My Heart and My Sad Heart

Yesterday it rained some more and it is raining some right now, the fourth day in a row.  I have not been out much the last few days.  Maybe that has something to do with things...

Two days ago I got out to do a stress test.  I want to get a handle on what is going on.  Last week's physical showed an 'abnormal EKG'.  No surprise there.  I had a very similar EKG last year before we hit the road.  Even though the doctor was not real concerned then, I felt I should follow up.  

The follow up to last weeks abnormal EKG was a more thorough 'stress EKG'-- a stress test.  It took about 90 minutes and they found something but don't know what to make of it -- 'Left Bundle Branch Block- LBBB'.  

• Left bundle branch block (LBBB) is a cardiac conduction abnormality seen on the electrocardiogram (ECG).  In this condition, activation of the left ventricle is delayed, which results in the left ventricle contracting later than the right ventricle.  
• LBBB is a condition in which ventricular contraction is not completely synchronized due to a block in conduction of an electrical impulse to the ventricles

Wait - before anyone gets excited, it is NOT a block as in an artery blockage-- it is an issue in the electrical impulses.  Sometimes no treatment is necessary, sometimes there is.  Right now I am not sure what it means.  My doctor is on vacation this week so I will follow up and find out more next week.  I know sometimes people do fine on the stress test and have troubles soon after.  We will see.

I don't have any symptoms other than I notice my heart beating.  It is not racing--just beating.  I have no numbness, no weakness or other helpful clues.  If fact, when I did the stress test, I surprised the technician on how long I was able to keep up and continue to 'run' on the treadmill.  He said most only are able to go 6 to 9 minutes.  It started getting tough at 12 minutes and I lasted a little over 13 minutes.  Regardless of how in shape I feel, he said that put me in the top 5%.  That's good.

They said the heart looks good, no funny business on the lining of the arteries (no buildup) and if I were on the verge of a heart attack or something--it would have shown up here (so they say...).  I think a healthy dose of skepticism is useful.  I want to believe that but....we'll see.    We'll check next week and have more to say after we see the doctor again I'm sure.

Now to the emotional side of my 'heart'.  This morning I am feeling a bit sad about some friends.  But I don't like being sad, I am mostly a positive person and don't often dwell on unhappy things.  But that is the nature of life.  To ignore it is not realistic.  As was read at Meghan's funeral:  it says in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (from King James' Version):

1. To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3. A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

'...there is a time for everything...'  

I believe that and for whatever reason--it seems like there are a lot of my friends that are hurting out there at this time...

As you know, we lost Meghan April 27.  Grief is a strange agent--and affects us all differently.  It affects us, it affects Adam, our daughter Kelly, Meghan's parents Marg and Bill and Meghan's many many friends--it can be tough.

Yesterday I was reading Froggi Donna's blog and she mentioned that same thing.  There is a lot of death and dying going on.  Friends Mike and Pat are heading to Tucson from Northern Arizona to be with their daughter in law.  There son Mikel passed away Tuesday night in his sleep at 55.  A few years ago (2008), they lost their other son Scott.

And this morning, my friend Maggie Ragle said on Facebook,

"In need of prayers for a FB friend of a friends daughter, Audrin King and her family. Today her two year old daughter was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. If you see this post, even if youdon't know her, please post this to your profile for 1 hour, say a prayer for her little girl and give everyone you know the opportunity to do so. Prayer is energy..."♥

In spite of the all this, we try to live our lives as if things were 'normal' and we do what we can for our friends.  For now, it is to pray for them.  And that is no small thing.   We know.  We have been the recipients of hundreds and hundreds of people, "praying for Meghan and her family.' It helps.  It continues to help.  Thank you.

You may be wondering why I would write about these things.  I guess I want to be a realistic about what it is like out here on the road in 'RV land', as I like to say.  As 'Full-timers'.
Even though we are still very excited about living our dream and we love this lifestyle, real issues in life come up.  And we deal with them...and by God's grace, we are able to move through them.

Thanks for checking in today on the Roadrunner Chronicles.  If you have been reading and are not yet a follower, give it a shot--click on 'Followers'.  And thanks for the comments ~ keep them coming :)