Henry the Cat

I know I've written about my cats before, but after the day we just had, I had to tell the stories.

We have a walkout in our lower level. We try to have the door open on cooler days and leave the screen door shut so the cats don't get out. They are, after all, indoor cats. But they are indoor cats who desperately want to be indoor/outdoor cats.

So yesterday while RobbieMax was at work, we had the door open because it was so beautiful out. Henry was sitting at the screen door looking outside, just like he always does.

Suddenly his whole body went taught and started vibrating with excitement. I could tell he saw something outside. He just sat there, still as can be (well, except for the vibrating with excitement part) watching whatever it was that he saw.

Pretty soon a bunny hopped right in front of the screen door. He wasn't quite full-grown, but he was very cute. The bunny looked right at Henry, decided that he wasn't a threat, and started to eat some grass right in front of him.

Oh how wrong that bunny was.

The next thing I knew, Henry leaped at that bunny, hitting the screen and dislodging the screen door from its track. This created an opening that Henry squeezed right through. It all happened in a second, but before I could even react, that darn cat was outside chasing that rabbit.

I yelled something really loud, like, "OH MY GOD! HENRY JUST GOT OUT!" and Will came running down the stairs. I tried to open that screen door but it would barely budge because of how it ended up after Henry struck.

Imagine my surprise after I got it open just a little bit when I saw Henry just around the corner, waiting to come in. He squeezed right back through and into the house.

Huh.

It was like nothing ever happened. Why on earth did Henry not keep chasing that bunny? I like to think it was because of my very un-Julia-like yell. I sounded very dangerous.

So later on in the evening (after the door was closed, of course), I was done working and sitting on the futon, watching some tennis (that's a topic for another post). Both Henry and Sully were downstairs with me.

And then I heard Henry growl. I've heard that growl once before, I thought. I looked, and sure enough Henry had caught a mouse. This has happened once before - Henry is turning out to be a good mouser, which is not so good for the mice.

I yelled for Will to get a glass, so we could put into effect our brilliant plan from the previous mouse incident. And like the humans we are, we proceeded to stalk Henry.

What ensued was the most exhausting evening I've had in quite some time. I'm sure anyone looking in on us last night could have taped us and sent the video in to America's Funniest Home Videos or some program like that.

Here we were, chasing this cat all around the house - upstairs, downstairs, all the while Henry had the mouse in his mouth, the little thing's tail, butt, and hind legs sticking out of his mouth. And Henry was growling at us every time we get close to him.

My question for you is this: If the front part of that little mouse was in Henry's mouth all that time, why did he not bite Henry's tongue or something?

We finally cornered Henry in the upstairs bathroom. Will started spraying him with water (which Henry hates) in order to get him to drop the mouse. He dropped it once and then grabbed it up again before I could get to it.

The next time he dropped it, I was ready and put the glass over it. Henry hissed as I slowly moved the glass away from him. I thought the mouse was dead. Will came in with a paper plate for me to slide under the glass so I could bring the mouse outside. But pretty soon that little field mouse (no bigger than my thumb with a long tail) was hopping around in that glass. So when we let him go outside, he scampered away.

Why didn't we let Henry kill and eat that mouse? Well, first of all, I don't know what kind of diseases it carried and I don't want Henry to get sick. Secondly, I don't want mouse blood and guts all over my house. And third, I like mice.

Anyway, I was exhausted after that.
I slept well last night.

Working at Home

Here's a useless bit of trivia left over from my adolescence:
Today is Michael Jackson's birthday. I know this because I was into him during the Thriller era. That was when his face had only been through one nose job. Oh wait - I forgot. He claims that's all he had.

So yesterday and today I've been working from/at home.

It's nice to still be able to wear my pjs while I work. But I didn't think I'd get this tired. I'm not used to being on the computer all day. Both yesterday and today I've gotten a headache. I think working again is going to take more getting used to than I thought.

My employer has this software that enables employees to connect to the network and their office computer from home. Since we have a new computer, I needed that software again. Even with my high-speed Internet, it took over four and a half hours for all of that software to download. I was on the phone with the tech guy for over an hour installing everything.

I'm exhausted.

There is a new girl at cardiac rehab. She's my age and has a congenital heart defect as well. Her aorta tore and she had angioplasty to fix it. (At least that's what I think she said. I was a little brain dead after working again for the first time yesterday.) It's nice to have another woman there, especially one my age! We had a great conversation while walking next to each other on the treadmills. There's nothing like getting to know someone when you're walking on a treadmill while hooked up to heart monitors.

