The meanest treadmill I've ever met!

I got stuck in the hospital for one reason. Rule out a life threatening problem! I'm just the same now as when I went in a few days ago. Nothing has changed, I just know that whatever IS wrong isn't going to leave me on the carpet again. I wish I could be grumpy about the useless hospital stay but I can't. I've met the carpet. We've been up close and personal and once was enough. At least the hospital ruled out the scary stuff.

This is how the wonderful people at Thomas do that. Meet the most awful treadmill in the world. I'm pretty sure everyone gives this thing the stink eye. They should! The treadmill of death is designed to make you reach a maximum heart rate. It's a breaker of men and tough little chicks.

Just think about it. You've been kept up all night getting bloodwork done every 4 hours. Your arms are beat and you still have an IV in. There's no food or water for 12 hours before because if you flunk, you get to have surgery. You're wheeled downstairs where they make you take your top off and then tape about a dozen leads to your chest. The tape keeps them from moving around but it's guaranteed to take some skin off to. You get an ECHO (still topless) to see what your heart looks like at rest then you wait like that on a gurney till the cardiologist shows up.

I ALWAYS get the ECHO jelly stuff in my hair. No clue why, but it always ends up there. I also have a bad habit of giggling a little bit when the test starts. Seriously though, jogging on a treadmill in pink pajama bottoms and running shoes while topless with ECHO jelly in your hair is mildly ridiculous. Add in the wires, the hospital gown tied over your chest, and the techs asking how you got your abs and you've got yourself a truly weird afternoon. HOW did I get here?!?

The test starts easy and then gets faster every 15 seconds. Before you know it you're running flat out. Heart rate goes up, misery sets in, and you just keep going. They want to see what my heart looks like under alot of stress. In other words, you don't get off till you're gasping for breath and literally can't go anymore. My first stress test I made it 7 minutes. This time, after five months of rehab, I made it 8. Believe it or now this is great! I passed with flying colors. Whatever is causing my heart to work hard, it's not a blockage. The news is delivered right then and the paperwork starts. I get to go home!!! So there you go. If you ever find yourself in a stress test room you'll know a little bit of what to expect. I hate the test but I LOVE the results! I got breakfast, a ride home, and peace of mind. That's worth any amount of tests. Now we just have to figure out where the problem REALLY is. Doctor in two weeks. Fingers crossed for answers!

Back again.

I have GOT to learn to complain more. Apparently if you chopped my head off it would roll away saying I'm fine. The doctor's words, not mine. This little bad habit of mine has landed me back in the hospital. I'm tired. Exhausted. I wake up tired, take naps, and it NEVER goes away. It's gotten so bad that the only places I've been since Christmas is rehab and the grocery store. Just carrying in my grocery bags leaves me short of breath and I have to lay down afterward. Is that normal? Um, no. Did I complain? Nope, I went to rehab and they busted me.

I show up for Thursday rehab in my hot pink workout pants ready to work and got hooked up to my heart monitor. Busted immediately! During warm up my heart rate hit 150. Whoa that's bad! They pulled me off the floor and after a quick conversation I was leaving and driving straight to my cardiologist's office. Long story short, he wasn't happy either. My heart is working way too hard. It's why I'm so tired and out of breath. Instead of heading back to rehab I was walking into Thomas to be admitted. Great.

At least they let me walk! I hate rolling around in those wheelchairs. Does anyone else ever feel like they're going to crash into something? I'll get into the tests they did in another blog post. The whole deal for staying at Thomas was to rule out another heart attack and to see if I had another blockage in my heart. Luckily for me, I don't! One more hospital stay down and they can't find anything. This picture is just for my blog buddies. I can't just blog and post about the good hair days right? This is me so pissed to be back in there! I'm still in my hot pink pants and holding my rehab heart ball. Grump.

