OH YES....one other thing!

When they did the electrocardiogram at Emergency on Tuesday, they said there were no current issues, but there was evidence of a previous myocardial infarction.  That one really surprised us!  So we have an appointment on Tuesday with our family doctor, and will get referrals made to the proper specialists to have things investigated further. 
In my research I keep coming across autonomic neuropathy and silent heart attack.  Now its already been determined that I have peripheral neuropathy which affects my legs.  Cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN), or nerve damage to the cardiovascular system, begins silently without symptoms of chest pain or discomfort (angina), and often remain undetected until serious myocardial infarction (death of the heart muscle due to lack of oxygen) has occurred. Consequently, these "silent heart attacks" often pass without the individual seeking any medical attention. Once symptoms do appear, the mortality rate is up to 50% within five years. This is why early diagnosis is so important.  Hopefully we have an "early diagnosis"!

Our new hospital

We had a chance to check out our new hospital here in Napanee on Tuesday.  I've been experiencing episodes of shortness of breath over the last several months.  I was going to refer to them as "short lived", however that sounded rather "terminal", so I'll just say they didn't last terribly long. On Tuesday the problem wasn't going away, even with a short walk outside in the cool temperatures.  Our hospital, which has undergone major renovations, is just behind our apartment.  After a short wait while enjoying the Olympics on the 37" TV screen, we were escourted into our emergency cubicle, where our nursing practitioner, Kathy, took charge.  Three hours later, after an ECG, chest xray, and blood work, it was determined I had an inflammation of my airways, and was prescribed a five day dosage of prednisone, corticosteroid inhaler, and salbutamol inhaler.  I was also instructed to see our family doctor and ask for a referral to the Respiratory Clinic in Kingston.  I guess 47 years of smoking might not have been such a good idea, eh?

Time flies when you're having Fun!

I can't think where the week has gone....it totally flew by.  Jim's Mom arrived on Wednesday to spend a few days.  His sister Carly came for a visit on Saturday, and Sunday we drove Mom back to Ottawa, and stopped in for a quick visit after with Ralph, Lisa and the kids.  
Mom and I spent several hours a day doing "Retail Therapy" and we would spend our evenings getting caught up on all the Olympic excitement.  I would sneak off to the bedroom for some "brain breaks" when needed, and my headphones worked well in the van for some 'quiet' in between stores. 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

Today seems like a perfect day to enjoy Chinese buffet, don't you think?

We tried out our new walkie talkies in a large grocery store the other day.  That was great fun to wander around and browse to my heart's content, and not worry about losing Jim!  Now we never leave home without our Walkie Talkies!!!

Walmart Here I Come

My friend Kathy in MA sent me a set of walkie talkies, so I never have to worry about losing Jim while out shopping again! Isn't that such a neat idea?  These will come in very handy on our next adventure too!  Since Jim has never experienced the pleasures of traveling by train, we've booked a train trip to Ottawa for the March 6/7 weekend. We'll be staying with my brother Dave and his wife Margaret, and we'll have a chance to visit with other family while we're there.  Hmmm...I wonder how far these walkie talkies work?

Busy week

We've kept busy this week making our new home just the way we like it.  We added a small deepfreeze in the kitchen for when we see good sales on frozen goods, and got a nice desk for my computer and printer.  This week I think we might try the free bus that takes you to the shopping mall on Tuesdays and Fridays. I think I need to get very comfortable with this mode of transportation.  Yesterday when we stopped for gas, it took Jim a full minute to remember where the door handle was to get out of the van.  This is definitely not looking good!