Well, I need to go take something for my headache and take a nap. I have a feeling that my blog entries will be a little shorter for a little while until I get back in the swing of things.

Man, I really liked being a woman of leisure.

A Sad Day

Grey's Anatomy lost the Emmy for best Drama series. I felt like crying. How can the Academy of Arts & Sciences not recognize the series for what it is? A brilliant character study. And a sexy show.

The show, 24, won. Really, what kind of name is Kiefer, anyway?

The Good Ol' Boys Club

I wore a certain T-shirt to cardiac rehab yesterday, not suspecting that it would change my rehab experience forever. The T-shirt was one that I got when I was in the hospital. That whole time was a blur, as you know, but I'm pretty sure that my mom got it for me. It says, "Repaired in Rochester: Home of the Mayo Clinic" and has little medical people and patients on it.

So yesterday Cezar was gone. I was without my one friend at rehab. I almost brought my iPod because I knew that he would not be there. But I didn't want to seem antisocial, so I didn't bring it. Dangit, those guys HAVE to talk to me sometime, I thought.

Imagine my surprise when I was on the bike, and this guy, Randy, nodded to my T-shirt and asked me, "Did you meet anyone famous while you were at Mayo?" I was shocked! A man who wasn't Cezar actually spoke to me! I told him that I hadn't met anyone famous during my stay, but I was there for a post-op check-up the day that Gerald Ford was admitted.

Randy then asked me about my surgery, and he told me about himself, and we had an actual conversation! A couple of other guys were listening in, including one who was just there because he couldn't make his morning rehab time. That guy smiled and nodded a lot. It was kind of freaky. Emma is back and has been coming to rehab now. She was listening too. She told me that I am doing really well for someone who has gone through so much.

While we were all cooling down and waiting to get our blood pressure checked, Randy was telling us all about a corn-on-the-cob-eating contest he had entered at a local fair. He brought his own low-fat spray butter for it and the rehab nurses were impressed. I got my blood pressure checked and it was time to go. I started walking out. And I received the biggest shock of the day.

At rehab there are two really crabby guys. Bob and Butch. They only talk to the other men, and have some inside jokes and stuff. They're all in the Good Ol' Boys Club, and you're automatically in if you've had a heart attack or a bypass, and are a man. I can't claim any of that.

I happened to be walking out just as Butch was leaving. I almost fell over from a heart attack (they would have surely let me in the club if that happened) when Butch waited for me to catch up with him and started talking to me as we walked out together. We talked about diet changes and how they suck. Kind of a mundane conversation, but Butch actually talked to me! And he was NICE!

Maybe Emma's comment about my having gone through a lot made these guys realize that to be in the club, members don't necessarily have to have heart attacks, bypasses, or penises. (And thank God for that!)

So I think I'm in! Thank you, T-shirt! And thank you, Mom, for buying me the T-shirt!

Oh- I got a pretty good workout too.

The Last Weekday

I had open heart surgery exactly 6 weeks ago. Wow. Dana sent me an email she found that I sent her back on January 29. It was right after I had found out the results of the echo I had the year before. I hadn't even made an appointment at Mayo yet. I had just found out that my pulmonary valve was leaking and that surgery in the next 1-3 years might be a possibility.

How far I've come.

So as you know, this is my last week of not working/thinking about work at all. And how have I spent it? Mostly at home, with construction workers in our house. We got our windows replaced. And they're not done yet. The guys are coming back at 8 tomorrow morning to finish framing the windows on the inside of the house. It was too humid for the stain to dry yesterday, so they couldn't finish. It sucks, because the house is messy (everything is moved away from the windows) and I haven't really had much peace. Or quiet. It would help if the guys looked like Johnny Depp, but alas, we can't have everything, can we? (BTW, that puzzle is still on the table.)

And today, my last weekday on leave, was going to be a worker-free day until our kitchen faucet started leaking horribly. RobbieMax even turned off all the water under the kitchen sink, and the faucet is STILL leaking. How is that possible? You'd think that if the faucet was getting no water, it wouldn't be able to leak. So the plumber is coming this afternoon. And he absolutely DOES NOT look like Johnny Depp, either.

But regardless, today Will and I are going to watch the third and 4th Harry Potter movies. I just hope we can get them watched before I need to get ready for cardiac rehab. If not, we'll finish when I get back. I feel lecherous saying this, but Daniel Radcliffe is getting to be quite good-looking. If I were a teenage girl, I would hang posters of him all over my room.