So what to do now? What all heart patients get to do. Wait. There could be a couple of things wrong. I may have a partial blockage they can't see yet or I may have an electrical problem. What that means is that the pump part may be working great but my heart is firing wrong. The good news is that it's not immediately life threatening so they let me go home. Whatever it is, they're going to watch me at home. Corey came and got me today and I get to sleep in my own bed tonight. I'll post more tomorrow. Thanks so much guys for all the prayers and well wishes. You really cheered me up when I was wishing I could be home! Take care guys!

The Grumbly Cloud of Doom

My husband and I are very well suited. I'm a born caregiver and he's the most accident prone person I've ever met. I LIKE taking care of people and he needs quite a bit of attention. I swear the man has an Eeyore grumbly cloud of doom over his head. His attitude is much the same as well. Oh bother. For a while there I felt like we were always tacking his tail back on. What do I mean? Well...

Let's see here. He's broken his back, collarbone, and shattered an ankle. He severed arteries, nerves, and tendons. His head has been whacked open and he's gone to the ER too many times to count for stitches. He's seen the wrong side of a nail gun and has an unfortunate tendency to think duct tape is an acceptable band aid. The poor guy is an orthopedic surgeon's dream. He's had screws put in then some pulled out as well and several other hospital stays. He's the only guy I know that can go shopping at Home Depot and come home with a leg wound bad enough to land him in the ER. Seriously. It's happened. See what I mean? Poor baby.

Now I'm a pro at being in the hospital but I've never been a "guest" there myself. I've always been the one in the chair and not in the bed. Imagine my surprise when my hospital hating, doctor allergic husband stepped up! Guys, I'm just so proud of him. He stayed there with me and held my hand. When I needed him, he was there. For the whole first month he did the laundry and went grocery shopping. He picked up prescriptions and books then would head into work. Isn't that the sweetest thing? When I commented on it I was given that guy kind of shrug. "I owed you one and we're a team." He's right of course. We ARE a team. I just hope we can make it a year or two before one of us gets busted up again!

Uh oh Cheerios!

The FDA fussed about Cheerios. They said that Cheerios shouldn't be sold as a way to treat or prevent heart disease. I agree... kind of. I agree with the FDA that it's a bit misleading BUT Cheerios ARE healthy. Compared to a regular person's sausage and egg artery clogging breakfast Cheerios are absolutely the right choice.

People keep asking me how I healthily lost weight and kept it off. Well here you go. My secret weapon. I love me some Cheerios! I keep two boxes around. Honey Nut and Apple Cinnamon. Apple Cinnamon is my new bff. It's my go to buddy for an afternoon snack or a sweet craving. Talk about good! My Honey Nut is still my breakfast favorite and if you add a piece of fruit or some yogurt you have a really filling breakfast. My thinking on milk is if it's not chocolate, I'm not drinking it. Skim milk in my cheerios is a great way to get in some dairy.

Cheerios are full of vitamins, minerals, and whole grains. If you replace at least one meal a day with a bowl you WILL see results! Personally, I'm a cookie monster. Cheerios curbs my cravings and keeps me away from the baked goods. Find a healthy cereal and stick to it! I'm a Cheerio girl but you can find your own. Special K is good to. If you want to be "special" this Cheerio girl won't knock you. Just be healthy! Oh, and if it had a cartoon on the box lets leave it for the kiddies m'kay?

I'm not a doctor!

No news flash there! I'm a 30 year old blogger. The closest I'm ever getting to a lab coat would be for a Halloween party. I'm getting a major crash course in heart disease but it's just that. A crash course. That's why I built this blog. What I learn, I share! Now sharing means I passed kindergarten but here's what I think about this blog...

You are NUTS if you listen to just me! Good grief even I don't listen to me! I change my mind 10 times a day. What I write, I've researched. I talk to my doctor, my nurses, my heart buddies. I ask a ton of questions and drive myself nuts reading every single page of everything in my medical file. Often this just means more Google searches and more questions. See where I'm going with this? Sometimes what I learn is good for me and bad for others. OR... I just may be flat out wrong. I know, I know shocking right?!? If you bust me let me know by the way. I'll fix it!

