Grumbleeze

Okay! You've listened to me whine about this heart/testing thing for what seems like forever so here's the rest of the story. Here i am - at home - sitting at my computer! I am pleased... I am happy... I am proud to announce that i am indeed as perfect as we always knew i am! ;-) What a relief! Dr. C is the best!!! We had to wait... he had to wait... because of an emergency - an unfortunate woman whose stent needed some repair work done on it. We were not at all disturbed by this fact once we knew the situation... would sure want some quick attention if it was one of our family... and were glad that she was able to get the quick attention. I was able to see the monitor during the whole process. It's a remarkable thing to watch your own heart beating!!! ...and as we watched the doctor commented... telling me what a healthy heart it is! It went like that throughout the event as he told me what to expect next. Everybody in that hospital is so caring and helpful. So there you have it. What we saw as a result of the cardiolyte photography was what he called a "false positive" just as he told us it could be.

So? The dizziness that brought me to the doctor is undoubtedly vertigo... since taking the prescribed Antivert controls it. Thank God it doesn't happen a lot. The shortness of breath? At this point... it could be a malfunction of my pulmonary system or it could be lack of exercise. I'm still voting for the lack of exercise theory because... hey! I quit smoking ten years ago... this short breath thing has only been going on for probably less than a year. Why would it wait this long to surface? My theory... as the knees bothered me worse (probably because i'm too fat) i became more careful when i walk... resulting in what do you suppose? Perhaps less walking? I think so... the saga will continue since we've gone this far. It's a dumb time to quit. we'll wait and see what Dr. S has to say about it. Meanwhile i'm planning to get an exercise plan going for real - for life!!!

Tomorrow's the big day! I will go into the hospital knowing that i might be able to go home when "the procedure" is finished... but i should pack up for an overnight stay... in case they really "find something." I hope they don't find anything! Pretty peculiar, huh, considering that the pictures taken of my cardiovascular activity looked okay at rest but showed two blockages in the left ventricle of my heart after the treadmill... not to mention that i reached the target rate way too fast!!! I'm just anxious to get it over with. I'm tired of getting all short of breath after just a little bit of exercise... it's been going on for too long and the time period for that result has become shorter and shorter lately.

..but i'm a bit afraid of what they might find too! Frank has had two heart caths. The first time was in 1993 and even though the blockages were identified as a serious problem, he was too sick for the surgeon to do anything about it. A lifestyle change and lots of pills turned all that around and in December 2000 he had open heart surgery - a triple bypass... a medical miracle thanks to a strong constitution and some really GREAT doctors! So why am i a bit afraid?


- There is a very slight chance that a particle of plaque could break loose during the procedure and travel toward my brain or my heart... causing a stroke or heart attack. Enough said?

- I might get by with just having to take medications... but doubt this because then i've got to wonder what those two blockages are... of course, i already wonder why they only show up after exercise.

- Angioplasty might be the answer... a stent ( a sort of brace that holds the blood vessel open) would be placed at the scene of the blockage. Why does this bother me? Many people who get stents have to have the procedure repeated after a matter of months (20 percent of the population). Me no like that thought process!!!!

- Open heart surgery... like i said above - a medical miracle! ... but my God! Have you seen the scars? Not to mention the pain that one experiences in the aftermath! A bone is sawed in half - yes - that one that goes all the way up and down your torso! Frank's is healing up nicely now... after three years... but he still has issues with it. No, no, no! Me definitely no like!

What's wrong with me... somebody who always has something to say... maybe sometimes TOO much!? Don't know. Used to say it was the "ions in the air"... could that still be true? It's looking like lots of the blogs i frequent are slowing down. I know that February... contrary to the calendar... has always been the longest month of the year. Winter's already been around too long; spring is still too far away; when it doesn't snow everything is ugly; when it does snow it's just a little too depressing to see that winter is hanging around.

Eleven days ago i visited the cardiologist who recommended a heart catheterization to find out what's slowing down the flow of blood to my heart. We decided it will be done at the hospital of my choice. Unfortunately i think the doctor would really like me to change my mind. They're still messing around with the scheduling thing. Problem is location. He is in one city; preferred hospital is in another. Why is it me who alrways has so many problems with doctors? Maybe it's because i'm the "healthy" one? Saw Dr. S for a followup and she reported all things excellent!!!... except for that one little blockage problem!!!??? Even my cholesterol count is perfect! Listen up smokers!!!! She suggests the blockage problem could be result of smoking... even though i quit ten years ago. Quit now! Quit while you're ahead! Here i am... perfect example... perfect health except for that one little problem. Unfortunately that one little problem leaves me occasionally short of breath. Sure, a pill helps relieve that problem, but it doesn't make it go away!

