Happy Walking! The Heart Walk is Saturday!

I know it has been a while since I last posted even a peep. That is largely do to my laziness and well more laziness lol. But, I am determined to stay on top of things this time...until I get completely lazy again.

Since I last posted, my EF has gone up to 47.5%. The doctor will not say 50% because he is being conservative. I don't mind. I know in my heart the EF is 50% (in my Heart, get it...ohhh I just love dry humor).

This is wonderful news folks! This means that I am cleared to, well, not sure what this means, cause I am still on a butt load of medication and I still don't have the energy I use to have before all of this started and I am still on a low-sodium, low-fat, little bit of sugar, 3 mile a day walk diet.

So, what does it mean???

It means...I am less likely to die of sudden death if my heart skips a beat. But don't misunderstand, this is GREAT NEWS!

I can do more. In fact, I am doing more. I have started to workout a little harder. I am now lifting weights, attending dance classes and standing in front of the TV once a week, wondering how in the heck the folks on the Insanity video can work that hard without falling out.

I am volunteering in the community (Creatives4Community (Eddie's brain child)) and I am taking acting classes and baking and cooking once a week. Lets just say, I am keeping busy.

Saturday

The Heart Walk for the Heart Association

I am walking 3 .5 miles. I have been a little shy about asking for $upport but as I was reminded a couple of days ago, if you don't ask, you will not receive $upport.

So

I NEED SOME FOLKS TO $UPPORT ME

Donate at least $25.00 on my Heart Walk page before the end of tomorrow.

If you donate at least $100, I will send a baker's dozen of my fabulous chocolate chip cookies to your doorstep by next week, more like by Friday.

Thank you so much Cousin Stephanie and Cousin Judi for $upporting me!

http://pugetsoundheartwalk.org/

Thank you so your support in advance :)

Happy Anniversary

These last couple of months have been interesting to say the least. Summer has finally arrived in Seattle although once every three days, there is rain. Not full-blow, stormy weather, like it is across the rest of the country but marine mist, if you will. Sort of a cool front mixed with a rainy behind.
Lets talk turkey about my heart. As of last month, my numbers, well my EF percentages, we not impressive. I would have to say this is largely my fault. I started decreasing my meds on my own, without doctor's consent. Now my numbers were not horrible. I did receive a slight increase, "marginal increase" my doctor's words, in my EF. I did not make him aware of my resistance to medical authority. I thought it would create a less than pleasant visit. So I kept that bit of information to myself.
Now since then, I started acupuncture and massage therapy. I love it. It's $35 a session. Now who could pass that up. So far, my shoulder feels better, my tummy is not as troubled and I am more at ease. It is difficult to know if this "feeling better" is due to Chinese medicine however, I am going with it. I feel better, particularly after my appointments, and even if it is the placebo effect, I gladly welcome it to my weekly routine of medical treatment.

Happy Anniversary to Me!!!

I have passed the one year mark since this wonderful condition yanked me from my life. Oh no, I am not bitter or angry, just longing for the life I had before.
The independence. The baking. The community involvement. The parties. The people. The friends. My husband. The house in DC. Summers in DC. Black folks. Catering events. Back deck BBQs. Laurol Plaza. Rosa Mexicana. Busboys and Poets. Oh the list could go on and on.

But being here in Seattle has grown on me. I have a lake view that wakes me up every morning. I walk 3 miles everyday on the lake. There is a great organic market very close the house. Seattle has Pikes Market (produce is wonderful) and some of the best Salmon in the States. It's 2 and a half hours away from Vancouver BC and 2 hours from tax free shopping in Oregon. There is a rain forest and three mountains to climb and ski on. The flight to San Fran is only 2 hours and not too expensive to fly. My parents, brother and niece are here. I have some family in the area. And...there are more black folks here than I thought.

So I am happy to say...Seattle may just be my next home, home. I will keep you posted.

30-Minute Workout, No Gym Required - Health.com

30-Minute Workout, No Gym Required - Health.com

Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers (ARB) - drug class, medical uses, medication side effects, and drug interactions by MedicineNet.com

Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers (ARB) - drug class, medical uses, medication side effects, and drug interactions by MedicineNet.com

I KNOW IT'S BEEN FOREVER SINCE I...

Hey Folks

Just wanted to give an update on what has been going on with me:

Had my Echo on Tuesday and my EF is now between 35-40%. Things are looking good. Thank you for all of your prayers and well wishes. I appreciate all the love.

Well I snuck out of Seattle for a few weeks.

My first stop was Dallas, TX (thumbs up to Mom for escorting me via Alaska Airlines) to see my Hubby's sister receive her PhD from University of Texas. We are so very proud of her.

My Mom met Hubby's Mother for the first time and they hit it off. This was a relief. Now I feel like my family is coming together (now all we have to do is, get Papa Bear to meet Hubby's Mom).

It was good to see my Brother(s)-in-Law, Lance and Darvey and my Sister(s)-in-Law, Delawina and Karen. They sure do know how to throw a cookout. Special shout out to my new Sis Karen for hooking my up with low-sodium dishes.

While in Dallas, I got to see one of my childhood friends, Terri and to also meet her children. What a handsome family they are. Her children are so smart and well behaved.

I also got to visit my 80 something year old Aunt Mary Louise. We call her Mady. What's interesting enough, I thought her name was just Mady but, it turns out that she doesn't like Mary Louise and her brother named her Mady when she was just a toddler and it stuck. How cute. I also found out that my Grandmother, Lillian, was a sassy so-and-so. Her stage name was Lorraine. Who knew. She was also a beautiful woman, standing at 5 foot 8, who sang in night clubs on the south side of Chicago.

I found out so many things about my Mother's side of the family. There are stories to be written.

From Dallas, my Hubby and I flew into Washington DC. Wow. I finally made it back home before a year was up. But home is not home any longer. Since July 2009, we have moved from DC to Mt. Vernon, VA. It was not really real until I walked in the house and saw all of my furniture and my things still in boxes. Yup! We had moved.

Mt. Vernon is not a bad place to live. It's just a little far from everything I grew to love, in DC. You see, when I moved to DC, I was dead set on living in DC. Not in Maryland or Virginia but in DC. How things change and do not remain the same.