Tomorrow is Will's birthday party. He'll be 11 on September 7 and he wanted his party with his friends to be in the summer. So we're heading to the roller skating rink for his party. Will is really excited.

So, am I going to put on my in-line skates and skate with them? Are you nuts?! I bought those skates in a moment of sheer insanity 5 years ago. I think they've been worn about 6 times. I got tired of falling and banging/skinning up my knees. I never mastered the art of skating of any kind when I was a kid. I don't know why I thought I could as an adult.

So no, I'm not skating tomorrow. I'm not supposed to ride a bike until 3 months after surgery (October, I'm waiting for you!). My likelihood of falling off my bike is MUCH LESS than my likelihood of falling while in-line skating.

Anyone want a really nice, barely-used pair of size 7 in-line K2's?

Leisurely Activities

I touched Johnny Depp's face today.

It was very smooth, but had some cracks in it. But those cracks look dang good on him. What did I do? Was I his make-up artist? Was I pretending to be seeing impaired in order to feel his face? I wish it was that exciting. I put together a Pirates of the Caribbean puzzle featuring that perfectly structured/chiseled face.

I got the puzzle from my friend, Kay. She gave that to me before my surgery. Will and I actually put the puzzle together, but I made sure that I was the one who created his face. It was a thoroughly satisfying experience.

Kay also gave me a Captain Jack Sparrow action figure. The package includes Jack, a coffin, and a bone. I haven't opened it yet. And for those of you who have seen Pirates II, you know which scene that is from. And for those who haven't seen it, GO SEE IT. Before it's out of the theaters.

They upped my activity level at cardiac rehab. I'm doing more and feel like I'm being somewhat challenged. I could do more. But really, should I tell them? Or should I enjoy the easy exercise?

Still, at cardiac rehab the only person who talks to me (besides the rehab nurses) is Cezar. I'm pretty much an outcast at rehab. I can't decide if it's because I'm young, or because I'm female. I really want to bring my iPod and listen to some great music while I'm rehabbing, but I don't want the guys to have another reason to ignore me. I'm there, whether they like it or not. And they WILL talk to me. I'll just screw with their treadmills so they can't get off them. That'll work.

Well, I'm going to enjoy my glass of cabernet and my Dark Chocolate M&Ms. Have a good night, all.

Doctor's Note

It's been 5 weeks and 4 days since my open heart surgery. Before my surgery my cardiologist told me that I could go back to work after 6 weeks, but not before then. So this Friday makes 6 weeks.

Know what I did today? I went to see my doctor to get a note saying that it was okay for me to go back to work. Interesting, huh? The powers-that-be at my publishing house won't let me back to work unless I have a note from my doctor saying that I can work. Usually it's the other way around. Aren't you supposed to have a note from the doctor saying you CAN'T work? Oh yeah. I did that too, right before my surgery.

Tonight my friend from work, Dana, came over with her adorable 2 year-old son, Paul. Will was great and played with Paul so Dana and I could talk. Dana offered to give me a backrub. Of course I accepted. (My back has been sore since my surgery.) Wow. She could get paid for these backrubs. If I could, I would hire her as my personal masseuse. I would take her everywhere with me - shopping, to my parents' house, out to eat, home, to work (oh wait - she's already at work with me). I contemplated making Dana stay a few more hours so she could rub my back on demand, but then what would we have done with Paul?

I eventually let her go home, but gave her my doctor's note to give to the person at work who needs it. So I'm officially starting work again on Monday. (Sobbing...)

But the nice thing about this is that I'm going to ease into working again. I start on Monday (sniff, sniff) but I will be working from home. In fact, I'll be working from home all week. Then I'll be back in the office after Labor Day.

Okay, if I think about work anymore I'll get a little depressed.

This week, Will and I have planned to watch all four Harry Potter movies. We watched the first one last night and the second one this evening. We'll watch the third one tomorrow and the 4th on Thursday.

I'm going to do another puzzle. I also read a book today. I plan to read at least 2 more before Monday. Hey - I gotta soak up the little time I have left of being a woman of leisure.

Where Does the Time Go?

Wow- I didn't realize it had been so long since my last post! Time sure flies when you're a woman of leisure.

So on Wednesday I drove to Rochester for my post-op visit with my surgeon. I had a chest x-ray and then had some time to wait before my appointment.

I visited Cynthia from LA at her hotel. It was so nice to finally meet her and her hubby in person! Cynthia is Wonder Woman. She is doing so well! She's where I was at about 2 weeks after my surgery and she was only 5 days post-op. I am in awe. She is still my idol.

