enough with the secrecy

Monday I started training to be a cab driver, and today (thursday) I got my own cab. For the past several weeks, I had been having my criminal background checked, my driving record, and having a DOT physical for drivers for hire. But officially I am an independent business man.

Each day, I pay a lease on the cab, and it is up to me to hustle to meet my expenses. The good part of this for me, is that I can take a break whenever I want. Well, I guess in between fares. I do not think anyone would be willing to have me snoozing while they are trying to catch a plane at the airport.

It's also a lot of little tasks, which suits my style of work very well. Each ride is less than 10 minutes, so it suits my short attention span.

Kronick
aka Kevin 3.1

[...standing by...]

Update on Dr. Carrie Nation

In my original blog post, I mentioned the ER Doctor that proceeded to berate me about the evils of alcohol. This was long before they figured out my Liver was swollen from edema. well yesterday, he was one of the attending Drs. with my Cardiologist. He asked me if I drank, and I truthfully admitted to 1-2 drinks, 2-3 days a week. He smiled and said that was good, and that that is not too much. Completely different from his previous point of view.

He seemed to be a bit more mellow with the 10 months more experience. He was a "fellow" which is one of the professional stops before being a Physician. They are a step up from resident, but not quite the big cheese. He was still amazed by my progress, and remarked about how much scar tissue I have on my heart. And how they have to make it work with what I have. It is for that reason they want to increase my anti-cholesterol drugs and my beta-blockers. He said patients with CHF have responded to agressive treatments.

Personally, I am so happy with the no thumping, that I'd try a Lipitor Sprinkled Ice Cream Sundae. I know they are unrelated, but I take my victories one at a time.

Kronick
aka Kevin 3.1

[...standing by...]

Boom Boom Boom FREE

Up until now....

My only complaint, if you can call it that, has been the hiccough reaction I get from my ICD. When I reclined, or sat against a hard chair, my abdomen jerked as though I was hiccoughing. I got pretty used to it, but it was outwardly noticeable. I kind of psyched it up as my reminder that I am lucky to be alive. That it was a by-product of my tremendous good fortune.

When I was in the hospital last month, the team seemed very interested in it, and concerned. Last spring when I mentioned it to the Dr. , his reaction as "good then its working". When I mentioned it this month to my other Dr. he asked if I could live with it and if I could to just. He went on to suggest, if the level of stimulation was such it caused the jerking, that it may require moving a wire, and it would involve opening me up again. With that as an option it was even easier to live with.

Today I went back tot he Cardiologists, and had my usual interrogation of the ICD by the Medtronic tech. I mentioned the thumping, and she said "lets see what we can do". The voltage can be lowered to a minimal point with no change in beat or function. She ran a few tests and found she could lower it quite a bit. It was like she was turning down the volume on the stereo. At one point it was imperceptible, then it was gone entirely!

It's weird but without it I almost miss it.
NAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Kronick
aka Kevin 3.1

[...standing by...
... WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY MORNING TO THURSDAY MORNING...

PRECIPITATION WILL GRADUALLY OVERSPREAD THE AREA LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. BASED ON THE LATEST SUITE OF MODEL GUIDANCE... PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN AS A PERIOD OF RAIN LASTING THROUGH THE MID-MORNING HOURS ON WEDNESDAY. A CHANGE OVER TO A MIXTURE OF FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET IS EXPECTED DURING THE DAY ON WEDNESDAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. THE FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET MIX IS EXPECTED TO CHANGE TO SNOW WEDNESDAY EVENING. AT THIS TIME THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT ICING ACCUMULATIONS ACROSS THE AREA. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE THE LEXINGTON METRO AREA... FRANKFORT... CAMPBELLSVILLE AND BOWLING GREEN. ICE ACCUMULATIONS OF AROUND ONE QUARTER OF AN INCH ARE POSSIBLE. TOTAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE BY THURSDAY MORNING.

TRAVEL WILL BECOME EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING... ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THIS WEEK IS A BUSY HOLIDAY TRAVEL PERIOD. THOSE WITH TRAVEL PLANS ARE ADVISED TO MONITOR THE LATEST WEATHER FORECASTS AND ADJUST TRAVEL PLANS AS NEEDED. IF ADJUSTMENTS TO TRAVEL ARE NOT POSSIBLE... USE EXTREME CAUTION IF TRAVEL IS UNAVOIDABLE.]

