Okay, no, not really. It's been crazy hectic. But my brain has been quiet which is...not normal.
Okay, that's not really true either. I get these spells where I've got nothin'. No profound wisdom, no fun things on my mind, just getting through life one step at a time. Compared to the times of my life when I'm thinking in 150 gajillion directions...it's kinda nice. Not so great for a blog, though.
What's been happening this week?
I met a scorpion named Jennifer. And saw the biggest freakin' Burmese python I've ever seen in my 39 and a half years and please Lord let it be the last. It was in a tank. At a nature center. But still. Holy mackerel that thing was huge. I would've been just a tasty snack. I was able to keep a detached interest at the other 50 some-odd snakes they had including the rattlesnakes, but the Burmese python scared the bejeebers out of me.
My one and only grandson turned 5 on the same day. Needless to say that was the highlight of the day (although the 2 bobcats were pretty cool).
My oldest granddaughter had her 3rd Christmas dance recital and finally came out of her dancing shell. She danced! And smiled! At the same time!!! She's my more cerebral girl so it was good to see her let some of her personality show to the rest of the world instead of standing there thinking about everyone looking at her.
The next night the middle granddaughter had her very first ever dance recital. No worries about her thinking too much about it. She smiled and danced and flipped her hair and had a great time. Until about 3/4 of the way into each dance and then she was over it. But she'd finish...just you could tell she was done. There's a lot of speculation about her having ADHD and sometimes you can really see when she's just onto something else in her mind.
Wednesday was the migraine from Hades...not a good day, but I worked most of the day, went home and went to bed... and then went on with my week.
Yesterday was day one of Couch to 5K which is a whole other post entirely.
Now I'm just kinda ready to be done with work. I have some things I need to do the next couple of weeks, but for the most part I'm ready to just chill. We'll have the two local grandgirls most of the time so I'm not sure how much actual "chill" will happen, but I'm going to try my hardest.
Oh, and as for the Dr.'s appointment last week? They called on Friday afternoon with the results of the echo. Still no word on the holter, but I only had to push the stupid button three times, right before bed, when my heart palpitates anyway if I'm extremely tired. So I'm not too worried about it...but this is why I hate having tests run this time of year.
* As soon as I originally posted this...I got the call from the heart doc. It's all good. I had some extra beats...which I knew....but nothing they haven't seen before.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Nothing to complain about
I have nothing to complain about really. I'm going to the heart doc tomorrow and really it's not that big of a deal. I love my current cardiologist and I haven't always been able to say that. I'm having an echocardiogram and a holter monitor like I do every December and really that's not that big of a deal. I'll have the exact same conversation with the echo tech that I do every year because she doesn't remember me from year to year. I'll have the same conversation I do with the doc every six months (Are you exercising? Why not? When are you going to start? What's the plan?) I get a day off of work. I'll be able to do all my Christmas shopping when I'm done.
So what's the deal? Every adult CHD'er (CHD = Congenital Heart Defect for those that don't know) will tell you the same thing I'm sure. Going to the heart doc is annoying. I work with around 50 people. I can think of only two others that work here who have standing appointments with a cardiologist and they're men in their 50's/60's. Although now that I'm less than 6 months away from 40 I'm starting to fit into the right age group. It's fun trying to explain to people why you're going to a heart doc when you're 25 - "Are you waiting on your grandfather?" "No, I'm here to see the doc." "But you're way to young for that." "No, trust me, I'm getting way to old for this. It was much easier when I was 5". Because lets face it. When you're 5 the heart doc has toys to play with while you wait. I mean come on!
It's annoying because if I tell my family I have a heart doc appointment I get "Gasp! I hope everything's OKAY!" It is. It's been okay for years now. Please don't worry. But they do. Parents, aunts, uncles, cousins...they were there. They remember the days when we were all fighting for my life. They remember the tears, the prayers, the hopes, the wishes. And then there's the brothers who all they've ever known is a sister with heart problems. So it instills fear in them to hear I'm headed to the heart doc. But then there's the new family. My husband and his family. All they've ever known is that I have heart problems, but other than 3 days in the hospital 5 years ago they haven't really seen it manifested so...."Do we worry? What's going on? Is something wrong?" No, it's just what I need to do. And the flip side of all of this is if I keep it to myself that I'm going for a check-up then I get. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US???" So I kinda can't win here. And I get both sides of that coin. I really do. And I try to be understanding. But when I post the status, send the text, tweet, whatever...I brace myself.