My surgeon was unavailable so I saw his surgical fellow, who checked up on me a lot when I was in the hospital. So I felt fine seeing him. He checked my incisions and looked at my x-ray. Everything looked fine. Then we talked about cardiac rehab and my sternal click. What is a sternal click, you ask? Well, sometimes when the sternum is healing, it will click. Mine is very slight, but it bothers me. I'm squeamish, remember? Just feeling a pulse when RobbieMax and I are holding hands icks me out. So feeling my STERNUM CLICKING when I cough, laugh, stretch, sometimes even turn my head (when I'm sitting in the right position) is really grossing me out. ICK!

But the sternal click means that my weight restrictions have been extended to 8 weeks post-op. This means that I can't even lift a gallon of milk for another 3 weeks. Oh well. I guess RobbieMax and Will are going to have to wait on me just a little bit longer. A girl could really get used to this.

The Twins game was a lot of fun. But there's something you don't know about me. I am bad luck. Every time I've ever been to a Twins or a Vikings game, they've lost. I finally stopped going to games. It was just too painful. But something rare happened on Wednesday night. The Twins WON! And I was at the game! Will told me that maybe it was my bad valve that brought on the bad luck. And now that I have a new valve, I'm good luck. I like that theory. I think I'll adopt that. I'm good luck now. That's going to be my new mantra. I'm good luck now.

So yesterday I had my first actual session of cardiac rehab. I wasn't surprised that I was the youngest person there. But I was surprised that I was the only girl. (Well, an older woman named Emma was supposed to be there, but she didn't come. Apparently she's very vocal about her hatred for exercise.) Yep. My cardiac rehab sessions will be with about 6 middle-aged to older men who have all had heart attacks and/or bypass surgery. No one really talked to me for the first half hour. But then this nice-looking man named Cezar asked me, "So why are you here?"

Cezar and I got to talking and I found that he was really nice. He had a quintuple bypass about 10 years ago. This time, he needed a double bypass because two of the bypasses that they put in 10 years ago disappeared. They don't know where they went. Strange, huh?

The other men there were pretty crabby. It was more like the good 'ol boys club and I wasn't invited. But that's okay. I'll charm the socks off them on Monday.

My actual rehab session was a piece of cake. When you walk in you have to weigh yourself (which is tough for me to do since I don't actually WANT to know how much I weigh) and write it in your chart. Then you have to hook yourself up to the heart monitor and grab a belt for that so you don't have to hold it the whole time. Then you wait for one of the rehab ladies to come and check your resting blood pressure. Next you grab your little exercise sheet from your folder, grab a piece of tape, go to the treadmill, and tape it to that. Your exercise sheet tells you what you are supposed to do for the session.

So yesterday I had to warm up for 5 minutes walking at 2 MPH, then walk for 10 minutes at 2.5 MPH, then cool down for 5 minutes at 2 MPH. Before you cool down the rehab lady checks your blood pressure. Then you rest for a few minutes after you cool down and they check your blood pressure again to see how you recover.

But my session was a bust. It wasn't enough really to get my heart going. I guess I'm in pretty good physical shape. A fine specimen after surgery. So they're going to make it a little harder for me on Monday. That's good. I want to exert myself and build up my endurance.

I can almost yawn completely now. I'm happy about that. Sneezing still hurts like he**, so I still try to stifle the darn things. But all in all, I am feeling better every day.

This is my last week before having to go back to work. How shall I enjoy it?

Rehab, er, I mean Cardiac Rehab

So I had my initial consultation for cardiac rehab today. I officially start on Friday. Today they got my history, took my resting blood pressure and heart rate, had me walk for 6 minutes to get a baseline, and had me fill out a couple of surveys. But the catch was that I had to wear a monitor. You know, with the patches that stick to your skin and the wires that connect to those patches which monitor your heart rate. The sucky thing is that those patches make me itch. It's very difficult to itch yourself under your shirt while you are trying to walk. I looked kind of like a monkey scratching my chest while wearing a T-shirt and shorts. (But I did shave my legs today so I looked LESS like a monkey without all that hair.)

It was no big deal. The actual work starts on Friday. I'll be going every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 3 PM until September 25. (That's the day before my birthday!)

I'm very excited to go through rehab, um cardiac rehab. At the end of the 6 weeks (18 one-hour sessions) I should be feeling much better. I was told that I'll be at least at 80% at my best after surgery. Considering that I was only at 59% before my surgery, that's quite an improvement.

