Current location:	home
Current mood:	calm
Current music:	just the clacking of the keys

Oops, I did it again.....
No, I didn't shave my head (Do you see the word STUPID stamped on my forehead??), but I just couldn't resist the Britney joke.

What I mean is, exactly one week ago at this very moment I was in the ER at Baptist Hospital because my heart tried to run away from me AGAIN (like the time back in October). I kept my promise to my doctor and my mother to go to the hospital this time. Last time, I had Patrick take me to Walgreens at 2:00 AM to get some aspirin, went home, took the aspirin & waited it out. This time I drove myself to the ER (Patrick was at work) despite feeling slightly light-headed. When they did the EKG my heart rate was about 260 (yea, you read that right--260). They gave me a dose of Denysene (not sure if that's spelled right) which brought my heart rate down into the 100 range and then they gave me Cardizem to bring it back down to normal rate. They took some blood and ran some tests and the ER doc said my thyroid levels were slightly elevated and told me to take my thyroid medicine every other day till I go see my regular doctor (memo to self: make appointment with primary care doc). He also put me on Metaprolol which is for blood pressure and heart rhythms - the Metaprolol is a 25 mg medication and he told me to only take half a pill at a time and told me to go see my cardiologist. So I saw my cardiologist this past Tuesday, and she said the half-pill of Metaprolol was a "baby dose", took me off the Metaprolol and put me on a anti-arrhythmic medication called Rythmol which I take 2 times a day. So far it seems to be doing okay. For now, I'm taking the samples that she gave me but I need to check with my insurance and see if they will cover once I go to prescription. My cardiologist said if my insurance won't cover the Brand name it is quite expensive. There is a generic for it which is a 3-times-a-day medication and is much less expensive. The only thing about the generic is, they would have to put me in the hospital to start me on it so they can watch me and see if it works.

Bless his heart, Patrick went and bought me a blood pressure monitor at Walgreens. That, plus the simple stethoscope I bought a few months ago, plus a blood sugar monitor, plus the 3 medications I take makes my house look like a small medical clinic. But if it helps me stick around a while longer, it's worth it. Not that I've exactly got a toe in the grave at this point, but when you start talking about wacky heart rhythms, you're talking about some serious stuff. My cardiologist also mentioned a procedure called ablation which pretty much renders the part of the heart that's causing all these problems inactive (but she said it's in a part of the heart that I don't need anyway). But I think she would rather wait and see how the meds work first before we look into that.

On the church front, we had our annual Forum (lectureship) last weekend. The sermons were great but the attendance was terrible. It made me feel sorry for the men who were preaching, to be preaching to an auditorium that was only half full (if that). Last Sunday evening we worshipped at another congregation - one of the congregations where some of the people who left Stage Road are at now. It was definitely good to see some of the people we haven't seen in a while, as well as some new friends that we've made there via Bible Bowl and other events. Now we're trying to see how much interest there is as far as people willing to teach VBS. We really don't have a whole lot of children left that are in elementary age & younger, and since we're doing a one-day VBS anyway due to budget constraints, we're wondering if it's even worth doing it at all. When I say "we" I mean Patrick and me. Pat and I both think that those who regularly teach on Sunday AM and Wednesday PM should not have to teach in VBS, but outside of those of us that teach on Sunday & Wednesday, what's left is a handful of teens and young adults and the rest are Goldenagers (50+). Pat put up a sign-up sheet Wednesday night for people to sign if they are willing to teach. I'll have to look at it tomorrow to see if anyone has signed up.

Okay, enough of that. On to other things. I was glad to hear they FINALLY buried Anna Nicole. It's about time. I mean, it's been, what? 2 weeks? I heard she was buried in a gown made by one of her favorite designers and was also wearing a tiara. Oh well, at least they finally decided where to bury her. I say they should have just flipped a coin and settled it with that. One thing I do wonder is who's going to take care of her baby? Is that going to be another long, drawn-out battle that we'll get to hear all about?? Gee, I can hardly wait. NOT!!!!

And since when does Britney's bald head become a case of major national concern??? The day she did that, I guess it must have been a slow news day because the local news stations acted like it was some sort of national crisis or something. I mean it was the first thing that was mentioned when the news started. It was like, "Oh yea, our troops are still in Iraq and people are still being killed over there BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, let's give our full undivided attention to Britney's bald head and how many times she's checked in and out of rehab." First, she's of legal age, and this is a free country, so she can check in and out of rehab 20 times a day if she wants to. I really don't care one way or another whether she's in or out. Second, IT'S JUST HAIR!! IT WILL GROW BACK!!! GET OVER IT ALREADY!!! If she wants to look like Sinead O'Connor or Demi Moore in GI JANE, that's her business. Don't make it mine.

One of the teamleaders in the Denials Department at work has a cute cartoon drawing at her desk. It's a stick figure woman that looks all frazzled and stressed out and the caption is "Please cancel my subscription. I don't want your issues." That's exactly how I feel about Britney's bald head and about where Anna Nicole got buried.

I guess the only news stuff I'm concerned about right now is: when are our troops FINALLY going to get to come home, how the Mary Winkler case is going to turn out, and how far the Memphis Tigers in the tournaments (they are undefeated in the conference at this point and the conference tournament is next weekend. GO TIGERS!!!)

Well, I guess that's all for now. I've got to go put some bills in the mail and try to figure out what kind of anniversary present to get for my sweetie-pie. We'll be married 9 years come next Wednesday (March 7).

Take care and God bless. May the road rise up to meet you (not literally, it's just part of an Irish blessing or something like that) and all that jazz.