Hey everybody, this is Jamie's truck! Isn't it cool? We visited him and his family last Sunday and i've been meaning to post this picture ever since! See what i mean about the blogging thing? It's gotta be the ions. ...and then Monday last week we had a board meeting of the lake association. Didn't even stop by and look at the cottage. Were concerned we might sink into the drifts with my little pickup truck. We found out last year that 4 wheel drive doesn't work worth a darn when you suddenly sink down to snow that's higher than your bumper! All i can say is it was a "crusty" situation! ;-)

OttO left a message on my tagboard.... saying "I can't blog." Well i can relate! Notice nothing since Valentine's Day? Since then I've had a lake association meeting... got lots of strokes there!!! Results of the survey included nothing but positive stuff about the website! Makes me feel good! It's motivating to know people "give a rip" about something you love to do. Going to see Dr. S. this morning. Making spouse go in with me! Kind of scarey... much more scarey than terrorist threats!!! The threats to my health are more real... and imminent! Is there surgery in my future? I really hope NOT!!! Closest i've had to surgery in my life was a D&C a couple of years ago! Prior to that... childbirths.... five times..... all "natural" with no help from no body!!! Well, maybe the doctors and the babies! ;-) Well, gotta go.... see ya soon... will keep you posted.

Happy Valentine's Day! Hooooooo-eee i almost forgot it! Been a busy day. Started early with my bi-monthly housekeeping helper and another attack on the room that plans to be a "guest room" before too much longer! You've got to know this room, officially known as "the old kitchen" and was in actuality a "storage" room... a kind word for well, you might call it the ultimate junk drawer. But not anymore; it's actually shaping up - a great feeling!

Hey! I took my first "high blood pressure" med this morning - half a tablet of a popular, inexpensive beta blocker. I think i'm feeling better already. The cardiologist is a wonder! We met him yesterday and he explained all about what might be going on with my heart in extensive detail. Even my hubby - a triple bypass veteran of three years now, was impressed! There appears to be some sort of blockage in two different places of the left ventricle. Looks like there's a heart catheterization in my future... the best way to find out exact details for his final decision-making. Good news! The place will be St. Mary's even though the cardiologist is in Bay City. I told him that we learned at the Teddy Bear Reunion that they are number ten in heart care in the U.S.... number five in our state! Says a lot for our state and for St. Mary's, don't ya think? When it's over we'll know whether I take pills, have angioplasty or bypass surgery. Cross your fingers, kids! As you know, i don't handle pain well... and i do like to wear my swim suit in summer!

Life happens..... thank God, and we who take it as it comes - without too much complaint - are the better for it, don't you think? It's been happening for us fast and furious lately! I guess it's a good healthy thing to be busy... never a dull moment and all that stuff, but hey! Give me a break! What's new at my house? For starters..... been trying to keep up the various websites i volunteered to create! Like childbirth, getting it all started is the fun part; maintenance is much more difficult! It takes patience, discipline and time.

We just attended the St. Mary's Hospital Teddy Bear Reunion for our third time... the second time (last year) I made a website with pictures, etc. Since then i expanded it to include Heart Support Group meetings... and haven't updated the past few months... and now we have another reunion to put in the site! We'll get it done but i know what my biggest problem is. When i started doing this el spouso had just started using his digital camera and only took 40 or 50 pictures per event - a "workable" number to choose from. Now he typically takes at least a couple of hundred!!!! Hey gramps, give me a break! Anyway, i'll be updating it sometime this week... with some really nice photos of this year's Teddy Bear Reunion...

Recently finished the Holton Players website and am mighty proud of it! Thanks to Sharba, who chose the best of the best pics out of over 400 of them, it's a good looking website!

Last week, after a little trouble with the webhost, Angelfire, I got the Lake Association Website updated! I finally "fixed" it by loading the whole site up to our domain with just an updated "front page portal" with the old address so i wouldn't have to advise our faithful visitors of the change! I kind of like it that way... I have a few more things i'd like to add to this site but they can wait

Right now my big concern is health! I've always been "healthy" even before i quit some of my worse bad habits... but lately??? Aging can be a bummer but it's better than the alternative! Had an ultrasound of my carotid arteries yesterday... brought gramps into the room with me so he could watch the monitor during the testing. The technician spent a lot more time investigating my left artery than she did with the right one... spouse said it looked a little different too... but we won't really know until a week from tomorrow when i see my doctor again for feedback from all the testing that's been going on. Before then i also have an appointment scheduled to see a cardiologist on Thursday afternoon! Bringing gramps along to that one too!

The good news here is.... ta dah!!! Dr. S told me to refrain from exercise so i sit a lot.... mostly at the computer!!! ;-) Instead of playing games i can "play with my websites" so maybe more updates are coming.

More news, our oldest grandson just got a new truck and asked me to put a picture up on "one of" my websites. I will... when he responds to my email asking him to give me some details about the truck and tell me which website he wants to see it on. I love you James!!!

Forty one years ago I spent a few days away from home for my last significant "overnighter" in a hospital.
Happy Birthday, Bug! I love you!

Doctor S just phoned me - herself - in person! She told me that the cardiolyte stress test i took on Wednesday showed a slight abnormality... a small blockage. Well! No wonder i've been feeling so weird!!! How long has this been going on? Why wasn't Dr. M able to check into it? I will receive a phone call next week from cardiologist's office... with an appointment. Meanwhile? Take it easy... continue taking aspirin... Okey Dokey, Doctor. You are wonderful!!!