Apparently there are quite a few people who show up at that time. So I'll be making more friends who have had open heart surgery! But I was told that I will be the only one in the group who has had a valve replacement. The rest have had bypasses and that kind of thing. Am I wrong to be glad that my surgery was a result of something that happened through no fault of my own?

I've also noticed that the more I drive the more my chest hurts. I actually took one of my prescription painkillers last night because it hurt so bad. But the medication didn't help me sleep. It just made me dizzy and woozy and kept me awake. So today I bought some of that new Advil PM. I'm gonna try it tonight. I'll let you know how well it works.

Tomorrow I have my post-operative appointment with my surgeon. I'm hoping that he'll be really impressed with my recovery. And I'm hoping to see my friend, Cynthia. She is already out of the hospital and staying in a hotel, and is no longer taking prescription painkillers. She is my idol. (Plus, she knows Ellen, remember? I'm still waiting for that response...)

The only sucky thing about tomorrow is that I have to drive. RobbieMax is working, Will is too young, and my friends are working and my mom is busy. So I'm driving all the way there and back by myself. Then we're going to the Twins game. I'm not looking forward to Thursday. I'll be hurting.

Hey, do any of you wanna give me a ride to and from Rochester tomorrow? I promise to be my charming, hilarious self.

What can I count down to now? I'm not ready to think about work...

Curses! Purses!

So I drove on Friday and Saturday. Friday it was just a little bit to buy some party invitations for Will's birthday party (it's in 2 weeks) and go to the post office to mail them. On Saturday I took my friend, Suzanne, out to see The Night Listener with Robin Williams. It was very good. I had popcorn and dark chocolate M&Ms, PLUS Diet Coke (yay caffeine!).

It hurts a bit to drive, but only when I have to turn or check the lane next to me when changing lanes. It hurts my chest to move my arms like that and when I look over my shoulder. So I won't be driving all that much yet. But it's really nice to have the freedom to go places. I was getting a little cabin feverish.

Yesterday RobbieMax, Will, and I went to the Irish Fair in St. Paul on Harriet Island. There was Irish dancing, a bagpipe band, Irish food, Irish beer, and two separate Irish marketplaces where one could buy authentic Irish wares. It was a lot of fun, despite getting rained on. I haven't been using my heart pillow and so didn't bring it along. I brought my favorite green purse.

I've noticed when I'm walking that I need to consciously remind myself to straighten up my shoulders and back so I'm not slouching. Only then my back really starts hurting, especially between my shoulder blades.

So anyway, my shoulders and back were starting to hurt and I had to keep switching my purse from shoulder to shoulder and carry it in my hands and all that. By the end of the 3 hours my back hurt so bad and my chest was starting to hurt as well. My chest is still sore today. What we women go through to have our wallets, gum, and lisptick available and handy. Well, I've decided that I'm not going to be a purse-carrying woman for quite a while. I can fit my ID, credit card, and lipstick (actually, it's Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer) in my pocket. I can live without gum.

My friend, Cynthia's surgery went well and she is recovering nicely. Thank you all for your good thoughts and prayers.

I'm going to take it easy today. I've been working on a puzzle and am thinking about starting to read another book. I could really get used to being a woman of leisure.

I start cardiac rehab tomorrow. I've learned to call it "cardiac rehab" and not just "rehab." I've found that people look at me less strange if I do that.

Ahhhh...Pizza

So last night as planned, RobbeMax, Will, and I went out to a great pizza place, one we've never been to in the Cities - the Italian Pie Shoppe - to celebrate the permanent removal of those hated TEDs and the end of my strict low sodium diet. (How's that for a run-on sentence?)

The ambience in the restaurant is great. Pictures and articles from the 1930's. But wow. That pizza was to DIE for! It was so good, I heard every taste bud on my tongue singing. We got the deep dish and had pepperoni, sausage, and onions for toppings. And the cheese was so melty and stringy and the crust was so thick it was still a little doughy. YUM! (Now don't YOU want some pizza?)

It was so filling I was only able to eat two pieces, but they were the most delicious pieces. Then we went to Target to pick up my allergy prescription. (BTW, I've met my deductible for the year so from now through December, I don't have to pay for any prescriptions! I'm sure all the drugs and meds I got after my surgery had something to do with it.) While we were there we picked up some DVDs we didn't have - The Truman Show (which we think is Jim Carrey's best performance to date), School Ties with Brendan Frasier, and Top Secret (hehe!) with Val Kilmer.