If I depend on other people and resources so should you. Just because I think Aspirin is a great tool for fighting heart disease (It is!)doesn't mean you need to start popping pills. I asked a doctor and so should you. At the most, I'm just one more tool to answer some questions you may have. I'm just a blogger and this is just my little story. There are so many of us after all. If everyone with heart disease blogged there would be a million different stories online. So do what I do best. Ask, ask, ask! Do you have a family history? Do you need to be tested? Should you take blood pressure medication? I don't know but I bet somebody does!

Ladies, you're sneakier then that!

I have a new diet! It's healthy and semi-yummy. Since living a long time with heart disease depends, in large part, on eating a good diet I've jumped onto the healthy bandwagon. I cruise the grocery store looking for new tasty ways to make heart healthy meals. My creativity, however, has hit a roadblock and it's name is Husband.

Corey likes nachos. There's nothing healthy about those right? I made soft tacos using low sodium seasoning, whole wheat wraps, turkey meat, and even low fat cheese. I proudly presented my creation for dinner and he ate it! Darn it they tasted good! The only problem? I just haaaaad to open my big mouth. The minute Corey figured out what he was eating the party was over and so was dinner.

Take it from me girls. If you take away a man's Tony's seasoning don't you dare tell him about it! You will be met with a temper tantrum worthy of a 2 year old. It's a bad idea. Trust me on this. Corey's grilled cheese are still made with whole wheat bread and margarine, I just don't tell him about it. I think he suspects that his taco meat is still turkey but I'm not confirming it!

Why doesn't Corey just cook for himself? The man can grill with the best of them but he's been semi banned from the kitchen for quite a while now. This went into effect because of a little incident involving him, a microwave, and an Arby's sandwich in the wrapper. His excuse for the demise of the microwave and scorch marks? Mythbusters said it was okay. Yeah. See why he's banned? Ever seen what happens to an unforked potato in the oven? Guess who got to clean THAT up? The man is adorable but dangerous. He builds houses so gorgeous it's like living inside art but he stinks at cooking. I think it's precious.

I refuse to cook two different dinners a night and he has to eat so we do what all married couples do. We compromise. He doesn't ask and I don't tell. I may be proud as a peacock at my heart healthy dinner but I've learned to be happy on the inside. To Corey it's just grilled chicken. Spare yourself the drama girls. If not, when Mythbusters invades your kitchen don't say I didn't warn you!

Gillian-ese

Gillian - "I want ice cream."
Corey - "What's wrong?"
Gillian - "Nothing! I just want ice cream."
Corey - "Well you know you're not supposed to have it so what's wrong?"
Gillian - "Be nice to me darn it! I don't feel good and I've had a bad day!!!"
Corey - "Told you."

Huh. It kinda sucks when my husband speaks Gillian-ese better then I do.

Scars

The inside ones are worse. The outside ones, meh, not so bad. Now don't get me wrong. I've seen some doozies on my heart buddies. All I'm saying is we tend to worry about them more then we need to.

In the five months since my surgery my cathe scar has shrunk down to the size of a pencil lead and paled in color. Seriously?!? I was all pissed and worried about that little thing? And what if I had a big one? So what! As a girl I'm going to say something crazy. If you love your body I promise everyone else will to.

Let's be honest here. If you're married your spouse has already seen worse then a cathe scar. You know he snores, he's kissed you before you've brushed your teeth. You've dealt with whiskers in the sink and socks on the floor and I'll bet he's held your hair while you've thrown up. See what I mean? I seriously doubt your husband was hanging by your hospital bed wringing his hands over what your scar was going to look like. If he was he's a stinker and you can do better.

