Updates, Wonderful surprises and sea horses :)

Sorry I should have gotten on here and posted sooner. Tuesday I went to the hospital for the Echo-Cardiogram ... A fancy word for an ultra sound of your heart. The poor little tech! I am always wanting to know what they see, and if it's good or bad? Of course the technician cannot tell me anything. He just "takes the pictures, or in this case movies". So I asked anyway! Of course I knew his answer and had a response ready for him, he told me he "was not allowed to comment on what he sees", so I told him "Fine then I will just read your expression". Of course I couldn't, but the poor young man must have wanted to finish that A.S.A.P. and get me outta there!
He told me as he walked me out ... that I probably won't hear anything for at least a week or 10 days. The test has to go from him to another cardiologist who can read it and evaluate it, then he has someone type up a report, and with the "scan" send it off to the doctor who ordered it, then she has to talk to my pulmonologist about it before they can decide what if anything needs done. Whew! And, we wonder why medical things take so long! It used to be you had one doctor who birthed you, gave you your first "exam", took out your tonsils, birthed your children and then gave you hormones when you went through "the change". Now it takes 5 different doctors to do that, and that doesn't even include your heart or lungs. Yikes!!
Really, I love my doctors. I am very pleased with them, and trust them completely. I think that is very important. So, even though I get impatient .. I am glad they take their time and discuss me as much as they want.

I am still perplexed though why my Primary Doc (whom I adore) didn't mention to me that I have been diagnosed with Hypoxia? Yep, it said so right there on the chart. Not ... "possible hypoxia, not test for hypoxia. It said known disorders emphysema/copd and hypoxia.
I still cannot find very much about it online. So, I will be patient and wait for my next appointment to ask questions. This again is where I say ... If I don't know what it is, or what it can do to me then I can live in denial and be perfectly happy.

I also got a call from the surgeon who will do the biopsy on my thyroid. My consult appointment with him is on the 11th @ 11:00. hmmmmm Eleven used to be my lucky number, maybe that means good things?!?!

I have another appointment on the 4th for a bone scan. Eventually, when you are on long term steroids it weakens the bones. I didn't know that. Not sure how long to get results from that. But (maybe this is the wrong thing to not worry about?) I am not so worried about breaking anything right now. One would actually have to move around to break something. Really, I am just trying to make this light hearted. I understand the importance of strong bones. My mom died from heart complications after she fell and broke her hip. So, I promise I take this very seriously.
I seem to be following both my mom and dad as far as illness's go, only on a much more rapid pace. At my age Dad was still barefoot water skiing and Mom was snorkeling in Mexico without a care in the world.

I have had a few wonderful surprises in the last few days. One of my and my Mom's best friends got a hold of me on facebook and said that her and another friend were going to be in Bend the end of August and could I meet them there? She said that if I couldn't for medical reasons then they would just come down here to see me! I cried, and cried and cried. I miss my mom so badly. Even in the last year after she moved to Arizona we talked at least every other day. We used to get together with a group of girls (woman) to have craft weekends. Usually in October, and always full of girl time, shopping, good food and we actually accomplished some craft project. Being around these girls will be a nice link to my mom. I miss being around her friends and my step-dad (who has moved on) to talk about mom and share stories or laugh about her.

Also in today's mail I got such a nice letter from my Aunt, mom's sister. Unexpected surprises! I love her, she is so kind and I loved the fact she thought about me enough to write. Sounds silly I know, but really with the exception of my brother who I talk to on the phone regularly and we see each other when we can ... I have very little contact with family on mom's side or dads.

Those were my wonderful surprises. These days it doesn't take much! We had Layla tonight and her and I sat in my sitting area on the front porch and painted rocks. We didn't get to finish because we coated them too heavily with paint and they wouldn't dry before bath time and bed time. But, we promised to finish them tomorrow before "family swim". From 5:30 to 8:00 they have family swim at our local pool. It's not crowded and we take Layla there. I look forward to it all week. Last time Bill went with me, this time maybe Brittney ... I can't take her by myself anymore (last summer we went 3 or 4 times a week) because I get too winded and have to leave my oxygen up in the bleachers during busy times. So with Bill or Britt there I can get out and hook up every once in a while. Layla loves to ride me like a sea-horse and I try and remind her grandma is old and can't give rides to such a big girl.. she's not falling for it. So, sea-horse it is!!