Heart to Heart

An unforgettable birthday! I must admit I really wasn't prepared for what I experienced that day. I told myself that everything was fine, and the cardiologist wasn't going to find anything wrong with my arteries as he threaded a catheter from my groin to the heart. It was only heartburn, right? WRONG! What did he mean? 90% blockage, and he put a stent in! This was serious, I told myself, and in a way, hard for me to comprehend. I didn't think it was that big a deal to have heartburn now and then, though the pain radiating to my jaw was a little discerning. I must also admit that thoughts of my life ending sooner than I had envisioned became more of a possibility. Well, those thoughts did cross my mind as I laid still in a hospital bed for almost 12 hrs. waiting for my clotting factors to be low enough to reassure the nurses I wouldn't bleed from the site.
Of course, I didn't bring anything but my contact case, to spend the night in the hospital...no brush, no toothbrush, or toothpaste, no change of clothes. And then, I found out there are two other areas below the blockage that are forming plaque, and will have to be watched.
The blockage was in the upper part of the left coronary artery.
So it was home, to recover and take it easy for a few days. But the next day, I started having body aches, and chills, and increased pressure in my sinuses. Friday, I was determined to get out of the house for a little while, so Earl and I went grocery shopping. That's about as long as I could take being out, as I felt awful with body aches. Saturday, I ran a fever, and was all wrapped up in a blanket all day. By Sunday, I started feeling a little better, and as the day went by, I was baking cookies(low fat oatmeal-choc. chip), and went for a walk with Earl and the dogs. I've been reading a book about heart healthy living, and looking at recipes for both of us to follow. I've actually lost 3 lbs. since Tuesday. So begins my new life!
And my family...what a blessing to have a family that cares...thanks for all the phone calls.