So what to do? Forget about it! If your clothes are coming off I can PROMISE you that your guy would much rather deal with that then spend the next 45 minutes reassuring you that you're still pretty. You are and you've still "got it." So do yourself a favor. Don't ruin your self image because you were tough enough to survive. We've earned our scars so rock them!

What the heck it that?!?

Southern girls don't need this. This is the deep south and that means a sub temperate climate. That's just a baby step up from tropical. That means warm!!! I think someone forgot to clue in the weather guy. Freezing rain and even colder temperatures have settled in overnight and things were about to get ugly in the marina. Southern girl, meet ice. Ice, meet southern girl.

I poked my head outside on a mission to find a cup of coffee and a granola bar. My foot hit the dock and kept going. Flapping like a duck DOES NOT keep you on your feet by the way. My bootie hit the boards and I almost slid off the dock! Off the dock!!! Me and a piling quickly made friends and I managed to stomp on a taunt dock line on the boat next to ours. Eeeerrrack! The boat shifted sharply towards me and my dock line sunk. Shooting stink eye at the boat I hugged my piling tighter and shifted myself more securely back onto the dock.

What the heck is that?!? There's ice on the dock. ICE!!! In the south! The only thing I'm used to seeing on the docks is bait fish from some kid's cast net and some occasional pelican poop. I can't hardly believe it. I actually poked it with my finger. Yup, ice. Good grief. I've ridden out tropical storms and foul weather on board. This is by FAR the funkiest thing I have ever seen.

The piling gave me a splinter (Guess it wasn't my friend after all.) and I was wet and dirty with board funk. NOT a good way to start the morning. Forget it. I slipped and slid back inside and settled for oatmeal, an apple, and a Diet Coke. It's karma. I shouldn't eat the coffee and granola bar anyway. After digging out my splinter it occurred to me... this is the second time in one week I've been semi stuck! First I can't get on and now I can't get off! Adventure, adventure. Boating is supposed to be fun and interesting and funky! Somehow I just always pictured summer in those plans. Ha!

The old and the new.

It's rehab Thursday! I l.o.v.e my workouts! Old Gillian was a bit of a gym rat. If all I get is a few light workouts a week I'm there. I've got my bottled water, my heart book, and my gym clothes are on. I park at Thomas Cardiac Rehab... Fairhope has a WONDERFUL facility for us heart guys. We have our own building! My nose felt a little runny so I absentmindedly swiped at it. The side of my hand came away bloody. The cold weather is torturing my nose and I have another nosebleed.

Old Gillian would have flipped the hell out. There would be drama, Corey would be called. Whining would definitely be involved. I didn't do any of that. Squeezing my nose I gathered up my stuff and walked into rehab. I made a beeline for the restroom so I could clean up and wash my hands. After much blotting and dabbing my nosebleed stops and I'm free to take my seat and get my blood pressure taken. Time to shake it off and hit the rowing machine!

It didn't occur to me till I was leaving class that I'm a changing girl. I never could have done that before. Good grief I faint when I get my finger pricked! My body isn't the only thing getting leaner and meaner. I'm developing a tougher character when it comes to medical stuff. Somewhere between the heart attack and the needles up my nose I grew up. Bad stuff happens. You can let it ruin your day or you can take five minutes to fix it then move on. There's no sense getting your nose out of joint! Har har.

The turtle scores another lap!

I'm the turtle. Cute huh? It's the turtle that wins the race and even though recovering has been a slow process it's at least steady. Progress, progress, every day! Look what I did yesterday!

That's right, boat ride!!! That's me rockin' some aviators and some hiking boots. Corey has been very patient but I'm getting better and we DO live on a boat. Time to take it out! We even got up and put the engines to work! I think the "redneck" term is "Gittin' IT!!!" It was a baby boat ride, just a cruise around our part of the bay, but a sunset on the water was needed. My first time back on the water!

I was all bundled up and yes, I hid inside when I got too cold. Just like a turtle I poked my head back out just in time to tie up the lines. It's MY job after all, even if the Heart Nazi is in help mode.

