Modern medical miracles

Things have taken a turn for the better with the old girl. The angioplasty (stent #5 added to the previous four, from 2010) seems to have been a pretty good success. For the most part, I've gotten relief from 80-90 % of the disturbing, heart-related symptoms that had plagued me for at least a couple of months. It took almost a week for a noticeable improvement to kick in, but I've had several really good days since about Monday of this week -- a week after the surgery.
And it really is quite a blessing that in the space of one generation, our lives can be extended and improved thanks to the incredible advances in treating diseases of the heart that the medical profession has achieved.
I'm grateful for that........and sad that it happened too late for my dad.
It did help my mom, though -- she had very seriously clogged arteries and triple bypass surgery at 87. She lived almost four more years, and died of something else (high blood pressure that led to a stroke). Those were bonus years, and such a gift.

Woe is me -- ?

I'm trying not to be just a complaint. A good day is any day that you're alive, and I am alive today.
But I have a bad heart; just had another stent put in this week, which makes five of them.
On top of that, the procedure doesn't seem to have fixed the symptoms that made me go through the ordeal of this invasive procedure.
So I'll have to see other types of doctors to find out why I have chest tightness and other weird, creepy symptoms.
One thing though: I'm truly grateful for the miracles of contemporary medicine that makes it possible to repair my heart. My father died at 58 from heart disease, back in 1977, and didn't have access to a fraction of the medical help that I (and my brother) are blessed to receive.
So.......I guess it's a good day.

Bad hearts, all.......

Here's the thing.......

It starts to dawn on me that my life is near the end. Oh, I might have 20 more years, even.....but the end is in sight and could be a lot sooner than that.
All the things that matter to me now -- all the little and big things, from which shoes to wear to how/whether to patch up a broken relationship, will mean nothing.
It's a terribly hard thing to get your head around. Daunting. Depressing. And of course, reorders your priorities. Does it really matter the slightest bit, for instance, whether I eat one cookie or two?
Beneath and behind all this, I miss my mother so much and also can't get my head around the idea that she is gone from me and from this world forever.
To end on a less sad note though, CARPE DIEM, my friends (if any are reading). Seize the day, and make the most of all our time here. To quote a song I used to like: "A good day is any day that you're alive." Amen.

This is pathetic

So far this blog is going nowhere. That's OK because nobody is reading it anyway.
At some point perhaps I will take it up for real.....

Because it really IS a drag getting old.