My first few days in Mt. Vernon were, well, I don't really remember lol. I was sleep most of the time.

Friday, Hubby and I headed into the city to spend the weekend at the DuPont Hotel (I highly recommend). We had a blast. Friday night we went to a concert at the Kennedy Center and returned to the hotel for a fabulous dinner. Saturday we woke up and went on a little walk to George Town but not before we stopped and enjoyed the All Women Brazilian Drum Band performing in the park. After our nice walk through the neighborhood, we headed over to Eatonville to have a late breakfast with Brian (the best Manager in the world).

Hubby went to purchase a guitar in Tyson's and I chilled out in the hotel room and got dressed for church. That's right, I went to church. I love Alfred Street. Saturday night service was on point. My Hubby and I, both, received messages that night. We truly received our blessings.

After church, we headed over to my cousin's house to meet her new son. Stephanie is a wonderful Mommy! And of course Jeff is a great Dad too (don't want to leave him out). And Baby "Hank" is such a sweet baby boy. I am so happy they decided to have children.

But what was the surprise of the night, a few of Stephanie's friends had new babies as well. I missed so much being away.

After spending some time with the family, Hubby and I headed over to Mo' and Ashton's (friend-family) to say hello. Hello turned into an hour or so. Then we headed over to Lina's Roof Top Birthday Bash. That woman knows how to throw a PARTY!.

I was so exhausted when we got back to the hotel, I didn't know what to do. So the next morning we slept in. Thank goodness we didn't plan anything for the morning. Now Olivia did make a guest appearance at the hotel to see me and that made my morning.

After that we had breakfast at Circa...yummy yummy and headed back to VA.

My Sis Lori and my Niece Logan, Carol and her new family stopped by to say hello. It was wonderful to see them. Especially Miss Logan because it was her birthday!!! Hello 13. It was the first time I met Carol's new family. Dee and Veronica are pretty special folk.

You would think that the night was over but nope! We headed over to Andrea's house to see how big Brynn (she was one when I left) had gotten and oh my she has teeth, walks, talks and everything. Ron and Andrea got married (in Maui) while I was gone and now they are looking to expand their little family again.

I slept for a few days after that. Cardiomyopathy will do that to you.

Wednesday, we had a meeting with our lawyer, Johnnie Bond. To me, he is more of a friend but he is handling business. We talked about what got me in this mess (heart failure) in the first place (I still think that 50% of my condition is stress related and it relates to having bad contractors and a bad loan from Well's Fargo). Anywoooo, discussing the case really didn't bother me as much as I had anticipated. I guess I am handling my stress well.

After getting his bill (remember I said he was handling business) $70K+, we went for some drinks and grub at Lauriol Plaza. We met and ate with my baby sis, Camille and my sexy friend Troy. Good food, good drink and great weather! I love DC in the summer.

Friday, I had lunch with an amazing woman, Mimi. She has Cardiomyopathy as well and she is my SHERO. She has had this annoying condition for 9 years. Two children later, a job she loves and a body of a 25 year old, she still is managing her condition seemingly with ease. I am sure she has her ups and downs like we all do but she is amazing.

Saturday, we made it to a couple of house parties and ended the weekend at Shayla and Jarvis's house in Alexandria,VA. They moved from the neighborhood in DC back in May. At least when I go back to VA permanently, I will have some friends in the area.

Monday morning we arrived to the airport without incident. Alaska Airlines flight 1. Brand New Plane. Who knew there was a new plane smell. It is actually almost like a new car smell. Everything was clean and new. The stewardess actually gave us an entire row by ourselves so I could stretch out and sleep. I rate Alaska Airlines number 1. Please fly them often so I my airfare can go down. lol.

We arrived in Seattle 5 hours and 10 minutes later. What a long ride. I will have to tell you, I do not look forward to flying in another plane at all. But, Alaska Airlines and my Hubby made it at least bearable.

That concludes my trip. I think I have left out a couple of things like the fact that I had way too much sugar and salt while I was there and I didn't exercise as much as I should have and I did not get enough sleep and I didn't wear my life vest the entire time but hey...I was on vacation.

And my EF is higher, marginally, but never the less, HIGHER.

BTW

I am going to need some help. I am starting a foundation or association for Cardiomyopathy for Women. If anyone has any info or ideas please do not hesitate to contact me via email: lillianhill@gmail.com

Up Date on the Injury from the 3 Gallon Jug

After 5 long days of lying in the bed, on the floor, rolling around in pain, taking everything from Tylenol to Vicodin, I am finally feeling better. Not good enough to get to cardio-fit class but good enough to get up, eat, put some cloths on, sit at the computer and type. Good thing is, I lost 1 pound. I do not recommend putting one's back out just to lose weight but it was probably muscle and water combined since my appetite was completely shut down. But it still feels like a win.


I saw my Naturopathic Doctor last week. Oh she is just wonderful. We had a nice chat about my improvement. SO...she increased my medications. The goal is to get my EF to 51%. I have my work cut out for me. Now, it feels like I have a small pharmacy in my bedroom. Emotionally, this is taxing. When you look at my bedroom, it looks like a sick person lives in there. Oh wait, I am the sick person who lives in there. I was thinking, in order to make me feel emotionally better about the state of my sleeping quarters, I would visit IKEA some time tomorrow and purchase a little container and a small chest to house my pharmaceutical items. Things may be looking emotionally up.

On the Nutrition Tip

A couple of weeks ago, I decided I would try something new. Seven Grain Crispy Tender (I'm meat-free) by Gardein. One serving, which is about 2 to 3 nuggets, is only 90 calories. There is no cholesterol, no sugar, 9 grams of carbohydrates and 9 grams of protein. And the best part, a serving only has 290 mg of sodium. Oh happy day, it meets my dietary requirements. Now to see if they taste good.

OH, MY, THEY DO!!!

They have the consistency and taste of a chicken nugget. Not the nasty ones at Mc Donald's from what I remember 20 years ago, but more like the crispy chicken nuggets that you make yourself without all the frying. I would recommend this product for everyone. Unless you are allergic to something on the ingredient list, listed on the back of package like soy or wheat.

I found Gardein, Seven Grain Crispy Tenders in the freezer section of Whole Foods Market. The cost, $4.99. Not bad for 5 servings.