Now I'm going to warm up with my hot chocolate (Decaf, nonfat. Don't judge.) so we'll talk more later! Keep warm everyone!

This is not your grandfather's heart disease.

I'm stunned by the amount of emails I'm getting. They are tear inducing, inspiring, and just plain amazing. One thing sticks out though. SO MANY stories are about one thing. "I lost a loved one and I had no idea there was a problem." or "My grandfather died and we couldn't save him." Please, please hear me on this.

There was NOTHING you could have done.

I know it's hard to believe but it's true. This is not the heart disease of our grandparent's time. Heart disease has changed. Decades ago there was no treatment, no diagnosis, and no medications to fight heart disease. If you had a heart attack there was no warning and you died. If not then, pretty soon after. If I had been alive back then I would be dead. Period.

I am alive today for one reason. New and radical technology has become available. From the Plavix, to the clip in my leg, all the way to the stent in my heart... absolutely everything is a new medical breakthrough. Advances have been made that make it possible for heart patients like me to have a shot at a long and healthy life. I have a chance for something that wasn't even an option 50 years ago. I have a chance to live.

I stand on the shoulders of all those people that have fallen due to heart disease. Because of their loss, their children stood up and demanded answers. We needed better and we got it. EVERYTHING is different now. There is education, prevention, medication, surgeries, even transplants. None of these things were available before. Even this blog is a testament to how things are different. One 30 year old heart patient can reach all of you without ever getting off her laptop.

Every year brings new and exciting things to treating heart disease. Funding pours in and results pour out. I know it's scary to think that you may have what killed your grandfather. Please keep in mind that he may have been alive today if he was given what you have. It's BECAUSE of your grandfather that you're alive to fight. What they had was absolutely lethal. What WE have we can fight.

So here is my advice. Let go of the things you can't change. Honor their memory by doing the one thing they didn't have a chance to do. Beat heart disease. If you don't have it, fund it. If you do, get your butt in a gym. Our loved ones deserved better. Demand it for yourself instead.

I'm stuck!

Corey was happily bumping around the marina chit chatting with the locals when I decided to creep out for a cup of coffee and some grocery shopping. I found a downside to the Tin Dome when I got back. I'm stuck! Winter low tides have set in and as you can see in the picture from yesterday the Tin dome has high docks. Our boat had dropped with the tide and was bobbing away several feet below the boards.

Stink. Now how does THIS work?!? I was soooo not letting go of my hot coffee (It's freezing!) and I could just see myself busting it, coffee and all, crash landing on the boat. How bad did I want the coffee? Pretty bad. I stood there on the dock, pacing back and forth and looking for the best place to land when Corey noticed me.

I can just see the wheels turning. Why is my wife freezing her butt off looking at the boat? I say nothing. He looks away. He looks back a minute later and I'm still there. This is getting embarrassing. See, these are the moments when it's good to be married. I'm about to look like an idiot. I've NEVER needed help getting on a boat! This is downright demeaning.

"You okay?" Dang it, the heart nazi in Corey has kicked in and he's walking my way. The moment of truth is here and I have to confess.
"I'm stuck!" I holler over to him. I puff up, waiting to get picked on, while he walks over and assesses the situation.
"Yeah, you're stuck." He pulls the boat over and helps me and my coffee onto the bow. It's the highest part to reach and at 5'2 it's still a bit of a jump for me. Good grief.

Corey doesn't say a word. He's 6'3. He goes back and grabs the groceries then nimbly jumps onto the stern of the boat. I'm ready for it now! He's going to pick on me. He deposits our groceries in the galley then pulls me into a hug. I got the sweetest of kisses, he touched my face, then flipped my ponytail. "I love you." He said.

Corey turned to go back outside while I stood there remembering all the reasons I love him. It's moments like this I realise how lucky I am. He's a keeper.

It's freezing!!!

