By Golly... I'm Honest!

A BIG "Thank you" goes out to my friend, the incredibly talented Miss Mustard Seed of Mustard Seed Creations for the generous award of  "Honest Scrap"! I may not be a lot of things but gosh darnit, I Am Honest! Maybe too much for a few people. 

Here are the Rules that need to be followed upon receiving this award:

1. 
   
   Say "thanks" and give a link back to the presenter of this award.
   
   
   
2. 
   
   Share "10 Honest Things" about yourself.
   
   
   
3. 
   
   Present this award to 7 others whose blogs that you find brilliant in content, /or design, or those who have encouraged you.
   
   
   
4. 
   
   Tell those 7 people that they have been awarded the "Honest Scrap" award and inform them of these guidelines.
   
   
   

OK, now on with the show!

1. I am the oldest of three children... hence the "Type A- Personality".
2. I am an X-Ray tech, but haven't worked in this field in 20 years.
3. I started a business 20 years ago where I did stenciling and calligraphy, selling handmade framed pieces. It was relatively successful as I had a spot at the Atlanta Gift Market.
4. I am a frustrated artist and love the medium of watercolor.
5. My husband and I met at church and only knew each other 4 months when we were married. Yikes!
6. We have lived  in San Antonio,Texas (where Alyson was born) and Marietta, Georgia (northern suberb of Atlanta) where I left my heart.
7. I have a real aversion to clowns or anyone or anything that hides their true feelings or puts on a "show". (Sorry.)
8. I want to know the truth even if it hurts. (Do you see a theme here?)
9. I really do NOT want to be defined by any illness. That's why I thought long and hard about sharing my recent heart problems.
10. About 12 years ago I had a dramatic encounter with God, and it radically changed my life. I love to study and teach the Bible and have written and taught several Bible Studies.

These are the 7 people whose Blogs have inspired me with their great content and encouragement.

They have inspired so many people and some have had awards up to their eyeballs, but what the hey. Like I said, I tell it "Honest"!

I have 2 honorary "blog idols":

Theresa of Garden Antiques Vintage, whose blog I found first and has encouraged me in so many ways, and Debbie of Talking Trash who has been my biggest cheerleader and favorite Nana. (not to mention has caused me to laugh until I fell in the floor!)

1. Mindy of Primitiques in Poetry, my first follower
2. Jan of Summer Sundays, my friend and blog mentor
3. Katie of Ragamuffin Gal, my spiritual sister
4. Cindy of Yapping Cat Studio, my creative hero
5. Jodie of Everything Vintage, my adorable southern sweetie
6. Hayley of Nesting Notions, my English teacher that inspires me
7. Jermaine of French Kissed, my friend the world traveler, and designer extraordinare

Thank you everyone, there were so many more!

Have a great Monday, everyone!

Debra

I'm Home... and Stay Tuned for a Give-Away!

This trip to the hospital proved to be a quick one. I was a "work in", last on the list for the heart catheritization Friday afternoon. My cardiologist came in to check on me, once I was in the cardiac pre-surgical room and said he would get me in yesterday afternoon. He knows me...and remembers the times I've shown up in trouble. Of the times I've had this procedure, this was the least stressful and easiest go.

The results were the best that I could have hoped for... no new blockages, and my stent was still functioning.

My chest pain is coming from two smaller arteries that are blocked, but non life-threatening. They are too small to stent, but are bothering me. I knew this time felt different. So hopefully a different type of slow release nitroglycerine will help. This keeps arteries more dialated, for better blood flow.

It is always difficult to change medications, but this time I'm hoping that it will be easier. So YEAH, I'm hoping to be back more to my old self, and less in the "sicky" mode. I'm at the place where I'm tired of "myself", if you know what I mean. I want to get on with life! Fall being my favorite time of year, I didn't want to miss out.
So I may be slowing down on my Junk purchases. Hope you'll still like me.
I got a "condolence" present from my sweet husband. Kind of like a kid that has to go and have his tonsils out, I got a "treat"... A New Camera! It's a step up from my little camera. Not terrilbly complicated, but takes better close-ups in low light. So I'm excited to use it. The photos above are from the new camera.