On the Recipe Tip

For the last 8 days, when I can, I have made myself whole wheat pasta, restaurant style. What is restaurant style you ask?

You take your favorite pasta, mine right now is Trader Joe's Organic Whole Wheat Penne Pasta, I love that it keeps its shape while double cooking, and you boil enough for 5 or 6 servings. Keep that in the refrigerator until you need to use it.

When you need to use it, you take it out of the frig and place it on the counter...I am sure I don't need to be this literal. Sorry, I get carried away sometimes lol. SO, any who, you get your pasta. Heat a pan, medium-heat and put a little olive oil in the pan. Let it get hot. Saute up some spinach, broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic, kale, cherry tomatoes, basil, arugula, really anything produce. This will probably dry out in your pan before you finish cooking so, if this happens, add a little water and sort of steam, cook, saute the produce around. Now you can choose any produce and any amount for any combination. My staples are usually spinach, garlic, broccoli, and mushrooms. Once this is cooked down, add your pasta. This takes about 10 minutes total. You can add a little pasta sauce. Enough to coat the produce and pasta. Maybe 3 tablespoons at the most. Cook this for about 3 more minutes and VOILA.

You have restaurant pasta!

Everything is coated in your favorite pasta sauce and everything tastes seasoned and tasty.

Enjoy your Tuesday!!!

Somebody Stop Me Before It's Too Late

So for the last few weeks, after receiving my wonderful news,

Recap

My EF is at 40%

I have been tearing it up in the gym, through the neighborhood and in the kitchen.

I started weight training and long distance cardio, hiking for an hour and testing recipes.

It has been amazing. My energy has been up and my body has felt like it's old self...until yesterday.

Now, a 3-gallon jug of water has taken me down.

Let me explain

Instead of purchasing hundreds of bottles of water every year, I get my water at the local watering holes. PCC market and Whole Foods. Initially the 3-gallon jug costs $12.99. However, you soon begin to see the savings because a gallon of reverse osmosis water costs just $0.44. I figure, it will save me some money and a tiny bit of our eco-system. Just doing my part.

Well yesterday (it was yesterday when I wrote this but I am just now posting this so the day is actually 6 days ago), I went to the market to fill up my bottle. After getting it in to the trunk without incident I figured it would be a snap getting it out of the trunk after arriving home. Well, it didn't turn out like I thought. While picking up the jug, I sprang my wrist and pulled a muscle in my hip/back area.

Am I getting old or what? I think "or what." All of that medicine I am taking is wreaking havoc on my joints. I looked it up this morning and eureka!!! the medication for my heart is causing joint issues. This is absolutely unacceptable. They make drugs to help one thing and it ends up hurting something else. So, what do I do???

So now I am a little out of commission. I have taken the maximum amount of pain reliever I can find and have any applied Sombra ((http://www.sombrausa.com/) better than Icy/Hot and Tiger Balm)) to the areas of my body that are preventing me from having a good day.

Trying to get it write, right...

Disclaimer:

Okay. So, my husband, the "writer, editor and publisher" caught all of my spelling and writing errors, in my previous blog. I do apologize for not correcting "spell or grammar check." It will not happen again...well, it might happen again, probably will happen again. Just keeping everyone in the loop.

Dr T.K. Yeoh

My CHF Specialist

Gave me great news today.

My EF is 40%!!!!!!!!!!!!

(High-fived my doctor, his nurse, my Mom and did the happy dance)

What does this mean?

I have one more month of wearing the Life vest and I can fly (in an airplane). I am still on the same medication and I am still working out (exercising that is) the same although, I will be able to incorporate some moderate strength training into my workouts (so, I can look decent in summer dresses, shorts and t-tops).

I will still be here in Seattle (don't know how long) because I have not been released from my doctor's care.

Any errors sweetie pie?

STARTING SOMETHING NEW

Some of my FB family has let me know that they would like it if I posted some recipes, heart healthy tips and nutritional tidbits on my blog along with letting everyone know my continual progress. I am happily obliging.

As I am getting ready to make the final decision on what recipes should appear in the new cookbook, I am doing some experimenting.

Last night, I made a Low Budget, Vegan (Dairy and Meat Free), Low Fat, High Fiber, Low Sodium, Sugar Conscious dinner. It was easy to prepare; providing you have a handy food processor and a few pairs of food service gloves near by; and it really tasted quite yummy. Of course, I did alter the recipe a bit, making it my own (sorry Whole Foods, if I had made it your way, it would have been too bland and boring). Although, I do have to tweak the recipe a bit more before the final recipe can be acceptable for the book, I am going to share this wonderful recipe and menu with you today.

What will appear in the recipe

• Where you can get the ingredients
• Tips on how to prepare correctly for the most flavor
• Cost (I will present the lowest cost first to the highest)

Quinoa Loaf with Mushrooms and Peas

Serves 8 (use it like meatloaf: sandwich, wrap, or on its own)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon organic cold-pressed virgin oil (Costco, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods)
8 ounces crimi mushrooms (Costco, Trader Joe's, Pike's Market, Whole Foods)
Seasoning: well this can be tricky. If you want to cut down on the salt, don't use any. What can you use instead? I used black pepper (no sodium), Trader Joe's no salt 21 Salute Seasoning and Red pepper for just a little kick. Feel free to experiment a little and use your own seasonings to create a one of a kind taste.
1 package of Trader Joe's Mixed Prepared Beans (Now you can use any beans. 1 15-ounce can of no salt added garbanzo beans, kidney beans, white beans, adzuki beans (not black beans because they tend to be a little small in the can but, make sure that it is the no-salt added variety. I would use organic and believe it or not Whole Foods has the cheapest and best selection of canned beans around. The reason I don't use canned beans is because of the BPA in the cans (Read the December 2009 of Consumer Reports).
3/4 cup rolled oats (Costco, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's)
2 cups cooked organic quiona (Costco, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods)

Cooking quiona

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup low sodium vegetable broth (Trader Joe's, Whole Foods)

Rinse quiona (use a small strainer with little holes)

Add water, broth and quiona in a sauce pan with a heavy lid and bring to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes and let sit for 5 minutes

1 cup organic petite frozen peas (Costco, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods)
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley and 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme (Pike's Market (Farmers Market), Trader Joe's, Whole Foods)
10 sun dried tomatoes packed in oil and jarred, drained and chopped (Trader Joe's, Costco, Whole Foods)
1 cup (about one medium onion) chopped red onion (finely chopped if you can)
1 garlic clove smashed

Putting it all together:

Preheat your oven to 350F. I find that putting your oven on convection bake 335F works best for my over. Lightly grease (spray with canola oil or olive oil (Trader Joe's, Whole Foods)) an 8-inch loaf pan with oil.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet (I got away with a medium skillet) over medium-high heat. Add thinly sliced mushrooms and seasoning and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are golden brown and tender. This will take about 6 minutes. Now let me tell you that I experienced a little dryness to my mushrooms so I added about a tablespoon of water to the pan while they were cooking and this helped with that.