FDA Statement on Naproxen

[Works great, except for the Heart Attacks...... ???
I actually used a lot of naproxin. I took it daily for periods of time. I do not think I took it more than once per day, even occasionally, if ever.
-kf ]

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FDA Statement on Naproxen:

FDA Statement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Statement Dec. 20,

2004 Media Inquiries: 301-827-6242

Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA

FDA Statement on Naproxen

The FDA today released the following statement on NIH halting a clinical trial involving non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in patients at risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is working with the National Institutes of Health to review the available scientific information on naproxen following the decision of the National Institute on Aging to halt a clinical trial studying non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in patients at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Preliminary information from the study showed some evidence of increased risk of cardiovascular events, when compared to placebo, to patients taking naproxen. In the meantime, FDA advises patients who are currently taking over-the-counter naproxen products to carefully follow the instructions on the label. Patients should not exceed the recommended doses for naproxen (220 milligrams twice daily) and should not take naproxen for longer than ten days unless a physician directs otherwise. Patients with questions about naproxen should consult their physicians. Naproxen was first sold as a prescription drug under the trade name Naprosyn in 1976. FDA approved its use as an over-the-counter drug in 1994.

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♥ ♥ ♥

[...Heart Attack Free, since 2003...]

Kronick
aka Kevin 3.1

[...standing by...]

Home for Christmas.

I said I was going Home for Christmas, but now I have a change of plans, and a change of semantics. I am Staying Home for Christmas. Lexington is my home. I have been in this house for 8ight years. I am not sure if I have lived that long anywhere. I know my parents have, but I was out of the house by 23hree and 8ight years is about 1 third of that, and we moved 6ix times during those 23hree years. That suggests an average of nearly 4our years per residence. the min was probably a litle over a year when I was a newborn in St. Paul, and the max was Wellington at 9ine, but that number is may be indepurate, as I was in college for 5ive those years.
Kronick
aka Kevin 3.1

[...standing by...]

Indepurate is a word I coined pairing the prefix "in" to the word Depurate, and should mean "unclear" or "imprecise"
the unique spelling of the numbers started out as a typo, but I liked the way it looked.

Making a Difference

I have written about my "code" before. One of my life goals is to make a difference. I think that is what drew me to teaching. I went to Graduate school to be a college professor. I had a change of heart when I realized teaching was such a small part of the job at a major university. I am not going to pretend the only reason I transferred from the Ph.D. program to the Masters was that, but it played a big part in my decision. I have also, with encouragement from a teacher friend, given serious thought to signing up to be a substitute teacher at a local private school. He's a great teacher and thinks I would be even better than him, well he may have said "a good teacher" but I know how he is.

What started this post topic was a conversation I had with someone last night. A friend of mine and I, that works in Washington, (Not you, SHAWN, I have more friends in Washington than you know!) were online chatting last night. He keeps up on my blog almost daily to see what's been happening. He said that I changed his life. Seeing what happened to me, seemingly out of the blue, made him look at his own family history of heart disease and his lifestyle. While he was in pretty good shape, he realized that his risk of heart disease was on both sides of his family tree. It reached up far, and low to the roots. So he started a cardio vascular exercise program. I forget his exact mileage in his running, but I know from my own experience, its the regularity that counts. But it was some pretty impressive distance.

After my initial congratulatory response, I immediately asked the Hotpoint® question "Have you quit smoking yet"? He Had! Five years ago he quit. He also watches his salt and cooks fairly healthy. I got the impression he even felt "red meat guilt" when he had his rare steaks every so often. I had to laugh to myself. I have one of the strictest diets I know, and I keep to it, but I still do not feel guilty about the occasional steak. Early on, I was so careful about salt, I actually had a deficiency. My blood pressure was so low from my medications and lack of sodium, I had Hypo tension. I am not sure if that is a clinically recognized term or not. But, I know enough about prefixes to know it should be. If hypertension is high blood pressure, then hypo tension is low blood pressure.

I heard from the job I have been pursuing today, It turns out I forgot to sign one important form. They have checked my references, I need give them one more, as it turns out Judges cannot give out references, but anyway once I sign it, they turn in my application for a security check with the police department. I have been keeping this job a big secret. I know my parents are probably über curious about what it is. But I just want to spring it on everyone when it happens. I have thought long and hard what I could do, and this fits all my criteria. I met with a benefits analyst about my disability checks, and know what to expect from it as well. Enigmatically, I will say the job has a lot of positive qualities both for me and for society. I will be able to set my own schedule, I will be serving the public, and I will be providing society with a highly regarded public service. I value all three of those points, and there are more, but I am trying to keep the mystery up.

