2017 so far

The winter was really not very different from most.....lots of snow followed by lots of melting and the promise of a spring.
The spring started out fine, hunting down seeds for the garden, getting the pots ready and by April pots going in the window. Bill and I both had allergy symptoms and I felt like I had another kidney infection. I took a week off. Felt better went back to work.
Came home from my first day/night back,went to bed and could not breath. I sat up all night thinking I was having an asthma attack. Bill begged me to go to emergency and after much whiny chit chat we did.
I was having a heart attack....WHAT...that can't be! I have my health issues under control. My blood pressure is low, my cholesterol is good, my A1C is 6.5. I walk regularly. I eat a reasonably healthy low salt diet and I try to eat vegetarian 3-4 times a week. Oh no you are having a heart attack, never mind urgent care, off to the real emergency room.

NOW my mind is racing. OK I will get a stent like Bill has and all will be fine....

Holy CRAP what do you mean my heart is only working between 10-15 percent and the whole bottom part is basically dead. The doctor wants to put a couple of stents in to see if that will help...Oh OK thats what I thought....OK,OK, OK, lets do it, that will probably work.

How did this happen??? It just keeps rolling through my head. I have lost over 100 pounds doesn't that count. It took almost 10 years but I did it. This must be a mistake. BTW this happened when I did not start to take my diabetes as seriously as I should have in the 1990's! Between 94-2004 I should have been on meds.

OK well that did not work.....NOW what? Next Doctor says you have congestive heart failure and they want you in the hospital for a week while we run more tests and put you on meds. OK ,I feel ok laying here in bed.... so sure. a week goes by and they want to send me home. Oh they have plans for me, a quadruple or quintuple bypass in May, after we look at all the tests and you take these meds for a month. So I go home to worry my ass off and be a burden to my family. That helps.

For a month I get to think about how long I will be off work. How will we get by?????? Doctor appointments all the time. Oh and on top of that you need lots of dental work or we can't do the surgery....this just gets better and better.

Luckily I have many truly great friends who start helping me almost immediately. Lots of love via Facebook, cards, phone calls and texts. People I barely knew and many I knew through shows and classes. My Innercept friends visiting. Kathy H checking in. My closest friends kept me sane.Shirley, Miss T and Nanci kept me laughing and staying positive. Icons from Karen! Elaine and Linda texting me nearly everyday helped on some of the worst days when I could not speak. My brothers called and checked in too. Bill and Chelsea were there constantly through it all doing all the not so fun things. Thanks to you all for all those little things you did and said....it helped ...beyond words.

By the time the surgery day got closer my surgeon had decided that I needed a triple bypass and my mitral valve replaced. Changing everything at the last minute. Just when I got used to the whole quintuple thing. OK I am ready and mostly positive. My bag is packed including my rosary, all my saint metals and icons from various friends.

In I went at 5:30 am and I woke up 2 days later with radical hallucinations including people all around me with happy faces and carrying boxes, a zippered swimming pool and cool rolling wallpaper on the ceiling. I did not mention any of this at first and it was quite fun. These lasted the entire time I was in the hospital including snow in all the hallways. The poor poor nurses, they had to put alarms on me. I stopped talking about it on day 8 or they were not going to be keen on sending me home. CRAZY LADY. I even looked the part by then red hair fanned out on the back of my head like a peacock. Sarah got to see that mess Thank God I cleaned up before Linda and Haven came to visit.

Headed home on day 11. Hallucination free Finally escaped all the tubes and wires. Stitched up old school no staples thank GOD. Healing nicely, I even made it up the stairs

Thank GOD I have Bill and Chelsea to take care of me. Bill you are the best man I have ever known!
Chelsea you never cease to amaze me with your grace under extreme pressure. You both have ALL my LOVE!!!

I am getting better and better everyday thanks to you all, doctors and the folks at rehab.
Oh and especially the nurses who I am sure have some great stories about the redheaded CRAZY lady. I am so so sorry ;)











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