TGIF

 What a week.  We took a drive up into the mountains to Apple Hill on Monday.  Apple Hill is an association of apple growers in and around the town of Placerville, CA.  They work together to provide a fun fall experience for families, with delicious apple pies, donuts, cider -- the list goes on!  There are also Christmas tree growers and vineyards.

We started the tour feasting on apple donuts and coffee with our friends.  A sugary experience but I brought plenty of insulin and you are all sworn to secrecy -- can't have my doc finding out.

It was a warm and beautiful fall day.  The great benefit of going on a Monday is that the roads are fairly free of traffic and the apple farms are not choked with people!  It's a big deal up in them thar hills, with crafts people and artists coming and setting up booths.  Holiday ornaments abound: Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  We didn't buy any of those.  Having recently paired down our 'stuff' we are acutely aware that we don't need more 'stuff.' We did come home with a pie, winter squashes and great wines.

So, that was Monday.  Tuesday I underwent my ablation surgery and what a horror that turned out to be. It's a good thing I didn't understand the details of the procedure because I might just have refused to have it.  This was supposed to be the cure for my off kilter heart activity -- PVCs. I was going to get this done and then return to my life, build up my strength, get back on an exercise program, yada yada.  Instead, once they got the tiny camera into the interior of my left ventricle they found I have a birth defect that is causing most of the trouble, and it's a birth defect that cannot be surgically fixed -- except with a heart transplant.  Mic Drop.  Big WHOOPS.

I've been undergoing 3 months of diagnostics to figure out why my heart's electrical activity has gone haywire.  Now we know why.  The fix?  I've been started on oral medication and we'll see what that does.  If it doesn't calm down the heart then we are looking at surgically implanting either a pace maker or a defibrillator, or both.  Because, whoopee, this condition causes heart attacks.  And because the PVCs cause me to be exhausted, short of breath and retain fluids (big time).

I stayed overnight in hospital, was started on some oral meds, and had a surprise visit from the charge nurse who just happened to be my first cousin that I have not seen in years.  Silver linings, folks.  She saw my name, poked her happy face into my room, and we had a lovely catch-up session.  Both grandmas now, we shared photos of our families.  Silver linings.

I have a follow up with the cardiologist in 2 weeks.  And, folks, my cardiologist is awesome.  She is a pro, and a human being who worked her butt off for me in that operating room.  Seven hours this procedure took, which was a lot of work for her and a lot of trauma for me.  You see, you must not be sedated during the procedure, because sedation causes the electrical activity to stop, and they need to see the electrical activity in order to fix it.  You are strapped down so you cannot move a muscle, because moving when there are cameras and catheters in your heart could be fatal.  I don't know, truly, how I got through it but I did.  I cried a lot on the table; big slow tears flowing down my cheeks and into my ears (that is itchy and annoying).  I was the saddest woman on the planet.  Yes, others have suffered more, but in that moment, no one suffered more than I.

What I need to hold onto is: I was born with this heart problem and it hasn't caused any problems until now, at 61 years of age.  It kills babies and children, but I somehow made it through and led a physically active life.  And there are people who live a normal life span with it.  And there are those who die of sudden heart failure because of it.  You just never know.  You do what you can, and hope for the best.  The weeks to come will reveal more information, and we will work on plans as to what to do next.  If you're curious, look up it up here.

I'm emotionally exhausted and physically bruised.  And yet, and yet...I went to the opening of the photographic exhibit in our community tonight.  Steve and I have 4 photos each in the show, and people really raved about them.  I had many inquiries about purchasing prints or greeting cards.  Our prints were displayed prominently at the entrance and I must say I am terribly proud of our artwork.  I drank champagne, ate cheese and schmoozed with the people.

Can you spell whiplash?  This is a crazy life.  I'm not even going to touch on the politics of the week.

So, that was MY week.  How was yours?!