Saturday, January 30, 2010

About my operation — Six Word Saturday — Another stent

The way to a man's heart


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is through his stomach







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or through his groin


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I suppose this wasn't a genuine operation. Merely a medical procedure. This Thursday I had a stent placed in the artery, not to my heart, but to my left kidney as it was 80% blocked. The doctor was very pleased with the result and now my arteries are full blast, wide open, full speed ahead for the streaming blood.

The stent was put in through this little wound (hole) in my right groin. It was shoved up through the artery into the aortic artery. There in a little way up, it made a left turn into the artery to the kidney. When it stopped in the right place it was deployed which meant expanding to open a path to allow the blood flow.

Since I had not eaten after midnight the day before and it was now about three in the afternoon, I was hungry. Tim, Mrs. Jim, and I stopped at the New York Pizza. This time we ate off the lunch menu and had calzone and a salad. Tim had spinach, Mrs. Jim and I shared a Stromboli calzone. Ours had pepperoni, sausage, mushroom, black olives, green bell peppers, and lots of mozzarella cheese. Each has a small dish of marina sauce for dipping.

I thought all those vegetables and the salad would be good for my circulation.


Mrs. Jim drove home as I wasn't supposed to drive until Friday. Here we were on the connecting lanes from U.S. Highway 288 into U.S. 59. The fog coming down from the low clouds was very pretty. My picture doesn't do it justice.

Also in the groin area picture you can see where they shaved me. I ended up with a Bikini shave. Having stents or angioplasty is the only time I have that shave. This is my fourth opening stent (other three are in my heart-LAD-arteries) and I also have one that goes through my Aortic Artery Aneurysm. If the cannibals boil me until my bones are soft those aluminum stents will still be crunchy.

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Describe your life (or something) in a phrase using just six words.
Six Word Saturday, Click the box --> to visit Cate's blog with Mr. Linky showing all the other blogs participating this week. Cate runs Six Word Saturday. She would like for you to participate.


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Thursday, January 28, 2010

French fries in Fance — MidWeek Blues — Water in the wine glass



[Please click on any picture for a larger size.]

Mrs. Jim wore a blue sweater just for MidWeek Blues blogging. We found this little cafe as a part of the hotel in old city Châteauneuf-du-Pape France, above (link 1) in the Côtes du Rhône (Rhône Valley) region. The whole town except for the restaurant was closed for the noon break. The restaurant was near the top of the hills. I love driving on the narrow streets of France.

The skies cooperated, as usual, and were very blue as well. All the these pictures were taken in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape area of Provence, France. du Pape is now known mostly for its excellent wine. We did visit a winery after lunch. No pictures though, sorry.



This is what the modern town looks like. It is located on the other side of the hill.

On top of the hill are the remnants of the first city. There isn't a building left standing but some of the walls of the city and the buildings are.






Provence in general is noted for it's excellent wine. du Pape is in one of the leading wine producing regions. What follows are some pictures of wine fields vineyards. Note the rocky soil. It would be hard to grow corn, wouldn't it? The rocks have a purpose; they help keep the soil warm after the sun goes down. Like global soil warming. It is hard to think of these trimmed back vines as growing large and having many, many grapes by harvest time.

Top right is Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC (link 2)or 'Castle of the Pope' which is the home of Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine. Over 110,000 hectolitres of wine a year are produced here.



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If you want to post a MidWeek Blues picture, go get directions from Rebecca by clicking on the logo picture on the right. She has a Mr. Linky and good directions . Just do what I did. .
Or do less. All she requires is a BLUE PICTURE, you don't have to write.


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Messages:

1. Today I am having my stent (artery to the left kidney) put in today. It will be an outpatient procedure. Mrs. Jim will bring me home. Karen, our daughter, is sitting with Mrs. Jim while she waits. The other kids and grandkids would come if we needed. If for some reason I have to spend the night a whole bunch of them will visit me.
2. I am way behind on visiting you Ruby (Red) Tuesday commenting visitors. I will try to get to each and every one of you. ESPECIALLY IF YOU LEAVE A COMMENT HERE TOO!

Update:
I'm a little bit crunchier for the cannibals now. This is my fourth stent besides the AAA (abdominal aorta aneurysm) stent.
Everything went well today. My cardiologist feels very good about the stent to my left kidney. It was 80% blocked. And there is no problem with the right kidney. Mrs. Jim went with me and drove me home. She is so much support for me and is so good to me.
I came home at about 4:30 today. At about 5:30 I sat down in my recliner to send this message and put it on the blog. I went right to sleep and slept soundly until after 7:30. When I woke up I felt like I had slept until morning.
Tomorrow will be a normal day for me except for lifting anything heavy. And no golf for three to five days.

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Monday, January 25, 2010

We all like trains! -- Ruby (Red) Tuesday -- Big toys here

and a Ruby Red quiz

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These all fit together with a common theme? Could you guess what or how? What is the name for the bottom item?
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Hint 1: Our outing after chuch yesterday
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Hint 2. We went to the ___________
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The answer: Click here for easy hints and more pictures
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Click the Ruby Tuesday button for Mary's Ruby Tuesday post list
of other interesting RED finds today.
Mary is in charge there, you can see more or post your own from there
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Messages:
1. The stent to my left kidney artery will be implanted Thursday morning. I am to be at St. Lukes Memorial Hospital in Houston at 5:30.
It will be outpatient (I can go home when it's finished) in St. Lukes Cath Lab.
2. Adi does not have cataracts. She has nuclear sclerosis, also known as lenticular sclerosis, which is fairly common with older dogs and will not hurt her. They could later develop into cataracts but generally don't.
Finding that and a nail trim cost $38.00 instead of $3000 or more for cataract surgery. Whew!

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