So, some good news tonight - oh, speaking of good news, my cardiologist today said, "You're in great shape."  That's what I like to hear :)

So - back to the good news: driving the 130 miles back and forth from my doctor's appointment gave me some time to think.  I realized that my writing issue of late is not related to lack of things to write about. That's the good news.  In fact, I have a backlog of blog topics that could choke a horse. I don't want to think about that; that sounds painful.

No, the upshot is that I haven't written much because I've been down. Really fighting through some things, but Charlie really helped me put everything into perspective last night. That slightly different outlook helped me make it through a pretty challenging day. What was her advice? Stop. Think. Get perspective. React accordingly. Most of all, breathe...

Perspective. It's definitely influencing this blog post. I just typed a paragraph about all of the trials and tribulations that put me in the mood which was the catalyst for Charlie's advice. Aaaaand... I just erased it, because not one word of it means a damn thing. The message is important, yes, but the 'problems' don't bear mentioning in the great big scheme of things. Shit happens; deal with it.

Back to the clinical side of things...

If you've never had a cardiac stress-echo, you're missing out on a treat :)

The objective is to monitor your heart's reaction to stress. The stress - in this instance - was provided by walking on a treadmill until the heart rate becomes sufficiently elevated. I've done tests before on a bicycle, and I think there is a way of producing similar heart stress via chemical solution. As soon as the heart rate reached the target zone (2X the normal rate??), they took off the treadmill into place next to the ultrasound machine. The tech scans the heart with the 'wand' so that the doctor can observe the heart under stress. Pretty cool, actually. The only part that sucks, to be honest, is the prep work for placing the heart monitor leads. They first swab you with alcohol, then abrade your skin to remove any oils and reduce impedance in the lead/skin connection. Well, lets just say that the combination of rubbing alcohol and abraded skin doesn't even sound good; let alone feel good...

Anyway, that's all small potatoes. They told me to go home and put on Neosporin, and so I did...

Good night, all. I'm off to see the wonderful Stella for a couple of days. I'll tell all on Sunday.

Peace.

"Mr. P <3

Out of all my classes this year, I can honestly say that I always looked forward to your class the most. You are an unbelievable teacher and what makes you different from other teachers is that you develop a relationship w/every one of your students which I think is the best quality a teacher could have. You're the best!"

Thanks, Forrest. Those words really resonate with me. I hope you are well...