Hyper Juice

For some reason these past few weeks I have been running on some type of adrenalin rush. Major rush. Total mind races. I am expecting to run out of gas any minute. Honestly though. Why can't I channel this energy into something constructive? Instead, I have left a path of destruction through this house like you wouldn't believe. You think I am kidding? Here is a small sample of what I mean.

1. I decided to take down the wallpaper in the guest bathroom about 2 weeks ago. Each night I sit and peel small amounts of shredded paper and I am not even half way through. It will not come off. So I quit for a time and took on another project.

2. I decided that I would sand and refinish my pretty front door. I put a chair outside on the porch, thinking about the mess of wallpaper, and started to slowly sand. Then I remembered why I hate to sand so much. So, halfway through that, I quit. I quit and thought how nice it would be to straighten all the kids rooms for the holidays. ( OUCH, did I say holidays?) So.....

3. I started in only son's room. With 7 large clear storage tubs. I packed trophies, pictures, notes from girls, baseball gloves, footballs, basketball jerseys from little dribblers up to high school. I packed scrap books, autographs, more trophies, certificates, caps and gowns. I packed size 4 T Dallas football pants all the way up to High School quarterback size. Then, I packed enough sports books and magazines to start a small library. All the tubs went home to Abilene to live with him in his nice new house. Now he can sit and go through them. At his leisure. I loaded all the emptied off shelves with my own books and knick knacks. I moved an antique bedroom set in there. I hung some new curtains. It all looked so nice. Then the madness really began.

4. I went into daughter # 1's room. I started doing the same thing. Oh my gosh. Tiara's, pom poms, Prom dresses, bridesmaids dresses, mums, cards dating back to her 1st birthday up to wedding congratulation cards and Welcome Baby. Every momento you can imagine. ( chip off the old block ) She has been gone from home long enough to not have accumulated as much as only son. But, still when I didn't know what to do with something I took it into only son's room. Pretty soon daughter # 1's room was turned into my new, nice and neat office. For a short time. Only son's room was a mess again.

5. I entered into daughter # 2's room. Is it legal to have 1,000 homecoming mums in one room with Strawberry Shortcakes house, a corral of My Little Ponies, Rainbow Bright, Puffalumps, Gerber baby dolls, and college textbooks. Wedding garter, prom dresses, bridesmaids dresses and megaphones from high school and college. She is alot like me in that she likes to leave everything here and she will pick it up at a later date. ( Sorry Mom...I've been gone 36 years and still have things in your attic! ) So everything that I didn't know what to do with in her room moved to daughter # 1's room and only son's room. Did I mention that I moved my treadmill into daughter # 2's room also? It takes up about half of the room. It was not turning out like I envisioned.

So, basically what I have now is:
A demolished guest bathroom
Three of the messiest rooms you have ever seen
A front door that looks like termites Housework about 2 months behind because I have been trying to work through this mess.

And here I sit at the computer. Wondering where I begin? Who do I call to help? This is serious problem and I don't see a solution in sight short of selling the house as is and moving right into the retirement home. Somebody else is going to have to cook the turkey unless things start moving in a different direction pretty soon. At this rate we won't even have room to live here.

HEY! I JUST REALIZED IT IS MY BLOGGERVERSARY. Happy wishes to me and my 6 readers.