I am going to Minnesota over Christmas. I am arriving the morning of the 23rd. A friend of mine that works for Delta has said he may be able to get me a free ticket, so I may try and switch that a bit. But for now I am arriving in Minnesota around 11:30 am. I have not decided on a return date yet, but I do have a Dr. appointment on the 6th, so it is safe to say it will be before then. They are adjusting my medications a bit, and depending on how that goes, I may be taking more or less pills per day. On this, I found out that medical items required for me to do my job are deducted from my earnings when it comes to my income limits. I would like to say that my drugs are required for me to work, since I need to be healthy and alive to work. I have the proper forms.

I am typing this on my bed, with a bolster behind my back. My dogs are zonked out by my feet. "TC" (The Canine formerly known as Rebel) is sprawled across the foot of the bed, and "l'il Bou" (Boudain) is an snug as a bug in a rug, UNDER the comforter right next to my feet. Something in the Dachshund's instincts is burrowing, and he loves to go under the covers, once he has gone out for his morning walk. He is short haired, and chronic shiverer, so I am sure the warmth has something to do with it as well. He used to have to be on my lap all the time. Now in the morning, I can usually go in the bedroom and say "where's l'il Bou?" and I see the comforter jump and rise as it was alive, and soon his little black nose will poke out some where.

I guess my treatise on making a difference got a bit sidetracked, but I did want to say I am glad my experience has helped people examine their own lives and take steps to make it better. A bunch of my friends signed up to be organ donors when I was potentially a transplant candidate. Some people still think I had a transplant. I guess they need to keep up on the blog. I want to keep my FrankenHeart that could.

Kronick
aka Kevin 3.1

[...standing by...]

Stroke or Heart Attack

Once in a while I get a forward I am willing to share. This is from my cousin Judy. I cannot identify this as authoritative, but it sure looks like it cannot do more damage than a heart attack already does.

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Subject: Stroke or Heart Attack?




Is It A Stroke?
This might be a lifesaver if we can remember the three questions! Is It a Stroke?

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster for the stroke victim. A stroke victim may suffer brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

Now doctors say any bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple
questions:

1. Ask the individual to smile.
2. Ask him or her to raise both arms.
3. Ask the person to speak a simple sentence.

* If he or she has trouble with any of these tasks, call 9-1-1 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

After discovering that a group of non-medical volunteers could identify facial weakness, arm weakness and speech problems, researchers urged the general public to learn the three questions.

They presented their conclusions at the American Stroke Association's annual
meeting last February. Widespread use of this test could result in prompt
diagnosis and treatment of the stroke and prevent brain damage.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Is It A Heart AttacK?

A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it to 10 people, you can bet that at least one life will be saved.

Read this... It could save your life!!

Let's say it's 6.15 PM. and you're driving home (alone of course), after an unusually hard day on the job. You're really tired, upset, and frustrated.

Suddenly you start experiencing severe pain in your chest that starts to radiate out into your arm and up into your jaw. You are only about five miles from the hospital nearest your home.

Unfortunately you don't know if you'll be able to make it that far. You have been trained in CPR, but the guy that taught the course did not tell you how to perform it on yourself.

HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN ALONE

Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack, without help, the person whose heart is beating improperly and who begins to feel faint, has only about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness.

However, these victims can help themselves by coughing repeatedly and very vigorously. A deep breath should be taken before each cough, and the cough must be deep and prolonged, as when producing sputum from deep inside the chest.

A breath and a cough must be repeated about every two seconds without let-up until help arrives, or until the heart is felt to be beating normally again.

Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and coughing movements squeeze the heart and keep the blood circulating. The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it regain normal rhythm.

In this way, heart attack victims can get to a hospital.

Tell as many people as possible about this. It could save their lives!!

BE A FRIEND AND PLEASE SEND THIS ARTICLE TO AS MANY FRIENDS AS POSSIBLE


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(above request is by the original author, not kevin 3.1)

if you want to forward this go to the comment page, and forward the post page as a web page. That sould work fine.

Kronick
aka Kevin 3.1

[...standing by...]