Oh my goodness it's cold! Living on a boat is always an adventure. Living on a boat in winter can be downright entertaining at times. I love, love, love it but weekends like this last one make me question my sanity.

We lost power! By we, I mean a whole half of the marina. In the middle of a hard freeze. I practiced my new found skill of staying out of the way and poor Corey went outside to deal with it. No dice.

By 10:30 Saturday night we were dropping our dock lines and migrating to our new spot. The Tin Dome! Eastern Shore Marina is great. It's so close to downtown Fairhope and my favorite thing is the covered slips. No wind, no rain, absolutely safe and secure. We ride out tropical storms and severe weather here.

Talk about a brief and freezing boat ride! I tell you there's almost nothing more miserable then dealing with wet dock lines late at night in the middle of a freeze. It's just gross. Us marina girls are tough stuff though. After years of practice, Corey and I are champs at moving a big boat and tying up. He drives, I handle the lines. The only difference now is that in the cold I get shooed back inside once we're secure. Corey worries.

Here's a picture of the Tin Dome. Snug as a bug but the view isn't as nice! Here's hoping the marina gets fixed soon and I can show you a pic of our regular view instead. Stay warm everyone!

The Motivator

I can not believe I am putting this picture up. Behold. This is what almost 40 extra pounds will look like if you're only 5'2. This was taken in April 08 while I was visiting my sister at the Grand Canyon. When I got home and saw this I actually cried a little.

Why? Do I look healthy to you?!? That belly! Those boobs! Uh, even my face is all puffy. After years of being a picky eater I discovered food. I became a bit of a foodie as a result. They say good cooks are good eaters. I'm a good cook. Darn it.

This is just one more reason I'm so lucky. I had a time bomb in my chest and didn't know it. What if it had gone off then? Would I have been strong enough to survive it? Would I have even had a heart attack if I hadn't gunked up my arteries stuffing my face?

Here's the good news. The weight DOES come off! I kicked the Coca Cola habit, hit the gym, and started eating better. I dropped weight fast at first then at a slow steady pace. In one year I was leaner and meaner and in really good shape. I was jogging for the first time ever and planning my first 5k.

My big trick was no trick. Diets don't work. I gave up a junk thing a week and replaced it with something I liked that was healthy. I hung in there at the gym and eventually I quit puffing like a whale. Hopefully, the same approach will work again! What is broken down CAN be built back up! This picture is proof that I've done it once before. This time I'm just doing it backwards. Gaining weight and muscle! We'll see how it goes.

Itty bitty

I NEVER thought I would complain about this! Ever! I'm too little. My sister calls me Itty Bitty and boy am I an overachiever! Now before you sniff and turn away from the screen in disgust keep in mind this isn't a diet you want to be on. Want to drop weight fast? Have a heart attack! There's nothing like almost dying to motivate a person to eat well. This picture was taken in September. I'm a little smaller now.

Why is this a problem? I can't find clothes! Everything is XS and size zero. You guys are going to laugh but I went to Old Navy to buy blue jeans today. I can't wear their size zero. HOW are they too big?!? I fit into their girls 14 jeans. Great. I'm a 12 year old. No, I didn't buy them. The grown up in me sniffs at wearing britches with flowers on the butt and sparkles on the pockets. I'm not that desperate yet!

How did this happen? Well, I was already pretty small when I had my heart attack. I was put on a new heart healthy diet and I really took to it! No salt, no fat, no mammals. I love it! Everything is fresh and colorful and low in fat. Of course, I cheat occasionally but for the most part I've jumped on the healthy bandwagon. Pretty soon I'll be out of rehab and able to get back to the gym. I'll be packing on muscle and keeping off the fat so hopefully I'll be a little bigger.

And as for the eating disorder question... No!!! I've never had one and that's not why I had a heart attack. Please people! I was born in New Orleans! I LOVE food! Meet me at the Dew Drop and I'll prove it to you! I still have dreams about those chili dogs...

I'll never live it down.

