Thursday June 13

It would appear that I’ll be around a while longer after yesterday’s cardioversion procedure. I have been ‘put under’ before for a tooth extraction, but there is always a risk that one may not ever wake up.

The cardiologist himself administered the shock, and then left me convulsing on the bed with not as much as a bullet to bite on.

Apparently, all went well, as they only had to administer the procedure once…this time. The nurse said if my heart doesn’t behave, I could need it again.

Regardless, I felt like I could breathe a fuller breath than I have in a long time.

Being of Norwegian descent, I am a hairy guy (‘ceptin’ for my head) and all the EKGs I’ve had in the past week, have taken their toll on my body hair. They always apologize before tearing the leads off, and I just say “let ‘er rip!” One nurse looked at the wife and asked her if she was mad at me and she could tear them off, in her lame attempt at wiseassery.

Before the good doctor went ahead with the knock out meds, he sternly told me “you have got to take your blood thinner every day on time, or you will have a stroke!!!!”

OK already. I got it. You can’ scare me….ZZzzzztt!!!!

I actually got Happy Birthday texts from my next younger brother, then my old high school buddy, then my two sons. This is a record. I also found out my youngest has returned from his deployment in Abu Dabi. The two boys are discussing making a joint trip for a visit here this summer.

The last time this was discussed, ’twas when my youngest was still in the States, so over a year when I had money in the bank and on my credit card.

After all the ding dang medical procedures and new meds in the past year, I am much deeper in debt, and not as able to help them with plane tickets. We’ll see.

My youngest brother called me last night, and needless to say, the conversation was all about me and my ailments. I had not spoken to him in over a year…not my choice.

Hopefully, I’ll be up and around and out to get some long needed yard work done in the next few days.

Lil’ SIL has been diagnosed with a type of skin cancer (they don’t have insurance), and we’ll be going out with them tomorrow for Mexican food. She had a biopsy, and confirmed the diagnosis. She was/is a beach bum, having lived on South Padre Island for 35 years, and she is paying the price for her sun time. She is very fair complexioned, so is susceptible for too much sun…I guess. It’s not a surprise, as she has been dealing with it for years…even so, she’s still a pretty girl.

I drove the wife into town to run a couple of errands on her list. It was the least I could do after she suffered the agony of a 4 hour ER visit, and dealing the cardioversion yesterday. I also filled her car with mid-grade at $3.69/gal and dropped by the pharmacy to pick up some drugs for me.