Meanwhile, which means after you finish with the mushrooms, put beans, oats and 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup of vegetable broth into a food processor and pulse until almost smooth. It will look like chunky baby food. But your kitchen by this time with start smelling really good. Let that mixture sit for a couple of minutes.

Take those onions that you just chopped and throw them in the skillet you just used for the mushrooms (this means take the mushrooms out of that pan and put it in a very large bowl). Cook them on medium-high heat along with a smashed garlic clove (the easier thing to do would be to get frozen garlic from Trader Joe's. That way you will always have smashed garlic on hand and it wont go bad sitting on your counter). Add some seasoning to this mixture if you would like.

So, in that large bowl that you put the mushrooms in, add the bean mixture from the food processor, Throw in 2 cups of quinoa, 1 cup of frozen peas (make sure they are still frozen. Peas get really mushy in the oven), 1/2 cup chopped parsley and thyme, sun dried tomatoes, onion (the onion you just sauteed in that skillet), pepper, no salt seasoning, red pepper or anything else you think would add flavor to this mound of vegetable gloriousness.

Mix it with your hands (this is wear the gloves come in handy).

Transfer mixture to loaf pan (did you remember to coat it with spray or oil?), gently pressing down and mounding it in the middle. Now at this point, I brushed on olive oil on the top of the mound. Often vegan things can dry out really quickly in the oven.

Bake until firm and golden brown, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let it rest for about 10 to 15 minutes before slicing (with a serrated knife) and serving.

Nutrition:

Per serving (6 oz, 172 g if you weigh your food): 180 calories, 5g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 254 mg sodium, 28g carbohydrate (6g fiber, 4g sugar), 8g protein

Budget: $0.82 per serving

Serve this with:

Amy's Vegan Macaroni and Cheese or Mashed Red Potatoes
and
Steamed Broccoli

Enjoy!!!

Updates on the happy heart coming very soon.

January Blues and Sunshiny Days

Blogging While Sleepy

These January days here in Seattle have been interesting to say the least. The sun shines in the morning and then starts to go away by 1 pm. It is no wonder that Seattle is the capitol coffee city. You need it just to stay awake.

I am No Coffee Drinker

So is it just the short amount of sun during the day that is keeping me sleepy or is the medication

or is it my heart?

I have a Vitamin D deficiency, which causes fatigue, tiredness, loss of concentration, heart disease, rickets...(thank goodness I am too old to get rickets) but this is why I am so tired during the day. I have just developed this deficiency. Between the medication I am currently taking, hormonal and mineral imbalances and lack of sunlight, I have developed this wonderful deficiency. The quick fix is to take 50,000 IUs once a week for the next 6 weeks. I hope this does this trick.

I urge each and everyone of you to get a Vitamin D blood test to see if you are deficient.

YAWN...I will come back after my afternoon nap.

AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT

Test Day

Good Evening! Today was echo cardiogram day. Can I first let you know that today started out a wonderful day. The sun actually shined on my face today. You don't know how much I needed that dose of Vitamin D. Seattle can be one depressing place when the sun does not shine for a few days.

The Test

Chris was the wonderful technician who preformed the test today. He was very friendly and personable. He also showed me the inter workings of my heart on sonogram. It was nice to have someone take the time to explain to me how one determines how efficient your heart actually is...

Well, the 25 minute test actually took about 15 minutes. So, I figured there was not a whole lot to see. Which is a great thing.

Well no. It was not a great thing. My EF has gone down to 25%. Yes 25%. I couldn't believe it either. I had been doing so well. Hump.

Well the news wasn't all bad. My blood pressure is better. Now I am running in the 100's/70's. All this means is my body will be able to take high dosages of medicine so that my heart will have an opportunity to rest a little better.

Also, my valves are no longer leaking and my heart size is shrinking...oh happy day. SO, the only thing I have to worry about is having major heart failure (not a heart attack) and dying. Oh goodie. How do we keep that from happening? Well, behind door number one there is the pacemaker, behind door number two is $1000.00...well Bob could you tell me what is behind door number three????

The Life Vest

The World's First Wearable Defibrillator

It's a holster, it's a fanny pack, it's a life saver wrapped into one

Essentially, you strap this contraption around your body and wear a electrical device on your hip. If my heart starts to short circuit this contraption shocks the crap out of my heart...and me. I pick it up tomorrow.

What's the 411

Well, I am still on four medications. The newest one, Atacand, I will now take twice daily. I have to add Vitamin D to my diet and I have to add two more days of exercise. So that means daily. I am not too happy about that but, what I can I do.

Wish me luck and send me some comments and funny stories. Looks like I will be here for a few more months...three to be exact.

2010 IS HERE!!!!

Updates:

I am still in Seattle

Yes folks, I am still in Seattle. We managed to get through the entire holiday with a little bit of rain and mild days. I am so glad because I don't think my body could have handled the frigid cold that blew from coast to coast.

8 Foot Christmas Tree

So, my Dad purchased this massive tree. Massive to me because for the last few years I have been decorating my bamboo stalks during the Christmas season.

My Mom broke out the 50 gallon tube full of ornaments from many Christmases ago. Every ornament she handed to my niece, to put on the tree, had a story. Some stories I remembered, some stories I had never heard. This was my Christmas wish.

My Husband was so sweet to me this Christmas. He gave me pajamas and booties!!! I am always complaining about my legs and toes being so cold (mostly cause my Dad doesn't turn on the heat) so, he thought it would be fitting and boy was it.