I'm planning a "giveaway" to celebrate my "100 th Follower", so stay tuned for that. I have something I think ANYONE would love. If you join as a follower, or already are one, you know, you get 2 chances to win!!! (shameless, I know).

I'm glad to be home and I'm taking it easy. Thanks for all the love, you all have a great weekend!
Debra

"Thank you!" and an Update

Thank you all for your care and concern. I so appreciate everyone who left a good thought or prayer. I have been home patiently waiting for a doctor appointment with my very busy cardiologist this week. In heart related problems you are advised not to wait, but to go to the emergency room. The problem is I have done this several times and unless you are in the middle of a coronary there really is nothing that they can do for you. The ER staff can only determine if you are having a heart attack and or try to make you comfortable, nothing more, so then you wait until you see your cardiologist. I did not want to go that route this time so I waited for my Dr. appointment this morning.(over strong advice of several of my loved ones)  I saw a physician's assistant who was one of the best "communicators" in the field of medicine that I have ever come in contact with. My husband was with me and we heard about new medications, and found out a few things about my personal situation that I had not heard before, so in that case, I was glad that I waited and saw this young man.

*Upon re-reading this I want to stress the important thing is this: If you are experiencing chest pain, what you think might be bad indigestion, pain in your right or left arm, heaviness in your chest, neck ache, jaw ache when combined with other symptoms GO,GO,GO to the ER. The only reason I waited this time is that I know what a heart attack feels like in my own body.

If I have learned one thing in the past 7 years it is to be your own advocate. Don't set around waiting for someone to "do the best thing" for you because it may not happen. I was looking at waiting 2 weeks for this test...me a patient that has had 4 heart attacks and just missed another one by  the "hair of her chinny, chin, chin"! So when the scheduling assistant said 2 weeks, I firmly said NO! They are trying to work me in Friday afternoon, so I am praying that this major test will happen, and that I won't have to wait until Monday. This is a cardiac catheterization, where a catheter is threaded up through your femoral (groin) artery into your heart and then a contrast material is injected. It shows blockages and defects etc. in the arteries.

I really don't know much yet about my problem, but part of my main focus in all of this is to find out what I can do to keep this from happening again. It has only been 8 months since the last blockage.

If this is all too much information, I will just say this. Know your own body. The symptoms of heart attacks in women are completely different than in men. When something is wrong don't let someone put you off or talk you out of what you know in your "gut".  I will do a post later about women and heart disease. The now #1 Killer of women...even above breast cancer.

So for now, hopefully, I'll be back home by the weekend, but maybe early next week.

*Once again I pulled this post to re-edit and hopefull clarify some of what I said. My friend, Jan from Summer Sundays asked a good question in her comment. "was this test something the doctor suggested or something that I felt like I needed"? Here is how I think I can best answer.
I have had this test done 4 other times, and upon numerous talks with my cardiologist he has admitted that this is the only test that will give a conclusive answer as to whether or not you have a blockage. Stress tests, nuclear tests, cat-scans etc. are all good indicators, but will not difinitively give an answer, only an angiogram (heart cath) unfortunately will show the artery and how the blood is flowing. The doctors cannot and will not do it unless they have a pretty conclusive idea that you indeed have a blockage. (Extremely expensive and an invasive surgical procedure.)
When I was saying "be your own advocate" I was talking of two things, #1, don't let someone talk you out of getting  a diagnoses, and #2 be sure you don't get lost in the shuffle of busy hospital schedules. The Physician's Asst. told me first thing, that this was what they needed to find out about what is going on with me, but I was handed off to someone who just "scheduled" and didn't know my history. Once I said that I would just go on to the hospital and go thru the ER, she looked at my chart and agreed that I shouldn't wait.
OK, sorry this has gotten so long.
Love to you all and please keep me in your prayers,

Debra