Finally! Cardiologist results!

Please disregard all the labeling, it means nothing for this post.

The good news is that I have a totally rocking, healthy heart! No, it wasn't put in those words, but I was told that I have a very healthy heart. Good to know, since I have heart disease on boths sides and heart failure on one side of my family and I'm clinically obese.

The bad news is that my heart is...well...I guess broken could be an okay word for it. Remember the post I posted earlier regarding the Emergency Room diagnosis? That was a correct diagnosis, and it's not medication induced because it was still present at the stress test (which totally sucked by the way).

So the official diagnosis is Long Q-T Interval Syndrome. Basically, there is an electrical malfunction in my heart that causes it to take longer to expand and contract than normal hearts do. I hope that is a right description. It's too technical for me to put in good layman terms. And for any siblings out there reading, the doctor recommends that you get an ECG to make sure you don't have this issue as it is definitely genetic according to him.

But wait! It gets better! He's almost positive the seizure was not caused by this Q-T Syndrome. So I get to go see a Neurologist to see if I have a neurological disorder as well as all my other many issues. Will keep you posted on the neurologist results once I get in to see him.

Admitted

I must admit it, I'm a paranormal freak. I love to watch me some Ghost Hunters on SYFY or (hysterically funny) Ghost Adventures. I've had some paranormal experiences of my own, so other people investigating it is especially fascinating to me. I must admit that I slightly freak out when they actually find stuff. It doesn't help that I'm usually watching it in the dark, alone in my bedroom at night. But that is not my point.

Is it just me or are there a bucketload of paranormal shows hitting the airwaves? Where Ghost Hunters used to be the only show I saw on TV, there is now Ghost Hunters (Still admittedly my favorite and I DVR them), Ghost Hunters Academy (teaching "students" how to investigate like said Ghost Hunters), Ghost Hunters International, Ghost Adventures, Psychic Kids, Celebrity Ghost Stories, Paranormal Cops and those are just the ones I can remember off the top of my head. And is it just me or have the commercials on SYFY gotten careeeeeeeepy?! Yes, I'm a wuss, but I end up changing the channel or just waiting to watch any show even on the SYFY channel until after it's been recorded so I can fast-forward through the scary commercials. I mean, I know I'm getting old, but I'm only freaking 30 years old here! Commercials should not ook me out like this! And oh, I wait to watch Psychic Kids until the morning because some of the subject content keeps me awake at night. I'm not kidding. Am I just getting more sensitive to dark material, is it actually darker than I remember it being? Just some thoughts to myself.

I've never been a scary movie watcher because it messes with me too much. I went to go see the Blair Witch Project and didn't sleep for 2 days, how incredibly lame is that? My friends dragged me (Literally and figuratively) to Amityville Horror (Probably spelled wrong, who cares) and didn't turn the lights off at night for a week and didn't technically "watch" most of the movie. Am I just becoming more of a wuss when it comes to this kind of material? Or is it legitimately getting darker and more frightening? This inquiring mind really wants to know!

Blonde moments

I admit it. I have blonde moments. Lots of them. Especially lately. My memory is completely shot and it's really bugging.

I can't remember conversations I've had with people. That's the most prevalent problem I've noticed, but there are others. Like the fact that I cannot hold a thought process for more than a minute or two. My conversations are so fragmented I'm surprised people can keep up. I think I might need to be medicated for it (kidding!).

The one that is really bugging me is that I've had my discharge papers from the Emergency Room for weeks. They've been in my line of vision every day. I finally picked them up because I needed to find out when my Cardiologist appointment was and realized there was an actual diagnosis on the discharge papers!

First, I am seriously bugged that I cannot remember things I've made arrangements for, like said doctors appointment (p.s. Jan 19th at 2:00 in case I forget again). BUT...I can remember obscure factoids that I really don't need to remember. I blame the seizure.

