Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Another day!

Good news! I got a new donation to my fundraising account from Doris McGlone. In addition to the generous support of my parents and Jan Marshall, I think I am up and running.

My bronchitis flared up after Dad's little cardiac episode and I hadn't been able to work out very well. I tried, but I would only be able to go a little way until I started coughing and couldn't stop. Ugh! The other day, I went walking with my friend and teammate Misty and could only go a mile before it sounded like I was working up a horrendous hairball!

But, I figured out that if I take a nebulizer treatment of albuterol (one good thing about having an asthmatic kiddo is that you have all the equipment on hand), I could go a bit farther on the elliptical trainer. Now, I am back to 30 minutes, but only once a day. But, I can sure feel it in my legs and fanny when I am done, so it's likely to be doing something positive.

John and Granny even walked with me yesterday for a mile. Pretty good for all of us--exceptional for John. It's taking a lot to build up his stamina.

Tomorrow, if the wonderful weather holds, I will try to take the kids and walk with Misty again after school. Now that I have a portable nebulizer (so I can quit coming home so Ethan can use our old-fashioned nebulizer during the school day), I can take it with me in a fanny pack so I can even have a treatment en route! Ha! I may outsmart this bronchitis thing yet. Plus, I feel so much better after every workout. Maybe I can burn it out of my lungs.

So, life is good.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

A crazy couple of weeks!

Hmmm. Where to start...

Okay, last Monday, all was well in the world (okay, it was a royally crappy day, but I could deal with it, kind of) until I got a phone call at work that my Dad had come to the school to pick up my oldest son, John. While here, he started having severe chest pains...

So, off we go to the local hospital emergency room with Dad fussing and complaining all the way there. I did have the presence of mind to call ahead through the EMS so that they were waiting on him.

Long story short. Dad had a heart attack, but thankfully very little real damage associated with it. He got transfered to Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta (a top-notch, but truly psychotically designed facility) and got a heart catheterization, lots of Plavix, and 2 stents in the front artery of his heart. It's like a miracle. Cardiac procedures have changed so much as the technology has improved that he didn't have to have his chest "cracked" at all. Now his complexion is all pink and nice. We hadn't realized that he had gotten so pale until he "pinked up."

Now he's home and fussy. He hates not being independent and totally in control of life (guess that's where I got it from). He is having to behave (unlike when I had to drive him and Mom home from the hospital and he ESCAPED at Kaiser medical center!), eat right, and lose weight. I think this was a major wake up call for him. All I know is that my prayers have been answered and he is fine. Whew!

Beginnings...

Beginnings are an odd thing. I guess it is because it can be so much to think about, to get bogged (blogged?) down in. So, in I jump!

I have contemplated having a blog for some time now, but didn't really have a suitable reason to start one. Now, I do. So, this is where I will rant, rave, muse, giggle, and share (probably more than anyone else would enjoy!).

I just got home from meeting a good friend for a walk. Our kids played (in our watchful and paranoid view) while we huffed and hiked around a huge parking lot. It's not glamorous, but it worked! We walked until my incredible, hacking cough made me stop. After battling bronchitis off and on now, it sounds like if only I could get rid of these annoying hairballs, I would be healthy! Fortunately, my friends have a sense of humor.

This chick and I are the sole members (currently) of the "3-Day Supporters" a walking team in training for the 3 day (60 mile) walk to raise money for Breast Cancer Research. It's a pretty ambitious goal for me to attempt in my current couch potato state, but a worthwhile goal as well. We've got until October 12th (4 days after I turn 40) to be prepared to kick asphalt! Right now, there is no such thing as too much training! Coughing, yes. Training, no.