Bringing in the New Year

No fancy parties, no horns and whistles. Just me and the Hubby sharing a bunch of grapes (Cuban tradition) and a sip of sparkling wine to bring in the New Year (American and European tradition). Of course, I had the collard greens and black eyed peas simmering on the stove top (Southern Black folk tradition) for much prosperity and good luck. I think I will have some more for lunch.

Gained 2.6 lbs

So that puts me at 147.6 lbs. It is really my fault. I have been bad to bone when it has come to eating and exercising. I have been eating and have not been exercising. All of my comfort foods have come into play. French fries, chili, chips, salsa, chocolate mousse cake, waffles, and my newest addition, BBQ Pop Chips. So, on New Year's Day, I turned over a newer leaf and went back to my old low sodium, no fat, no taste (smile) cardiac diet.

As far as the exercising, I am starting that today. I have a new Wii game (The Biggest Loser) that I am going to try on for size to see if I can fit it into my workout regimen. I will keep you posted.

COOK BOOK

I will be finished with the cook book before July 5, 2010. The book will have wonderful recipes for vegans, vegetarians, meat eaters and gluten-free folks as well. I will keep everyone posted on this as well.

My next echo-cardiogram is on January 12, 2010 (My Hubby's Birthday). I will post the results as soon as I get them.

MERRY NEW YEAR

I'm Doing the Happy Dance

Month Number 4

Just came back from my check up and low and behold I am healed!!!

Well not quite but, I am getting there.

My EF is now 35% which is wonderful. I am no longer a candidate for a pace-maker (Thank Goodness. Ugly scar on my chest for all to see and a permanent lump, I don't think so!).

I am not out of the woods yet.

My goals for the month of December are to increase my medications, get my EF to 40% and above and to be able to increase my exercise mets from 4.1 to 4.5.

My goals for January is to stabilize, introduce my system to new medications and keep my EF over 45%.

Million Dollar Question

Do I get to go home?

AHHHHHHHH NO

My doctors have agreed that I am to stay in Seattle until my EF is over 45%. I will not be able to fly again until then...so no mini vacations to California and no flying home to D.C..(CURSES)

I have also been instructed to stay off a snow board this winter. Maybe I will take up ice skating or sledding ;).

Now I am tired from doing the happy dance.

NAP TIME!!!

I KNOW I HAVE BEEN AWAY FOR SO LONG

I Actually Have Something to Write About

As of today, I am no longer in CHF (Congestive Heart Failure). I am all dried out. There is no more fluid around my heart, in my lungs, in my digestive area. (I am officially 8 lbs lighter than I was 3 months ago). I cannot imagine that it was all fluid related but it was.

However, I am not out of the woods yet. (I am getting there folks).

Let me explain.

My heart is still enlarged. Not as much as before. Although, my values are still a little leaky, my heart is able to manage the fluid, with a little help from the medications. What does this all mean? I have a little ways to go on recovery. My EF (how well my heart pumps blood throughout my body) as of October 12, 2009 is 25%. When my condition started back in July, my EF was 21.7%. So, I have come a long way baby in just three short months.

Now here is the deal.

If, in the next three months, my EF gets to 35%, I will not have to have a Pace-Marker placed in my chest. Although, that might be just a little cool to have something kick start my heart back to pumping just in-case I put too much stress on my system...lets say during skiing, surfing, or sky diving.

So what does this all mean?

I will have to stay in Seattle for a few more months and continue to follow the doctor's orders to the letter (So, not good news for my husband and I).

A Few Updates

Couple of days before Halloween, I baked 60 cup cakes and a small 1st birthday cake for a new friend. They were delicious! I am so glad that I can still bake. I have to confess that the first batch didn't turn out perfect (12 cupcakes) but, who could tell but me. After that, the rest of the 48 cupcakes turned out great. Now, this did take a lot out of me. In fact, it took so much out of me, see the note below.

Halloween day, I was rushed to the hospital. Apparently, my heart could not handle the pain that "the time of the month" brings and all of the baking that I did the two days before. So, I spent a few hours, in the ER, getting juiced up with morphine and resting.

That following Monday, I decided to fly (Dr. Yeoh said I could) to San Diego to get a little sunshine and enjoy my hubby's company (he was there on business for a few days).

I relaxed, got my toes done, and received a wonderful circulation massage from Phillip. Great hands Phillip!

Although, it was scary to fly (my CHF specialist was not crazy about me flying), I felt that I needed to take a chance. Life is increasingly becoming too short for me not to take a risk once in a while, to spend some time with my hubby and visit some of my favorite places on the planet.

Now that I am back, I am done with flying for a little while. It did take a lot out of me. But, I guess my doctors could say, "We told you so."

Upcoming weeks

Tomorrow is my last day of cardiac therapy. Although, I never reached my goal of losing 15 lbs, being about to lift more than 8 lbs, being able to jog a mile, or get on a stair-master, my heart function did improve and I can at least play Wii Fit Plus (love this game, everybody needs to have this game!) for about 36 minutes at a time.

I will continue to work out twice a week for the next 5-10 weeks at the cardiac center, on my own, with a little bit of supervision (they will continue to check my blood pressure and monitor my progress but, that is about it).

Let me sum up

So, folks, I am still recovering. Slower than I thought but, I am recovering. Now that I am coming out of my dark and grumpy place (I have gained some perspective on my condition and now I am in a better place ;-)) I will continue to update you on the condition of my condition.

Love you all for your support and prayers

HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY

The Worst CT Scan Every

Day: Last Tuesday
Time: 7:30 AM
Where: Swedish Hospital, Basement
Who: Me, the nursing staff, the doctor on call and a really large machine

It has taken me this long to talk about it, partly because it took me two days to recover and the other part because the entire test left me with more questions than answers.

There I was, 8:00 AM laying back on a gurney trying to make light of the situation and entertaining my wonderful two nurses. One, nurse (head nurse) explained what was going to happen and the other nurse (training nurse) carried out the orders.

