Hope everyone had a fabulous stuffed full turkey day! Ours was excellent. We wanted to a deep fried turkey. We were a little worried about the weather. It poured rain here yesterday. This morning it was raining. It did stay clear long enough to eat outside! It was so nice! We had the cousins, Uncle Ben and Aunt Inger and Uncle Ray (from Utah) and his two kids Cameron and Seirra. Who aren't really kids anymore. They grew up to be teenagers really fast! Then Herb,Janet (carls parents) and Christy.

Everyone left about 7ish. It started to thunder and lightening. We started to see a little bit of the lightening as we were eating pie and desserts. Then as soon as Carl and I got comfortable the downpour started. It was perfect timing. It will probably last most of the night!

Carl has to work tomorrow. I was going to try and go to work but the Dr said not till Monday! I'm doing MUCH better every day. Now I have to take naps, which I never did before. If I get tired, I have to sit down or lay down for awhile and take it easy. I probably did a little too much today - but tomorrow I'm home a lone so I'll be able to sleep in and relax most of the day. He still wants me to wear the brace.(for three more weeks) YUCK! It's easy to forget what I can't do. No lifting or raising my arm above my waist. Which isn't much. Until the wound heals and the leads from the pace maker settle into the muscle. I have a follow up in Jan. Then after that it's every three months. They are keeping a closer eye on me which is good.

I feel very very blessed. It was wonderful having my mom and my aunt Laura here to help us while I was out. They did some really fun extra things with the house. I don't know if you remember my post about the curtains. I had put up some material but hadn't finished sewing them. Laura finished them for me and they turned out fabulous. Mom finished the photos I had started on the wall in our living room where we watch t.v. I was trying to make a family collage of frames. She did a fabulous job there. They even figured out how to hang some of my scrapbook layouts in 12x12 frames - which was such a fun idea. We have them at work, but I haven't seen them on my walls in a frame! It's really cool! They said my art work should be framed! I was so glad!

I have a wonderful family! SO many of you are spread out everywhere. I miss you like crazy. I miss seeing my nieces and nephews grow up and the ones that are coming our way this next year! I miss being together for the holiday. But I feel so very blessed that we can keep in touch and we haven't lost our relationships over the distance and the absence. I worry about you all. I worry that everyone is in good health and happy. Money isn't everything I'm learning that too. You can only stress about it so much. In this day and age when everyone is struggling, the best thing we can do is be together and build memories and relationships, the money only last so long. I feel so very thankful and loved and blessed. I am overwhelmed at the support that we have recieved through our illnesses. Both Carl and I. From the bottom of my broken but beating heart THANK YOU!

I am slowly recovering but already sensing the difference with my new mechanical attachment called a pacemaker! It was really a pretty easy procedure/surgery. I didn't like being strapped to the surgery table though. That was a little nerve racking. But they gave me the drugs and I was a happy camper. They put a tent like thing in front of my face and around the rest of me. It was kinda weird. They made an insertion in my left shoulder. It took little under an hour. From what I'm told. Mom, Carl, Aunt Laura, Aunt Beth and Carl's family all waited in the waiting room for news from the Dr. Who came out smiling and said everything is fine. It was pretty easy for the most part.

It's very sore, I have to wear an arm brace for a few more days then limit my arm movements for about a week or so. But the improvement in my energy level and my breathing is immensely better! I don't feel out of breath after walking or talking on the phone. It's wonderful. Sleep! I Sleep now! It's a good sleep! I love that! Now if I could just get off the meds! It's really good!

It should be a good week! Mom's coming down on Tuesday. She's leaving Salt Lake tomorrow - I think. She was going to fly, but I guess now her and Laura are driving.

I am looking forward to not being so tired all the time!I am looking forward to feeling better. I am looking forward to not going to the Dr three or four times in a month! I'll tell ya, I'm savin' all my reciepts for co-pays for taxes next year! HOLY COW! All I can say is thank the good Lord for health insurance!

I feel very fortunate. I feel blessed that Carl and I have good jobs. We have so many friends that have lost jobs in the last month. It's frightening. They are constantly in our thoughts and prayers.

I made this the other day for the wall but it was too long to hang from the wall so I had to hang it from the coat closet! I need to add something else to the H and the T.

The appointment with the specialist was good today. I think. I am getting pace maker. The low readings aren't good. My rhythm isn't working like it should. There was some damage done to my bottom ventricular. (I'm not very good at medical terminology. You would think I would be by now.) The Dr said there isn't a medication that can fix that. I am surprised they want to do it so soon. It's going in as early as next week. I am scheduled for next Wed. I will only be in the hospital for a day or so. Pending on how everything heals. They call it a 'procedure' now, that makes me feel a little better. It's going in my shoulder. It's little. The pacemaker I mean. It's about the size of a silver dollar. The technology now is amazing.

I am hopeful! I am hoping I will feel better and be able to run laps with Maggie!

I wish I could express more what and how I'm feeling today. I was not so pleased with election results. I think it's the fear of the unknown. I hope that our new Pres. Elect can live up to his words and his promises and not drag us into a depression or scary foreign affairs.

Right now my feelings on that just took a back seat. I wish I good news to report from the Dr's office. I mentioned that I had a heart monitor on due to some other symptoms that were still not making sense. Well, this morning we have an explanation and it makes sense.

My heart rate is slowing down and it's picking up on the monitor. It's down into scary rates. 20 and 30's. A normal heart rate is in the 70's and 80's. It's mostly at night or very early am. About the same time as my heart attack in August. Then I take the Vaprimill in the am before I got to work. I start feeling light headed and the rapid heart rates and nauseated and the pass out feeling. That's because the medication is doing it's job and compensating. Trying to get my heart rate back up.

Every one has an electrolite (spelling?) system that's part of the heart and how it works. Mine is not working properly due to my conditon. I also have scar tissue from previous surgeries that may be interfering.

What does all this mean and what are my options? Well, first my cardiologist (the guy I haven't seen since August. I've seen someone else and been frustrated!) explained it all to me! LOVE HIM!! He is sending me to an electro- specialist. It's in their office. He just specializes in this part of the heart. Then I go back to Ambrosia and they will decide if a pace maker is in my future. It will be we just don't know how soon. They don't want to right away because of my age. I'm too young and the battery would have to be changed a numerous times in my lifetime. So they are hoping they can adjust with medication. But I am not losing the monitor anytime soon or the Vaprimill. It's doing it's job I just have to deal with the side affects. They want to keep monitoring me because of the irratic readings and the low heart rates and my blood pressure is all out of wack! I hope they can adjust the medications. I know a pace maker will be in my future eventually - I just hope it won't be so soon.

In the meantime, I am a little more bummed because I was going to have my dental stuff redone and it's been put off indefinitely, dr's orders. He is afraid that the meds will slow down my heart rate.
I am a little bummed. I was getting excited to have them fixed.