I can't believe that I had open heart surgery 4 weeks ago today! I remember when it was 4 weeks away. I'm feeling better every day and am finally able to yawn without it hurting so much. I've been walking this week. My route is a mile and a half or so. I have to stop and rest at least once, but I'm doing okay with that.

Hey - another milestone happens today! I can drive again! Woo-hoo! I had to wait 4 weeks! Everybody in the Twin Cities had better stay off the sidewalks...

I have a follow-up appointment with my wonderful surgeon, Dr. Dearani, on Wednesday. I hope he's impressed with my recovery...

Speaking of my surgeon, today he is operating on my friend, Cynthia. If you remember, please send good thoughts and prayers out for her. She came all the way from L.A. for this surgery.

Only 4 days until I start cardiac rehab...

Man, am I a Cheap Date

Omigod! Two posts in one day - AGAIN! What's up with me?

Well, I'm happily flying just a wee bit. I had one glass of red wine, like I said I was going to. And I feel like I've had 2 or 3 glasses of my favorite drink. (Which I've only done on one or two occasions, Mom.)

I'm a bit loopy, complete with unladylike snorts when I laughed while talking to RobbieMax. He laughed too. Who knew that a month with no alcohol would do this to me? RobbieMax can't wait to take me out now.

I watched my very favorite episode of Friends and laughed hysterically. Which episode, you ask? Well, the "Holiday Armadillo" episode, of course! ("Santa's favorite part was when Superman flew all the Jews out of Egypt.") Classic. (Snort.)

Well, I'm going to brush my teeth, watch Craig Ferguson, and head to bed. G'night, all.

The Final Day

Today is the last day for two things: wearing my anti-embolism stockings and my strict sodium diet (I have only been able to have 2,000 mg/day).

My anti-embolism stockings are supposed to prevent blood clots. They are bright white knee highs, and have a little hole on the bottom of each sock, right at the ball of my feet. I'm not quite sure what that hole is for. Aeration? To drive me crazy? I don't know. These hated stockings are called TEDs. I did an Internet search to see what T.E.D. stood for, but couldn't find anything. I think it means Torturously Evil Deathgrippers. These things are TIGHT. Think of the most restricting support hose and multiply that by a thousand. These babies are so "supportive" that I couldn't put them on by myself for two weeks after my surgery. It hurt my chest too much to exert that much pulling pressure.

I've been home from the hospital for 3 weeks already. And they said I had to wear my TEDs for three weeks on the day I left. So I get to take them off tomorrow! Know what that means? I can wear my flip-flops again! Woo-hoo! I'm going to paint my toenails tomorrow and have RobbieMax and Will take me out to dinner so I can wear shorts and flip-flops and celebrate the end of my diet!

So this low sodium diet was to prevent fluid retention. The more sodium you consume the more fluid you retain and the more stress is put on your heart. This goes for everyone. But we heart patients (it's still so difficult to think of myself in that category) have to be extra careful, especially after surgery. I'll still have to watch my sodium intake, but won't have to be quite as vigilant. So I want to go out for pizza tomorrow night to celebrate the end of these two hated things.

And tonight, I'm going to have a glass of red wine for the first time since before my surgery, as a pre-celebration. I figure I deserve it.

Only 6 days until I start cardiac rehab...

The Big Sneeze

I sneezed today. It hurt, but not as much as I expected it to. And I didn't have my heart pillow handy because I was walking. And it wasn't the big sneeze that RobbieMax thought it would be. (Thank God!) Plus, I tried stifling it as best as I could. But I don't want to sneeze again. Not for a while.

Remember the show 3rd Rock from the Sun? In one of the first episodes the woman on the show (Kristen Johnson who played Sally Solomon) sneezed. Someone asked what it was and her response was "I don't know but I want another one!" That definitely was NOT me today. I'll keep plugging my nose when I feel a sneeze coming on, no matter how ridiculous I look. Hey- I've gone walking outside in my pjs that have capris pants, wearing my much hated anti-embolism stockings, which are bright white. Plugging my nose has nothing on that.

So every Tuesday I watch a spectacular display of masculinity (no, not the old fogies jogging on my street with no shirts on). I watch the second season of The Contender on ESPN. I watched the first season last year. Wanna know why I started watching it in the first place? It was the music. I loved the music in the commercials. It had the same flavor as the music in one of my favorite movies, Gladiator. And I know why. Hans Zimmer composed the music for both the movie and the TV show. So it was the music that got me first. Then, when I watched the first episode I was hooked.