The head nurse explained that she need to set up an IV Line in my right arm because it was easier for them to get to. I informed them that the veins in my right arm are too small and too frail for an IV. Try the left arm. The vein may roll a bit but, if you enter at an angle and quickly, you should have no problem.
I was ignored. They blew my vein, hit a nerve (ouch!!!) and decided that they should do the IV on my left arm.
After that, I was given a medication (not sure what it was) that would slow down and stabilize my heart. The slower the heart muscle moves, the better the pictures are :).
Well, they administered this drug in 5 mg increments. The nurses felt that the 5 mg should do the trick. Well it didn't. After 3, 5 mg doses, the on-call doctor was called in to check my heart stats. He assured me that I was okay and that we would just wait a while to see if the medicine would work.
Shortly after that, they gave me 5 more, 5 mg doses, the maximum amount of medication that can be given to a patient weighing 200 lbs. I am 150 lbs, so now I am not happy. My heart has not slowed and I am starting to feel a little disconnected from my body.
The nurses are surprised and cautious. I figured, 'at least I am already in the hospital if something happens, right?'
Then, appears a 3rd nurse. She is the nurse who actually pumps in the iodine-containing contrast dye, while taking the pictures of my heart. She questions me about allergies and if I have had this CT done before. I told her yes and explained to her that the dye burns the crap out of my veins in my arm and neck. She felt I was explaining this all wrong. She told me that it doesn't burn at all. How the hell does she know?!
Well, I was all set to go and they told me they had to stop the procedure and let a patient from surgery go in front of me. So they pulled me out of the CT scan room and put me in another room. I think it set me back another 30 minutes. I had already been there for an hour.
Okay, so after a short nap and feeling like I could just stay asleep for ever, they wheeled me back into the CT room. (Oh by the way. I got a good look at the guy who bumped me. He was probably in his late 60's early 70's and had a square clear box on his head. He was unconscious and really pale. I was feeling pretty lucky about right then).
So, I'm back in the CT scan room. Ready to go!!! So here comes the hell-fire dye.
Oh I forgot, right before they pumped me with the hell-fire dye into my veins, they made me take nitro sublingually (under my tongue). I would have to say by this point, I was rather out of it because of all the medication in my system.
This dye burned like a lit up Christmas tree! It was fast, not fast enough for me not to scream out, and direct. The nurse kind of commented, "Wow, okay now I understand what you were saying."
If I could have slapped her I would have but, that would have been counter productive. To say the least, my patience had left my body.
Well, two held breaths later the test was over. 5 minutes! 5 minutes! I had been there for two hours and this took 5 minutes?!
I was so ready to get out of there. I didn't care that I felt like a mack truck had rolled on top of me and parked. I didn't care that the nausea in my stomach was rising to my throat. I wanted out of that basement.
So a few thank yous and a couple of good-byes, I got dressed so fast most of my cloths were put on inside out and I left with my Mom. Walking was a little slow, but my mind was running out that door.

Two days later, my cardiologist told us that he found nothing. No clogged arteries, veins, or calcium rich, fatty deposits laying in or around my heart. Great. So this means, my heart is just weak. Not so great. So he upped the meds and started me on another medication that has kind of knocked me on my bumm. My doctor assured me that he is not finished looking for a cause and that he does not like to lose. Who does, right?

It's great to know that I have an interested doctor however, I find it disturbing that there is no known cause for this, it effects 1 in 200 people of which 68% are Black Americans, and all I can look forward to is taking a lot of medication for the rest of my life.

Needless to say...my doctor did inform me that I can have sex, "not the chandelier hanging kind" (his exact words, not mine) and that I should wait about a year or two to get pregnant.

I have more updates coming later because this past Monday was crazy!!!

Thanks for the support, prayers and thoughts.

Not the Monday Blues

Good afternoon family and friends,

I hope everyone is doing well. Please take a moment of your time today and do something for you. Something that you have not done for yourself in quite some time. It will do you good.

This morning I woke up and the sun was shinning! What? In Seattle? No way, you say. Well, it is a beautiful day. There is a slight breeze and the sun is high in the sky with a little bit of haze (smog, yeah just a little).

This morning I went to cardiac therapy. This would be my 3rd visit. Today, I was more tired than usual and a little less than enthusiastic about spending an hour in a gym working out with 6 men over the age of 67. It can be really depressing knowing just a few weeks ago, I could run, jump, dance, bake, cook, bike, swim, drive, walk by myself, go to Costco without sitting in that cart, make love with my husband (all those nights he said no, I should have forced him lol) just to name a few things.

If I think about it too much, it can get a little depressing. So as of late, I have been trying to put together some ideas for a vegan heart healthy (low-sodium, low-fat) cookbook. I know for most of you, vegan is not your favorite way to eat. But, you would be surprised at how difficult it is to find convenient vegan food that is low in sodium.

I just want to do something different but I have not figured it out just yet. I was going to finish the cookbook I had already started but most of my recipes are on little pieces of paper back home in DC, scattered about the house.

I know I have some new recipes in me however, it is difficult to create a recipe when you cannot even test it. So, I will keep you posted.

Thanks for reading

Feeling Like I'm Out to Lunch

Good Afternoon My Good Friends;

I know, I know...it has been many days since I have given you some updates on my health status. To tell you the truth, I have no real excuses. Sure, I have been tired. Sure, my computer has crashed about 20 times in the last week alone. Sure, I am visiting the hospital almost every day. But it takes just 5 minutes to write something. So I am promising to make more of an effort to write (at least for my own sanity).

So let me tell you what as been going on in the last two weeks.

Dr. Rebecca Duke, my wonderful primary care physician, decided that she would run comprehensive blood tests on me. She covered Lyme's disease, Celiac disease, nutritional and vitamin deficiencies and toxicities and some other tests that I had never really heard of. She has not left any stone unturned. Well, I have those results sitting right next to me and I have to tell you that they found nothing amiss. Other than my BNP (Brain Natriuretic Peptide) levels being high (1300), every thing is normal. Sigh. The good news is there is nothing wrong with me. I am perfectly health. The bad news, it could be that I just have a not so happy heart.

So how do we get it happy?