It's annoying because I'm allergic to some of the adhesives they use for the leads for the holter monitor. Which means 24 hours of itchy. Yay.
But if I've learned anything by meeting CHD'ers on the internet it's that I have it really good. It's been almost 20 years since my last open-heart surgery with only minor complications since then. I've gotten off relatively easy. I understand that I'm one of the few that's kept consistent contact with good medical care. It's paid off. I do have a hole in my heart, but it's not a big deal and doesn't seem to be anything to worry about anytime soon. I'm truly blessed and truly have nothing to complain about.
But when has that ever stopped me???
So what's the deal? Every adult CHD'er (CHD = Congenital Heart Defect for those that don't know) will tell you the same thing I'm sure. Going to the heart doc is annoying. I work with around 50 people. I can think of only two others that work here who have standing appointments with a cardiologist and they're men in their 50's/60's. Although now that I'm less than 6 months away from 40 I'm starting to fit into the right age group. It's fun trying to explain to people why you're going to a heart doc when you're 25 - "Are you waiting on your grandfather?" "No, I'm here to see the doc." "But you're way to young for that." "No, trust me, I'm getting way to old for this. It was much easier when I was 5". Because lets face it. When you're 5 the heart doc has toys to play with while you wait. I mean come on!
It's annoying because if I tell my family I have a heart doc appointment I get "Gasp! I hope everything's OKAY!" It is. It's been okay for years now. Please don't worry. But they do. Parents, aunts, uncles, cousins...they were there. They remember the days when we were all fighting for my life. They remember the tears, the prayers, the hopes, the wishes. And then there's the brothers who all they've ever known is a sister with heart problems. So it instills fear in them to hear I'm headed to the heart doc. But then there's the new family. My husband and his family. All they've ever known is that I have heart problems, but other than 3 days in the hospital 5 years ago they haven't really seen it manifested so...."Do we worry? What's going on? Is something wrong?" No, it's just what I need to do. And the flip side of all of this is if I keep it to myself that I'm going for a check-up then I get. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US???" So I kinda can't win here. And I get both sides of that coin. I really do. And I try to be understanding. But when I post the status, send the text, tweet, whatever...I brace myself.
It's annoying because I'm allergic to some of the adhesives they use for the leads for the holter monitor. Which means 24 hours of itchy. Yay.
But if I've learned anything by meeting CHD'ers on the internet it's that I have it really good. It's been almost 20 years since my last open-heart surgery with only minor complications since then. I've gotten off relatively easy. I understand that I'm one of the few that's kept consistent contact with good medical care. It's paid off. I do have a hole in my heart, but it's not a big deal and doesn't seem to be anything to worry about anytime soon. I'm truly blessed and truly have nothing to complain about.
But when has that ever stopped me???
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Land of the Living
I'm back!! If anybody missed me, I was at home with a stomach virus. I don't recommend it. Two days home, alone has it's benefits....but not if you feel like death warmed over. But I'm back to "normal" today and craving chicken strips...so lunch had better hurry up and get here.
A couple of thoughts from the last couple of days....Ramen noodles are the best food in the world. Saltine crackers are the second best food in the world. I can be excused for getting sick. It happens. What is inexcusable is when I forget to take my medication and do it to myself. The stomach virus was complicated by a lack of my diuretic for too long. Memo to me...don't mention that to the cardiologist on Friday.
And that's about it. Not a lot of thinking when you're laying on the couch trying to keep down said noodles and crackers.
A couple of thoughts from the last couple of days....Ramen noodles are the best food in the world. Saltine crackers are the second best food in the world. I can be excused for getting sick. It happens. What is inexcusable is when I forget to take my medication and do it to myself. The stomach virus was complicated by a lack of my diuretic for too long. Memo to me...don't mention that to the cardiologist on Friday.
And that's about it. Not a lot of thinking when you're laying on the couch trying to keep down said noodles and crackers.
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