The Verdict is In.....Almost

Home again from Houston. If you don't already have a heart condition you will trying to drive through and around and out of Houston. I had a pleasant and informative visit with Dr. Mann at Baylor Heart Institute
today. Gordon was at an LCRA conference and was not able to go with me today. So, I enlisted my BFF Becky to go with me. Also, my daughter Heather went this time since Ashley, middle daughter, had an appointment of her own.......MORE ON THAT LATER...... I am so lucky to have had them with me. They both asked questions and made me feel very much at ease as I sat in the middle. Ashley would have been in there too if she could have and I know Mitch would have been there if the miles were not such an issue. I am so very lucky and blessed by my children's love! Becky though, has a wonderful memory, unlike mine, and has been able to relate and retell me what all he said in detail. I have spent the last 2 hours in the car making her tell me again and again until I could get it all straight. Any more questions need to be directed to Becky. Dr. Mann was able to view my last stent/catherization via CD from Heart Hospital and said that from that he was certain that I do not have coronary vasculitis. I did indeed have another heart attack which was caused by almost total blockage in the RCA (right coronary artery) lower chamber this time but he saw no other evidence of another dissection. The artery was almost totally occluded or blocked and a blood clot ( yuck, don't you hate the word clot?) was thrown. This condition can happen very quickly......it isn't necessarily something that smelters for months. He said that from results of all the follow up that he could determine that I had minimal heart damage. He even said very very minimal. I did alot of calling to Heart Hospital last week and was never able to get ahold of the right person to help me recover the CD from my initial dissection/heart attack in 2001. Dr. Mann really wanted to view that one before he gave me the final verdict. So, the reason the verdict is out is I am going to spend the next few days calling, calling and calling Heart Hospital until someone goes to the Medical Records Archives/graveyard whatever and retrieves that old record. Their excuse to me each time I called was basically the same. Technology has changed so much in the last 5 years that the 2001 surgery is stored on another computer "medium" that basically would have to be re downloaded before they could record it on a cd. I don't know because I don't understand technology. I can barely borrow and carry in addition. I had some more lab work done today to test something about homocysteine and my clotting abilities. Then after the review of 2001 CD, soon to be released at a theatre near you Dr. Mann and I will get back in touch. Basically, those will be the last pieces of the puzzle for Dr. Mann and we will then consult via the telephone. He basically reinforced to me that I am not typical of any heart patient.....that I do need to be aware of chest pains, etc. But we all do! He also made me feel better by saying that he felt like I have been in very good medical care with Dr. Bailey. He said that all the notes he read from the records I provided and all the meds etc that I am on are exactly what he would have done for me. He said the familiarity of the small town relationship of patient/doctor is important. With Dr. Bailey's access to Austin facilities etc he says I am totally on the right track. That made me feel better about having so much trust and not being so informed. However, I am planning to continue this aggressive patient conduct and stay on top of everything. If for some reason, and hopefully not, Dr. Bailey is insulted that I got a second opinion I will use another highly recommended cardio that is also a 'ville regular. When all the results are in during the next few weeks, I will try to never bore you with "heart condition" posts. This just really saves time and repetition in getting the word out to the 6 of you who have asked. And prayed. And cared. In a nutshell for now until further notice, I do have mild coronary artery disease ( genetically...probably on the Whitfield side, sorry Poppi ) which is controllable by exercise, diet, medications, etc. All the not fun stuff to do. I did not hear the words Blue Bell Fudge Nut Brownie mentioned once. And by the way ....... my treadmill is not for sale anymore.

No News is Good News

For those 6 or so of you that read my blog you already know this but I'll say it again.

I had a very extensive 2 days of testing, etc at Baylor Heart Institute in Houston. Basically I went in for a second opinion. There were some issues that were bothering me and I wasn't really getting the answers to the questions I was asking. So I subjected myself to another doctor and I was poked, prodded, xrayed, nucleared, interviewed, etc...... I was very impressed with the thouroughness of it all. The dr I saw also happens to be the Chief of Staff of the whole place. He spent about 2 hours talking with me. You know I liked that.......it was all about me! I had previously faxed about 65 pages of medical records so that he could look over my history before I came. And, as Ashley would say, I sent along the introductory novel. And I did. I just hate going to see new doctors when they don't have a clue who are they are going to see. So, I have this little thing that I always forward along so they know what to expect when they do meet me. Things like where I live, work, things I like to do, etc......I know it sounds silly but he said he wished all his patients did that. But, it very much broke the ice and the new dr. / patient relationship. He pretty much reinforced what I have been told a million times and that is how very fortunate I am to be alive. He feels like the second episode should not have happened and was most likely started by another smaller dissection located in the same coronary artery as the first. I have to call Heart Hospital tomorrow and have the actual "footage" of both my surgeries ( '01 & 06 ) for him to watch. He said that they should be on cd and I have a right as a patient to request them. Jeepers, I hope I wasn't slobbering or anything. I must say that my L'Oreal lipstick stayed on for at least 12 hours during that last surgery. It wasn't as eventful as the hair issue before which I am sure my girls would love to tell you about! I then go back on the 14th for the conclusion. I wish Houston wasn't so far and I could continue as his patient. However, he has absolutely NO IDEA the stress I went through just trying to find his office through Houston. A person could get killed there! I do feel like I need to find a doctor that treats me more aggressively. So, on the dr. issue I am in a dilemma because I really like the dr. I had. He is just almost too sweet, does that make sense? So, for now, that is where I stand. I'll wait to post again when I return from the 14th's visit with all the good news. And Terrie, when you "cut up with God" in the morning as you say, please remind him of me! Maybe he'll ride with me again on the 14th.