More tests? Well there is this one test that Dr. Howard Lewis, my wonderful cardiologist, wants to have done. It's called a CTA (Computed Tomography Angiogram). What does this test do, you ask? Well, it helps identify disease and aneurysms in the aorta both in the chest and in the abdomen, or in any other major blood vessels, sample blood from specific veins in the body to detect any endocrine disease and help detect any other blood disorders or blockages.
Well, I was suppose to have this test done on Tuesday but the Medical Director, John Tornow from TriWest Health Alliance, has denied the procedure. Dr. John Tornow says that "the clinical documentation received does not support the medical necessity for the service(s) requested." Hummmm. I am currently in stable heart failure with no cause. Currently, three doctors are looking for the cause of my heart failure because if they find a cause it could help them treat me correctly and successfully. Thereby saving my life or at least increasing the quality of my life.
I am not sure what Dr. Tornow knows or doesn't know about Acute Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy but I am sure what he doesn't know is I will call his office every day and harass his secretary, as well as send a letter to his office every day, until he over-turns his denial decision. I have so much time on my hands, it would be my pleasure to do this. I have plenty of money for stamps and unlimited minutes on my cell phone. (Also, all three of my doctors are presenting their appeals as well. So this should help.)

For all of you who think that just because you have health care, a great health care coverage, it can all be taken away from you or denied at anytime. Here I am with a condition that can make my heart stop at anytime (and kill me) and these fools are making decisions that keep my doctors in the dark about my diagnoses. I could scream but, yawl wont hear me.

Great News

I started Cardiac Therapy this week

I started on Wednesday. Lori is one of the in-take nurses for the program and I think she is too cool. We talked for three hours. She showed me some pretty interesting documents and took my measurements. I was in for a big surprise. I have finally hit 150 lbs. This is a great thing. When I was admitted to the hospital on July 7th, I was 157.3 lbs. Now I know I have not lost much weight, fat...maybe I have lost a little muscle mass (it shrunk because of lack of use I'm sure), but this means what ever fluid that is in and around my internal organs is coming out. This is a great relief. Now the bad news. 45 lbs of me is pure fat and I do not mean phat. this means, I have got a lot of work to do. Of course, I cannot do what I would normally do, get in the gym 7 days a week and lift until my arms and legs fall. So I will do what the therapists say and wait until my heart heals a little more before I get my burn on.

Yesterday was my first workout day

OH BOY

My therapist, Lindsy. Lovely girl. She tried to kill me. Well, she didn't know she was trying to kill me. She worked me out and afterwards that I slept for 3 hours in the back seat of my Mom's car, while my Mom was running a very important errand. I am sure all the people walking by were thinking something was wrong with me. Now I have to say that I normally have a love hate relationship with sleep. I hate to sleep (thinking that I am going to miss out on something) but, I love the way I feel after I get some sleep (not nearly as grumpy).

It wasn't like she really worked me out. I did 7 minutes on the treadmill, 8 minutes on the stationary bike and 8 minutes on a recumbent stair stepper. Then we did some light weights (3 lbs). I felt fine. In fact, I wanted to continue. But, I guess my heart had other plans for me.

Now today

My workout was much easier. Terra and Lisa are my new PTs. They told me that I was worked out too much yesterday and to expect my sessions to be much slower. I was encouraged by Terra. She told me they had a patient earlier this year that improved her heart efficiency by 40%. I am so hoping for the same results. That means I would be close enough to normal that I could get back to work and starting on that family my husband and I want to have. Now interestingly enough, she was an airline attendant (flight attendant,steward) and completely healthy. She was also diagnosed with Acute Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy with no known cause. Maybe there is a connection with high altitudes and some type of reaction (allergy or something that would cause histamine to increase in the blood stream). Just a thought.

Oh Boy It's Thursday!

Sorry, I have been away for a little while. I have not been up to writing. Actually, I have not been up to too much. This past weekend was a little difficult for me.

My parents went to Canada and left me in the care of my brother and niece. Not that I received poor care, it just wasn't my Mom's care. I was feeling unusually bad...probably because of the visit from the mail man (post man, curse, etc); at any rate, lets just say, I was not feeling too good. My pressure was up, 123/94 and my temperature was 99 degrees. Now normally this would be an okay thing. But my BP's have been hovering around 85/66 and my temperature hovers around 97.1 religiously. So, needless to say...I was under par.

Interestingly enough while on my quest for vanilla pudding (Kozy Shack, all natural, hormone free, not Jell-O pudding), which is impossible to find in this city, my Dad took me for a car ride late last night to help me find some pudding (I have been craving it since my hospital visit). Well, my Dad listens to XM (Sirus) Classic Radio. This station plays old Radio shows, like "The Shadow" and other radio shows from the 30's, 40's and 50's. So, interestingly enough, we heard this commercial about Wedding Blush. "It makes you feel gay when you are feeling under par. Apply the pink blush to your checks, and all is right with the world." What ever happened to those days when you could just wash away your troubles or put on some blush and all your worries just go away...I need some of that BLUSH!!! Point of this??? The use of under par, describes me perfectly.

Well folks, I had my doctor's appointment this morning. And to tell you the truth, everyone is still very helpful and very confused. Dr. Lewis, has now begun reading journals, articles and European studies to make sense of my interesting predicament. I am so glad that "Johnny's on the case". I am also happy to know that I am contributing to the education of some of the top doctors on the west coast.
So today I am a step further towards cardiac rehab. Hopefully by Monday, I will begin my personal wellness program towards a healthy and happy heart :). Today, I also got my blood drawn. I am hoping the my BNP's (see note below) and liver enzymes are back to or close to normal. If not, we got a problem. Well, I got a problem. We in the sense, me and my heart have a problem. I am sure all is well because actually I do not feel all that bad. Just tired and my upper gastric area is a little under the weather. Of course, this is exactly how I felt the day before I went into the hospital. So who knows. Heart conditions are the silent killer.
Dr. Lewis is also ordering a comprehensive CT scan. He says my insurance may not pick it up. Well, if Tricare knows what I know, they better step up to the game. The doctor wants to rule out any coronary heart disease issues. If he finds something, they will know how to treat it. If he doesn't find anything, back to the drawing board.

BNP's help diagnosis heart failure and the severity of that heart failure. In a normal patient the level is below 100. When I arrived to the hospital is was up to 1600. When I left the hospital the level was down to 600. So I cannot wait.

