Today was a trying day. I have been having these near-fainting spells for a couple months. For a while I thought it was the heat. Then I thought my blood pressure was dropping rapidly. It's awkward when one is having a conversation and starts to grey out. So, I went to the doctor. Took some meds. Thought I was better. Started near-fainting again. Went back to the doctor. He sent me to a cardiologist. He also scheduled an MRI on my head and an MRA on my carotid arteries.
I had my day nicely planned. Echo cardiogram at 8:00, MRI and MRA at 9:30. Lunch with a friend at 11:30 or so. Best laid plans and all that stuff. The orders had not been given to the echo imaging center. I waited an hour with no test because I had to leave in order not to be late for my 9:30 test, which, as would happen, did not get started until around 10:30. They did give me a $5 BP gas card for my trouble. The 30 minute MRI lasted approximately an hour. My head was in a cage, my arms pinned down, and my head wedged between two boards. They were soft boards, but boards nonetheless. You can't really sleep during an MRI because they are so loud. I prayed...a lot. I thanked God for all my blessings, prayed for my children, prayed for my friends, prayed for "he who wishes," prayed for my church, prayed for my mother, prayed for the grass and the trees and anything else I could think of. I was like the 4 year old who prays for his great grandmother or his dog who has been dead for 4 years. Anything to keep my mind off that cage over my face, my arms pinned down, and those blasted boards. Whew I made it through.
I met a woman in the waiting room who had on Family Guy flannel pajama bottoms. She has 3 children ages 17, 20 and 23. She is a single mom, and lost her waitress job 6 weeks ago. She has gained 4 pounds since then. She takes medicine for high blood pressure (her cholesterol is fine), a diuretic (she hasn't been taking it correctly), pain meds for her back and carpal tunnel, a muscle relaxer, and psychiatric meds. She liked to talk. I learned a lot about her. She kept me entertained while I waited. She helped me realize how thankful I should be for my health. She was 18 years younger than I, and her health was so very fragile. I also met a gentleman in the first waiting room who is a huge Republican, blames Obama (tongue in cheek, I think) for his quadruple bypass, and who still works as an accountant at a construction company. He liked to talk. I learned a lot about him. They learned nothing about me. That's okay. It would not have changed their lives it they had.
I had lunch by myself at Picnic. I had to cancel lunch with my good buddy, Marilyn a.k.a. Tom, which had been planned for several weeks. This was the second time I had to cancel. I don't like doing that. I really don't like eating in a restaurant by myself either. Lunch was not the stimulating, laughter-filled occasion I was expecting when I got up this morning.
At 1:30, I am back at the echo imaging center. No one else is in the waiting room. I sit quietly until they call me back. A lovely nurse does the echo and then informs me that the cardiologist wishes to see me when it is over. She walks me to his office where I wait for an hour and 15 minutes to see him. I am in an examining room with one Martha Stewart magazine which I read about 3 times. I got a couple good ideas for birthday cards to send to sweet Jenny in Minnesota, but I was growing very weary of waiting. Finally, he comes in and tells me I have the heart of a 20 year old. Great news!! Then he says I better hope they don't find anything in the MRI or MRA because they are looking for really bad stuff in those tests. Great!
So, as I go to bed tonight, I pray that they did find some brain matter in my cranium, but nothing that does not belong there. I also pray that I have carotid arteries like a 20 year old. I call today "therapeutic testing." Unless I think I am dying in the next hour or so, I am going to avoid the doctor. So, for today, I wish you a heart of a 20 year old, and
blessings
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