Take the medicine.....and appreciate the motivation.

Monday and a date with Ron to the PX at Fort Carson. We do love our dates - being retired, well, you know that old saying about retirement that every day is Saturday. Not quite, but I will admit that I do wake up some mornings trying to figure out what day it is. We were going to go to the Commissary also, but I was pooped.  I was looking all over for Ron, and finally found him sitting down and waiting for me in the cosmetic department.. :-) I've been feeling a little under the weather the past few days...called my primary doc's office this morning but so far no call back with an appointment.

If  you have coronary artery disease, do you find things a little unsettling when you feel like you have symptoms but aren't sure they are heart related? When I had my symptoms which sent me to the doc originally, they were not typical - not chest pain, per say, but pain in my left breast and between my shoulder blades and sometimes in my jaw. And waves of fatigue that would just about bring me down if I was standing. Our daughter Laurie, who is a PA, told me in no uncertain terms to call the doctor.

The cardiologist thought it was muscular skeletal pain when I was admitted for all of this last year. But then the ekg was really funky so he didn't question it. Yesterday morning, when I had that same pain, I decided to take a nitro pill...it's what they told me to do if I have that pain. So, I took a nitro, and the pain in my breast and shoulder went away. Sigh...I guess that means it was angina. So now, I am taking a week off from the treadmill because I don't know if I should risk it. I have a stress test next week and my echo-cardiogram. That should tell the doctor something. When I first was diagnosed and had the stents put in, I was really depressed after I got home. 33 Cardiac rehab classes were ahead of me...how was I ever going to do that? God saw to it....and it was such a blessing to be there with so many others walking the same path as I was. The path I'm still walking.

I began to realize how much my life had changed, until the doctor told me how close I'd come to a massive, if not fatal heart attack. I realized that His will for me had been to work His pure grace in my life. And the cardiologist agreed...he said to Ron that God probably kept me here for him...it's so difficult for older men if their wife dies before them. We've been married almost 47 years, so we're attached at the hip.

So Laurie decided that I needed some motivation and got me involved in an online fitness group. She's our coach. Granted, most everyone is her age or younger, but I'm so thankful to belong to such a great group. They don't make me feel old. Ron bought me a treadmill for Christmas and my goal has been to do a mile 5 days a week. Have achieved that for the most part in recent weeks. I need to be accountable, not just to this fitness group, but to myself, my family, and to God. He did, after all, give me this chance to "get it right."  And He helps those who help themselves.

My beautiful daughter, and my coach. And me. :-)

Believe it, my friends. His Grace lights our path, His love strengthens our hearts - literally and figuratively; and His comfort gives us peace. The prayers of others are a soothing blessing that we are not alone. In fact, they not only pray, but they stand with us at the throne of grace, knowing His answers are forthcoming.

Hmmm - I guess I was a little more talkative than yesterday....thanks for stopping by.
Be blessed my friends,
Sue