As for the rest of my day: I have watched the Blue Angels practice in what seems like my parents own back yard. I will post photos later this weekend. I am getting my hair done today; the heat has not been nice to me or anyone else in this city. Also, my Husband may be arriving in the morning from DC and I want him to see me looking half way like the woman he married almost one year ago. Our anniversary is on August 5th!!!
I wanted to treat my parents to the Cheesecake Factory since it is National Cheesecake day and the cheesecake is 1/2 off (this offer applies every where). But, my Dad wants me to save my money. Shoot, I want some cheesecake, even though I need to lose about 13 more pounds (doctor's orders). I have only lost 2 lbs since the hospital visit. I was hoping that I could share a piece. That way I would not consume the entire 1200 calories in that one slice.

Have a beautiful day!!!

I LOVE SWEDISH HOSPITAL

Yesterday was a pretty good day for receiving information among other things.

I met Dr. Rebecca S. Duke, in her primary care office. Now I officially have three doctors working on my case. I am thrilled that she was able to provided me with some level of comfort.

Oh don't get me wrong, Dr. Howard Lewis, is wonderful doctor, both in knowledge and in bedside manner. But, it felt good to speak with a woman doctor who might be a little more sensitive to the physiology of the female anatomy.

Dr. Duke and I spoke about the sticky foamy...well you know from the last blog entry, and she wondered if I had aspirated or had some extra fluid in my respiratory system. No way of telling at this point but, she did provide a couple of explanations. Hopefully, it will not happen again.

Dr. Duke also informed me that Dr. Raybourn Lewis and Dr. Howard Lewis are the best in Vascular Care in the Northwest so, if anyone could figure it out, they could.

So currently, I am still waiting to be approved by my health care plan (TriCare) for Cardiac Therapy (which all doctors are demanding I have) and I am still taking a few medications (Lisinopril and Carvedil) to regulate my blood pressure and heart rate (which seem to be happening). Where it was hovering in the low 70/60's now hovering at 90/70's and my heart rate has stabilized in the low 80's. I feel pretty tired most of the time and a little headachey but that is to be expected with the medicine and low blood pressure.

In 4 more weeks, Dr. Lewis will run more tests on me to see if there is any improvement. I will keep you posted.

Just a few shout outs!!!

Dr. William J. Raskoff: Kaiser Hospital San Fransisco, Dept Head of Cardiology. He was thorough!!! If you ever need cardiac care, Kaiser Hospital is a pretty cool place to be. Dr. Raskoff and his team really gave me great care. They were attentive and very knowledgeable. Also, the hospital food was not bad. In fact,the vegan food was pretty dog-gone good. The last day they let me have a Kozy (organic) Pudding Snack cup. You have no idea how wonderful it is to have a pudding cup after 6 days of low sodium, no sugar meals.

My Parents and Family and Friends in the Bay Area: YOU ARE WONDERFUL!!!! You came to the hospital to see me :) and I want to let you all know that all of you have helped me in my healing process, tremendously! Laughing and talking and sitting with me was the best medicine ever.

Rhea!!! Being 8 months pregnant and making the trek to the hospital, twice, you are amazing.

Lotus Garden (on Franklin in Oakland) WOW WEE!!! Great Vegan Food. I could eat there everyday, if I lived in Oakland (lol). Check it out bay area folks.

Costco is a great place to get your medications filled. Although, my medical coverage covers the RX, they were still very inexpensive. Less than $15 for all three medications I am taking.

Alaska Airlines!!! The flight attendants were wonderful. It might have helped that I was sitting in first class but, they were so concerned and attentive. I think they are my favorite airline, next to Virgin America.

My Parents! Mom and Dad, you guys are the greatest. Bringing me home with you and taking care of me and changing your plans and your schedules for me to be here in Seattle. Kisira for letting me sleep in your room, in your spacious bed and drawing me such a wonderful picture "Hey I Love You Too" Eddie (my Brother), for just checking in and keeping up with me and promising Mom and Dad that you will watch me when they are not able to.

Stephanie, Debra, Kim, and Carol Jean thank you for your support and information seeking spirit. Keep it coming!!!

And Finally (I saved the best for last) to my Wonderful Husband!!! You are my rock baby. I am so blessed to have you in my life. I appreciate you working hard and holding it down while we are away from each other. I love you so much that my words are just not enough. I miss you terribly. Being away from you at such a time is challenging and heart breaking for me. Thank you for sleeping in the hospital bed every night. Thank you for being my voice on the phone and to the hospital staff. Thank you for being the best Husband.
You are a blessing to me. I cannot wait to see you...hopefully soon than much later. It's already been too long.

Windy Wednesday

Bon Dia from Seattle Washington

So I guess everyone is wondering what really happened. I am still trying to figure that out.

This morning I spent some time reading over my first cardiologist's notes and report. I think I am still in shock. I still have not processed a lot of the findings. When I was admitted this is what they found: Cardiomegaly, pulmonary vascular congestion and clinical congestive heart failure.
In a nut shell, my heart is in a weakened state and is enlarged: Advanced, dilated cardiomyopathy.
So if there is anyone who can help me sort through these diagnoses, please contact me.

It happened last night. I was sleeping deeply, I am sure, and I was awakened by my hands, face and face being extremely wet and sticky. My heart was racing and I had a slight headache. I felt pretty alert but my body was very tired. So much so, that I really could not move. I believe maybe 15 to 20 minutes had passed and I still was not feeling better so, I got up out of the bed to go to the bathroom. I had sticky foamy white stuff all over my hands. Okay, I know this is a little gross to read however, I thought maybe a large spider was trying to cocoon me while I slept.
I then realized it had come from my mouth. What the...?!
I cleaned up and went back to bed. I had some slight upper chest pains but nothing significant. It just felt like I had done a couple of bench presses.

Now I feel pretty okay. Well, I feel better than I did and I am not covered with sticky foamy stuff. I do have a headache, probably due to the medication. Now I did find a very large spider web inside the lamp shade next to the bed so maybe I was being attacked.

This afternoon I am going to concentrate on walking, stretching and getting my toes done. I do have a doctor's about this afternoon so I will keep everyone posted.

The sun is now shinning in Seattle and the temperature is a cool 70 degrees. It is a blessing to see the fog and clouds roll away to such beauty.