Now, I am not a regular boxing fan. I've never really watched it in my life. But there is something primal and beautiful about the sport. And the slo-mo action in the TV show is really cool. But I still don't understand why men would want to get hit in the head (HARD) for a living. Not everyone can "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" like Ali. (Aren't you impressed that I know that?)

So if you're ever wondering what to watch and are bored on a Tuesday night, check out The Contender on ESPN. It's on at 9:00 Central Time. Let me know what you think.

Only 7 days until I start cardiac rehab...

Heaving Bosoms

I've been distracted lately. I've been reading one of my favorite genres - historical romance. Yes, I know it's a bit embarrassing for me to admit as a member of the intellectual elite, but I like the escapism involved. I like that I don't have to think when I read. I do enough of that at work that it's really nice to read something easy. Of course, when I read on the bus to or from work, I always sit so that no one can see the cover of the books I'm reading. Cheesy romance is one of my guilty pleasures. And I'm a sucker for the happy endings.

The book I started reading last night is Lord of Fire by Gaelen Foley. I've never read this author before but I'm really liking this book. It's got an interesting plot and is not too full of heaving bosoms, magnificent manhoods, and steamy sex. (Of course, if it were, I probably wouldn't mind.)

My mother-in-law left today. It was so fun having her here and being able to hang out with her. We only get to see her a couple of times a year since she lives far away in Montana. So we really treasure the time we have with her.

Did I tell you that we LOVED Lady in the Water? Will said that it was his favorite M. Night movie. I really like Paul Giamatti and thought that he was brilliant, which is no surprise.

So Will and I walked a mile and a half today. That was really good. I figured that since I've been going on shopping excursions and walking around a lot lately, that a mile and a half seemed like a good distance. I had to stop and rest twice, but that was okay.

I'm feeling so much better physically. I haven't taken any Motrin or Tylenol today and am feeling relatively little pain. I'm still quite sore, but it's only pronounced when I move too quickly or sit a certain way or breathe too deeply. I still haven't sneezed - I'm too afraid to. Of course, that doesn't mean that I've never had the urge to sneeze. I've just become a master at stifling them. RobbieMax said that I should just sneeze because all the ones I'm stifling will build up into one big sneeze that will crack my chest right open again. (Okay, I added the cracking the chest open comment - that wasn't him.) I figure that I'm preserving my chest and will sneeze when I'm ready.

Hey - here's some exciting news! I get to start driving again this weekend! I had to wait four weeks to drive until after surgery and this Friday makes four weeks since my surgery! Woo-hoo! So I'm taking my friend, Suzanne, out to a movie this weekened to celebrate my freedom.

I start cardiac rehab in 8 days...

iTunes Hangover

Got an iPod yesterday. Spent all day on computer ripping (burning) CDs and buying songs from iTunes. Completely exhausted. Eyes are blurry. Will write more tomorrow.

I Can Read!

Think of me...think of me fondly when we've said goodbye. Remember me...once in a while, please promise me you'll try... Julia sings.

Oh - hi there. I got distracted singing my favorite songs from The Phantom of the Opera. This was my obsession starting at age 14. I've seen the musical twice and own both the highlights and full versions on CD and I own the movie. I also know the entire musical by heart. When I was in college I was a voice major for a time and my goal in life was to be Christine in Phantom. I think being an editor in Minneapolis and singing in my church choir is as far away from that goal as I can get. But that's okay. I have RobbieMax and Will, which is MUCH better.

What was I talking about? Oh yeah - reading. I started reading a book this evening and am 37 pages in and no headache! Hooray! I've been so worried that it was going to take a long time to be able to read again. Which would suck because as you all know, I read for a living. So being able to read 37 pages is a HUGE step.

The outing yesterday went well. We went to three furniture stores and even had dinner. And we ended up getting some furniture too! Tomorrow our new kitchen table and chairs and new chair and ottoman will be delivered. I can't wait! It will be so nice to have some new furniture in our house.

THEN, RobbieMax and I are heading out to the Mall of America to meet my mother-in-law and Will, who will already be there. We're going out to dinner and then seeing the movie, Lady in the Water. (If you've seen it, PLEASE don't tell me what happens or what the twist is. I hate knowing ahead of time. Thanks!) It's good for me to get out of the house for small periods of time.

Only 12 days until I start cardiac rehab... (C'mon, you know I have to be counting down to something.)

The Hills are Alive...

...with the sound of singing!

Gasp! Two posts in one day?! What's wrong with Julia? NOTHING! I am in quite a good mood. I sang today. In the shower. Hooray! I can still sing! I still need to work on the breath support (which will come back in time), but my voice is fine.