Was just listening to Tom Ridge, Secretary of Homeland Defense... explaining why the alert level was just changed to orange. Bottom line... Do not be concerned; go about your life as normal... but all families should have a plan of action should they need it. This is where i think a cellphone is a biggy! Ours just died. We will get a new phone - a new service - one that has transformers near our summer lakeside home. I think we all need to be able to contact family members should electicity go out - whether it's in your neighborhood - your city - or God forbid... an even larger area! Meanwhile, I've added a couple of weblinks from the site: one of them is about "Homeland Defense - your role as a citizen."

Survived getting up at 5:45am! That was probably the most stressful part of the stress test... the good news is: because i was so tired from getting up early all that "twenty minutes" under the camera for my own personal "nuclear testing" was easy to take. I - a person who just can't nap during the day - was happy for the two little 20 minute naptimes! ;-) You know the deal... they load your veins with chemicals to make circulatory activity show up when you get your "picture" taken. Wonder if i'm still glowing!!?! - in the dark, that is. They don't call it nuclear medicine for nothing! Had to actually walk the treadmill though... i thought i was gonna get the "chemical treatment" for that so i could do my stress test lying down... but that was not to be.

Doctor was surprised that i reached my target stress point so fast though... said i'd better start walking every day!!! Will know more later.

Colin Powell is talking right now - revealing all the dirt about Saddam's hidden "treasures" and this means war i'm sure. Yes, i hear some bleeding hearts protesting war - but many of the actual people who are involved or have family members involved in the military know that sometimes war is necessary. I heard a guy belly-aching the other day about "when they bring home the first body bag." My God! What do these whiners think we had on 911!!!?! Those poor innocents didn't join any military to serve and protect. They were innocent civilians! How many 911's do we need before the crybabies understand the difference? How many civilian body bags do we need to pack up because of sadistic evil dictators and misled quasi-religious monsters and their misguided suicide mission warriors? Wake up peaceniks!!! Smell the blood. Sniff the warfare chemicals the monsters are creating and hiding from the inspectors! We don't need our precious military men and women coming home to a bunch of misguided liberals screaming about what "bad" people they are because they were out in the world protecting their families from the evil-doers of this world!

I have to be at the hospital tomorrow at 7:00a.m.... yes, me! Had no choice. A half hour after we met my new doctor got the wheels in motion to see if there's any reason for a variety of symptoms i've been telling the last doctor for a year or more already. Right then and there her nurse administered an EKG. Tomorrow the cardiolyte stress test... the 10th a carotid ultrasound... in between - the blood work... and on the 19th - feedback time. By then she will have all test results plus records from the past few years. Ah yes... and the pills she prescribed for vertigo worked miracles! I've only had to take them twice... on different days... and i'm no longer a dizzy broad!

Did i mention? Her office staff are delightful... friendly... attentive... and that's new too! Not only that but i don't expect i'll be arguing with Quest Diagnostics or my secondary insurance people anymore! Dr. M's staff consistently - every year - provided inaccurate information to those who wanted to bill me personally. Every time i had my annual exams i would spend months trying to get the bills paid by my insurers! This doctor's staff has never given us that kind of problems in the many years el spouso has been seeing her.

Now if only we can get out of the driveway in the morning!

It was another one of those sad events...seven of our best are gone from their earthly existence. I can't say more than has already been said. Thoughtful people everywhere mourn our loss. An Iranian girl even shares her thoughts with us... An Iranian Girl

It is truly a small world, don't you think?

At first hearing, I thought some horrible hackerchild "hit" one of my daughter's websites! Two pages of her site, including the index page are totally missing! Gone! Kaput! Go there and find empty pages! Other pages are still present... so are images, so what gives? I advised her to change her password for starters - not just her Angelfire password but her other passwords as well! This is probably good advice even if somebody didn't somehow latch on to her password to mess around. The other thing we learned... Always save a backup of your work on your harddrive - - especially when you've done all that beautiful work using HTML and JavaScript! That's a LOT of work that disappeared!

At first logical thinking, I determined that Angelfire was probably at fault!Angelfire is the webhost for a website i created for our lake association. The last time i updated that site occurred after Angelfire updated their site - i'm not sure to what extent but their directories look different. I was able to "fix" it somewhat but could no way - no how - get it all back to it's original look. I first thought it might be something i did wrong... after all i haven't been using FrontPage very long. Today, however, i sent the very same files up to my vanity domain and voila!!! There it was in all it's glory! I had done NOTHING wrong!

Conclusion: Angelfire is unstable. Don't know why; don't know for how long. The relatively small annual fee i pay for my own domain name and accompanying web host is well worth it's weight in gold!!! But small dilemma... SalasCove is located in Hackert Lake but the Lake Association website will be located at SalasCove!!! How's that gonna look?

Oh, my God! We've only a few minutes ago received information concerning the Mission Columbia that ground people lost contact! Now... debris is falling! Terrorists? I think so... time will tell. One of the personnel aboard was from Israel. There's still a slight possibility that the astronauts were ejected safely... but i don't think so. This is about the only time that news is fairly accurate... the newscasters are reporting it as it occurs! My television will be tuned to Fox News all day..