ted periodically notify the doctor of his blood-pressure readings. He took his blood pressure several times and got erratic readings.]
Theodore J. Kaczynski
HCR 30 Box 27
Lincoln MT 59639
January 20, 1991
Dr. Carolyn C. Goren
P.O. Box 7189
Missoula MT 598070-7189
Dear Dr. Goren:
In a note dated August 6, 1992, your nurse, Ms. Cooper, asked me to periodically notify you of my blood-pressure readings.
I checked my blood pressure on the morning of January 16, 1993, but got very erratic re din 3s. Since the readings were so erratic I cnecked my pressure several more times during the day but kept getting erratic readings all day long.
The systolic readings for January 16 ranged from 118 to 140; the average systolic reading was 125. The diastolic readings ranged from 76 to 90; the average was 84.
The next day, January 17, at 10:40 AM, I checked my blood pressure again and got 120/78. This was a firm reading; that I checked the pressure three or four times in a row and got approximately the same result each time.
Sincerely yours
[signed]
Theodore J. Kaczynski
Thyra Cooper to Ted (Feb 1993)
...
Dear Mr. Kaczynski:
I am writing you in response to your letter of January 20, regarding your blood pressure readings Dr Goren states that it is normal to have blood pressure variation throughout the month and on a day to day basis She also felt that the range of your blood pressures were within an acceptable range. She appreciates your time and efforts in collecting such numbers and would suggest no change in therapy at this time.
Sincerely,
Thyra Cooper, R.N.
(T-96) - 7/18/93
[Ted gives Dr. Goren his "semiannual report" - his systolic reading was erratic so he took the reading several times until he got three consistent readings.]
Theodore J. Kaczynski
HCR 30 Box 27
Lincoln MT 59639
July 18, 1993
Dr. Carolyn C. Goren
P.O. Box 7189
Missoula MT 598070-7189
Dear Dr. Goren:
Here is my semiannual report on blood pressure.
I took my blood pressure at about 9:00 AM on July 18 and got 129/79. This is the average of four readings: 136/8O, 122/80, 130/76, and 128/80. Since the systolic readings were erratic, I took the pressure again at 10:30 AM on July 18 and got a consistent reading, approximately the same on three successive trials, of 128/78.
Sincerely yours,
[signed]
Theodore J. Kaczynski
(T-97) - 1/10/94
[Ted gives Dr. Goren his "semiannual report" on his blood pressure. States that the letter is handwritten because his typewriter is out of order.]
...
(T-98) - 7/20/94
[The letter dated 7/20/94 states that the nurse (Ms. Cooper) questioned if his blood pressure cuff was properly calibrated. It was calibrated in Missoula about three prior years.]
...
(T-99) - 1/9/95
[Ted tells Dr. Goren what his blood pressure was on 1/6/95 and is of the opinion that since it continues to be in the normal range there is no reason to continue to report his readings, unless the doctor wants him to.]
...