Second, the diagnosis: Prolonged Q-T Interval Syndrome. I don't know what exactly it is yet as the internet is a bit scary and cryptic. Luckily, I have a rockin' brother and sister-in-law who are doing some research on it for me. And I'm writing down lots of questions for the Cardiologist since my primary care doctor wasn't very forthcoming. A message has been left for my primary care doctor as to whether or not I can start an exercise regimen (seriously needed) with this issue outstanding. According to the Mayo Clinic information, it's a racing heart syndrome that can be triggered by sudden startles such as a loud noise or such. Will keep you posted.

So...can I use this diagnosis as an explanation for a faulty memory?

Walking Wounded...Barely

I seriously cannot make this stuff up. We have another walking wounded in our family. This walking would would be of the furry variety, but somehow that makes it all the worse! Our temporary charge, Cougar (Kim and Leslie's dog), who is staying with our family until Kim and Leslie become permanent residents at another location after his recent graduation (happy late congrats on the graduation and baby, btw!) has become the walking wounded. We don't know what happened, we just know that somehow Cougar ended up with one huge (I mean, HUGE) gaping tear in his side measuring approximately 8 inches long. I have a theory of my own, but it only goes well if I explain some history, which will not be a surprise to some of my family and will be a huge shock to some other of my family. What can I say? I'm only human and as humans do, did something stupid and continued to do it as a twisted way of controlling my increasingly feeling out-of-control life.

Story line: I smoke. I have been a smoker for approximately...ohhh...5 months. It's not glamorous and I can't say I even particularly enjoy it, but I smoke. Of which, I have quickly decided to quit because, let's face it...it's gross...has made a recent cold of mine much worse and it's stinking and I constantly taste smoke. Yes, this is my glamorous life! Before my very glamorous seizure, I hadn't smoked for about 3 weeks and hadn't truly missed it, but decided that I did about the time I realized I probably wouldn't be able to drive for some extended amount of time. You see, I don't like feeling out of control, which has probably kept my life from spiraling ridiculously out of control up until now, which is why I refuse to drink, which I have tried in the recent months, much to my chagrin.

Anyhow. Now you have a history. I go out on "smoke breaks" while living in my parents house. Cougar is determined to be my best buddy, so hence, he has accompanied me on these infrequent excursions out onto the back patio where I bundle up and insisted on smoking a stinky cigarette that I was convinced was "healthier" because it didn't have any additives. What can I say? I'm a master of denial. Whenever I went out, Cougar went out. He likes to chase cars, so I would keep him in the back area of the house, where I noticed his increasing fascination with the bushes back by the swing set. He's too big to get behind them and I just figured there were some rats that fascinated him that he couldn't get at. No harm, no foul.

Apparently not. Today, I was crashed out in my room due to this worsening cold that has whipped my hide and I kept hearing the phone ring and nobody was answering. I dragged myself to the phone and returned my dad's repeated calls where he asked for an old raggedy t-shirt to be brought to him. He said something about Cougar and I surmised that somehow Cougar had become injured and was far enough gone that I figured the t-shirt was for my dad. So much for me being the hero and answering the phone for this urgent phone call. Note to self: do not answer the phone groggy, it's just a pain and we have to fix it later!

I can't drive, of course, so mom is the designated driver, but luckily she calls to get a further story and figures out that the t-shirt is for Cougar to tie over a drain because this apparent accident has ripped a clean 2-3 inches of skin around said 8 inch wound away from his ribs. This is when my mind cleared up and I asked if it could have been a rat (not fully comprehending 8 inches in my mind, obviously) or a feral cat because he had had such a fascination with the bushes for a few days and he wasn't far from the garage door when my dad heard what sounded like a short fight (maybe) and a resulting yelp of pain. The doctor says no rodent can do this and after seeing the damage, I agree. The doctor can only say that somehow, Cougar must have impaled himself on something, then ran away in pain to cause such damage. Cougar, my friends, is not a stupid dog (despite his continual efforts to become BFF's with me)...rather, I think a feral cat tore into him than the theory that he impaled himself on something.

So, we have another walking wounded in this family. And I am attaching pictures, some of which are just heart-rending. Some of which are gruesome. I gave you fair warning. I give you: the walking wounded.