I guess that instead of getting a McDreamy or a McSteamy for an anesthesiologist, getting McWeanie was okay. I must have really impressed him with my byootiful rendition of Pink Floyd while high on Adavan and trying to combat the effects of the knock-out drug before it knocked me out.

Yeah, McWeanie, you did good. I'd request you for another surgery if I only knew your real name...

My First Outing

I was cracked open like an egg two weeks and 5 days ago...

So I got yet another statement from Mayo yesterday. I told you that the $56,000 statement I received wouldn't be the last. This time they even have surgical assistants in there, along with the repair of my atrial septal defect, and my pre-op visits the two days before surgery. The total of this statement? $37,401.00. That brings my surgery and stay at Mayo up to a grand total of $94,055.85. (So far.) I thought it would be closer to 100K. I'm anxious to see what insurance will cover.

By the way, Mayo was so worth it.

Today Will is in his element - his aunt (my younger sis, Melanie) is taking him to Valleyfair. I would love to ride rollercoasters and have fun, Julia thinks, wistfully. But none of that until next summer. Yes, that was a question I asked my surgeon and he said that I can ride all the rollercoasters I want starting next summer. Anyway, Will was really excited and he couldn't wait. Isn't my sis great?

So this morning I'm doing what I do every morning - watching TV and hanging around. Then this afternoon I will shower, get ready, and actually put on real clothes instead of comfy pjs. Then I'm heading out of the house with RobbieMax and my mother-in-law. What are we doing? Well, furniture shopping, of course. I'm not sure what exactly we're shopping for, but I know that there will be a lot of places for me to sit down when I get tired. I'm excited to do something human, but am nervous about getting out. As you know, the only place I've been besides home in the past two weeks since coming home from the hospital is my doctor's office on Monday. And I wore my comfy pjs to that appointment. Getting out of the house should be fun.

OH! I watched Ellen this morning! I laughed and it didn't hurt! Hooray! And it's not hurting quite as bad when I yawn. Woo-hoo! I AM getting better!

Only 13 days until I start cardiac rehab...

Wish me luck on my shopping excursion!

The Cost of Getting Better

I had open heart surgery 2 weeks and 4 days ago. Surprising, huh?

I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've been really tired and avoiding the computer. (Typing and reading still gives me a headache. I'm thinking it's still a side effect of the anesthesia.)

I'm sleeping much better (but still taking painkillers at night) and am feeling better. It's been so d**n hot in Minnesota that I haven't been able to walk outside and get some exercise. Yesterday we hit 101 with at least 70% humidity. The heat index was around 110. Today it's not quite as hot, but it's still really humid - 80% humidity. Thank God for air conditioning.

The one thing that's really bothering me even more than the incision on my chest is the incision on my bikini line/groin area. It looks okay, but it pulls when I walk and pain shoots down my inner thigh. Sounds like fun, huh?

I'm still quite tired a lot of the time and it sucks. When am I going to start feeling more energetic?

Okay. Here's the topic at hand - I got a statement from Mayo on Saturday. The porcine (pig) valve alone cost $4900. The surgery JUST to replace that (not all of the other stuff they ended up having to do) was $21,650. With the hospital stay and all of the drugs they pumped into me and all of that stuff, the entire bill so far is $56,654.85. I say so far because there are always extra costs that they haven't figured into it yet. I have pretty good insurance, so I'm hoping that my $1000 annual out-of-pocket maximum will come into effect and that will be all I have to pay. Let's hope!

It's a perfect Mastercard ad:

New heart valve: $4900
Surgery to replace old heart valve with new heart valve: $21,650
Cost of the above plus the hospital stay at one of the best facilities in the world: $56,654.85
Improving my quality of life: Priceless

Speaking of improving my quality of life, I start cardiac rehab in two weeks. I'm really looking forward to it. I'll be closely monitored while I exercise so I know what my targets are and how much my body can handle. I'll also start feeling better and more energetic. So I can't wait for that.

My mother-in-law came on Friday and she's here until Monday. This is actually a good thing, as she's so wonderful and we all love her so much. She's really helping us out. Today she took Will and his friend to the local outdoor waterpark. So I had a day to myself as RobbieMax was at work. What did I do with my time? I watched more mindless TV, like I've been doing since I got home from the hospital. You'd think that I'd get pretty bored just doing that since I can't read or anything yet, but I'm doing okay. I've watched the entire first season of Grey's Anatomy and loved it. (I started watching it this past season.)

Well, the headache is starting, so I gotta get going. Now I'm off to watch more TV...