You know that embarrassing moment that makes you want to sink into the floor? Mine was waking up in ICU after my heart attack. I'm never going to live it down. It's five months later and I still turn beet red whenever someone brings it up. What happened? Well...

I had a really bad reaction to the drugs. I was on quite a bit of morphine so they gave me finagrin to combat nausea. Alot of finagrin. It worked alright but it also caused extreme paranoia. I started to "wake up" from the drugs to find a nurse applying hard pressure to the femoral artery bleed in my leg. How did I respond? By trying to play Whack-A-Mole with her head. There I was bleeding all over the place and I'm trying to swat her nose off of her face. Jeez.

Oh no, it didn't end there. Apparently if you were within a 10 foot radius you had a target on your forehead. I took direct offense with my father and Corey and blamed them both for "tinkering" with me. Ding, ding, ding! Let the games begin! This was THEIR fault! How could they let this happen?!? Who said it was okay to put stuff in my heart?!? Corey's comment that he would have let them crack my chest open if it meant saving my life was NOT well received. Talk about ungrateful.

I called my poor brother and cussed him out. He drove all night to see me and he and my gorgeous sister in law brought me presents. They were met with stink face and a world class pout. I had somehow thought that he was coming to "rescue" me and when I realised I wasn't going anywhere I was pissed! Betrayed again!

I also screamed at my cardiologist (Who had just saved me from heart damage.) that I wanted a cigarette. I was so convinced that I was being kidnapped that they warned the nurses that I might make a break for it. Can you imagine a crazy heart patient trying to bust out of the hospital trailing an IV stand?!? How's that for bad behavior? Corey rode to the rescue yet again and insisted they take me off everything. I was hell on wheels and I bet after two days of bad behavior he was ready for a break. Wonder of wonders, insane, crazy, kidnapped Gillian went away and I came to my senses in my hospital room. Just like that I was my normal sweet, Southern self.

I'm telling you I'll never live it down! I was a crazy person! I think I owe the ICU nurses a fruit basket or something. Especially the Whack-A-Mole one. I had to apologise to my family and friends that I fussed at. I acted like such a butt that I have a new allergy on my chart. Never again will they give me finagrin. I don't think they want to deal with me either.

Oh how the mighty have fallen!

Welcome to 2010! I hope everyone had fun last night! How did I spend my New Year's? I dropped Corey off at a bar our friend was playing at and went home to "rest." I creeped back out at 11:00 pm and spent my last hour sipping Diet Coke, listening to great music, and hanging out with good friends. At midnight I kissed my husband and hugged my buddies. I was home in bed by 12:15. Don't you just love my dark grainy picture of my party hat? That's me pouting because Corey made me wear it.

I can't help but think that when I was ringing in 2000 I was drunk as a skunk and running all over downtown Mobile barhopping. It was a wild and crazy new year but I have to say this year was better! I have so much to be thankful for now. By next year I plan to hear the band play all night and maybe have a beer. It's all about balance!

No way!

http://http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/pages/Fairhope-AL/Heartsick-and-Headstrong-A-blog-about-surviving-a-heart-attack-at-30/229009161308?ref=mf I can't EVEN believe it! This is just cracking me up but I'm a "professional" blogger now! Isn't that a trip? What a way to start the new year! I put ads on my blog and I made a whole $3.00! That's right folks, three bucks! Cool huh?

You know what's better then the $3.00? All of you! I'm getting more and more clicks every day! This post is my little happy dance from my couch. I did it, I did it, oh yeah, yeah, yeah! It looks like I'm well on my way to doing my part in fighting heart disease and informing people about it. And if you guys click on the links? I just may get paid to do it! Got any ideas on what I should save up my blog money for?

Oh! I also built a new fanpage on facebook so you can follow me there if you want! Drop by, become a fan, and if you're a fellow heart patient, share your story there! I LOVE hearing from all of you so the fanpage makes it easier for me to do it!