Memorable? Oh yeah!

This one may get long, but rest assured I'll keep your anticipated attention span in mind. I'll break it in to pieces, if need be.  In truth I have had quite a debate with myself over bringing this to you at all, but what good is a BLOG that compromises, that holds back when things get uncomfortable.

I am for the most part going to give it to you in chronological order, but first I need to wipe out some of the mystery by telling you.

1. Today I feel pretty darn good.

2. On paper I'm still in the best condition for my age I've ever been.

3. I've got a really supportive wife.

4. I've got great neighbors.

5. I've always been, and now continue to be, a big fan (my dad was one) of firemen.

5. Despite the outcome? I'm still glad I did what I did.

Okay, well maybe I CREATED a little mystery too.

Before I hook us up with the chronology, let me pull in a little history.  I very recently posted some BLOG thoughts on this being a very memorable birthday (DECEMBER 21ST)?  Partly because of the 'PERFECT STORM" that buried this community.

Well it's one thing to celebrate the anniversary of your earthly arrival leaning on a snow shovel.  It is yet another thing to celebrate Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day being stabbed, jabbed, poked, pumped full of drugs and slobbered over by a harem of mostly women in uniforms. (When fully alert I did have a great view of the snowy blanket comforting us one and all.) 

While I would never have consciously planned this scenario?  It's clear I hold some responsiblity for the sequence of events.

So just about every able bodied man and woman has been shoveling snow here for several days. Peggy and I, I think, set a pretty casual pace. We have no pressing need to get anywhere. We are patient.  And in between shoveling bouts, we are watching minor bowl games and some year end filler news features. ( I'm thinking I'm subconsiously recording some of what I see.)

I see a report on three people about my age dying of heart attacks in a county north of us.  Doing what? Shoveling snow.  

Then I see this feature on what you 'oughta' do if you think you're having a heart attack during or after shoveling snow. Then somewhere between the BLAH BLAH BOWL, and the YOO HOO BOWL I'm watching this report on the importance of calling 911 if you even think you're having an incident. Why?  They'll get to you faster than you can get to them. It may not only save your life, but do less damage to your heart muscle if you "let your fingers" do the walking.   

Well, I've got all this "stuff" in my subconscious as I roll over on my pillow prior to Christmas Eve. I sleep okay, but very early in the morning I feel this discomfort in my chest.  I am pretty sure it's nothing, but quietly sneak to the computer to do some homework. 

Heart Attack symptoms:

1. Chest pain or discomfort, USUALLY in the middle of the chest. (My discomfort was clear over to the left. But the USUALLY part? Hmmm?)

2. Discomfort continues. (hmmm, mine is not going away.)

3. Usually accompanied by some nasuea. (Dang...I've got some of that....I want to think it's just post nasal drip.)

4. Shortness of breath. (Let's see am I actually having shortness of breath, or imagining it from the homework? Hmm?)

5. Loss of appetite. (Can't remember a day before now I wasn't scrambling to eat breakfast.)

Well I don't want to leave you hanging too much, but I need to take a break and maybe work in a quick nap.

Most of you have mastered enough arithmetic to surmise the advancing sequence of events.   I want to encourage you  to stay with this story, though. I think I can share some things with you that will be very helpful to have in your wallet or purse should any of these symptoms befall you. So let me get this nap in, and Peggy wants to play some tennis, and then...you'll get to know "the rest of the story!"