Ok..........so there I was.......patting myself on the back.  I had quit smoking after 38 years of 3packs a day, and to my surprise after 2 weeks, it wasn't that hard.  Well, now that was a scary thought.  I must have been stupid to not try it earlier, but I guess I just didn't have a good enough reason.

So, I go back to the doctor as a follow up and tell her how great everything is, house smells better, I smell better, food tastes better........blah blah blah.  So she hits me with left field that they got my echocardigram back.  I have congentiative heart desease, and the old ticker is pumping at 60%.  Why not I figured, now I needed a cigarette again!

Well, she goes on to say, this is fixable and I can get back to almost 100% heart effeciency if I get rid of the extra water in my body and lose weight.

MAN............and I thought quitting smoking was hard!!  She says, she is guessing that I have at least 60 extr pounds of fluid that I'm carring around.  Well, if you watch me walk.........I don't carry it too far......LMAO!  I can't, I run out of breath just between rooms.  So now the new next plan for my major life change at 54 years old is....................diet, exercise, and peeing...........HA!

She doubled up on my water pills, called a dietician to come to my home today Friday, June 18th, 2004, at 10am, and told me to start walking till I can easily walk 2 miles a day.

Oh My God!...........she must think I'm super woman.  I can barely make it 20 steps right now, without leaning on something, or sitting down before I fall down.

All I can say is..................let the games begin!!!  I'll keep you all posted.  Thanks for the fabulous support you have all given me. 

Love and hugs.............sneak!

 A funny thing happened to me on the way to the doctor last week.................so the story goes.  I went in for the usual yearly check-up, to get my medications actually.......(didn't really care about the check up, same 'ole, sam 'ole as far as health is concerned)  or so I thought.   Surpised a bit when I ended up in the hospital, due to water retention.  But then again, not really.  Happened 2 years ago.  So 24 hours later, I was 8.3 lbs. lighter............GOTTA LOVE THOSE WATER PILLS....  The doctor came in and said well there is good news.  Super......I could use some right now I replied.  My lungs have improved over the last 2 years and my heart has gotten smaller.  SMALLER?? SMALLER??  This is good????Well, come to find out, yes, it's excellent.  I am on an air machine at home.  I thought I would be on it for life and only get worse with my lungs.  I was never really told what was wrong, and was always afraid to really ask, afraid I would hear the worse.  So, after finally asking the questions, the fabulously good news is I can get off the air someday.  But the bad news....(there is always bad news right? ..the bad news..................I had to quit smoking.   OMG.........me? quit?  After 38 years of perfecting a habit, just like that turn it off??  Well, yes, that is what I did.  On Mothers Day May 10th, I smoked my last cigarette.  I am using the patch and am not smoking. 

Now.........for my pat on the back! Please use the tag at the right to give me your thoughts.....Thank you!!

Now the real problem I have is I had to substitute something for the cigarettes.  Of course I chose food, but I tried to find something that would not turn me into more of a blimp.  So now if anyone could help me, I would appreciate it.  How do you stop an addiction to slim-jims???