The land of milk and honey- 5/5/2012

Hi All!

My dear friend Rosa asked if I quit writing the blog and I told her I hadn't  done it lately because nothing very interesting has happened heart-wise. But I guess that's news huh? :)

So here's the run down:

Hospital stays: Not since mid-November. I hate to say this, but I miss it a little. Where else are you treated like a celebrity, given apple juice anytime you get a hankering, and wheeled anywhere you want to go (as long as that is the x-ray room or the CAT scanner)? Nowhere. And all this for a mere $3,000 per day.

Sparky action: Not since mid-November

Energy: Pretty excellent. Most days I can do 3 "things" (a "thing" is like a trip to the grocery store, laundry, happy hour, rehab, going to a movie, school. There are obviously priorities there...happy hour and movies. Oh! I found a place around here where you can do both! That was a happy 2 hours.)

Heart Rhythms: Mostly good. Nothing that has required Sparky attention (see above) but I still do have lots of skipped or extra beats that make me lose my breath for a second and my eyes get big and I gasp. Not a big deal except I do find that it happens at inappropriate times, like when the librarian says "these books are due on May 14th" and I gasp. Or when a gentleman introduces me to his wife. 

Cardiac Rehab: Quite well. My time on the bike and the treadmill is increasing and I rarely feel like I'm going to pass out (this is a marked improvement). Since I've become a real fixture at that hospital, the parking lot attendant and I have formed a bond. His name is Abdul and he's from Somalia. He always says "Hello my friend!" which I totally like. He also tells me how Somalia is the land of milk and honey, has perfect beach weather and is full of lovely people. He routinely encourages me to visit. I haven't broached the issue of piracy yet. We're not THAT good of friends.

Up Next: I have my big cardiologist appointment in late June, but I've learned those things are incredibly anti-climatic. She will probably just tell me we'll just keep plugging along and see what happens with my heart. The one thing we'll look at is my heart ultrasound to see how much blood my heart is pumping with each squeeze. Last time it took a dive to 17% (from about 24%. Remember 60-70% is normal) so we'll see what happens. I'm expecting it to be in the 20-25% range but honestly, there's no way to tell. It's not really connected to how I feel. However, it is the main test to determine how close I am to heart transplant time, so it's very important for that reason. So we'll see!

All things considered, I feel great these days and I'm very grateful for that. I'm happy as a clam, and all is well at Hotelli Morrelli. What more can a girl ask for? : )

Love to you all,
Jana