Hole Hearted

Oops, did it again!  Just because the will power is there, doesn't mean the body can follow. Mother Nature has her own way to apply the brakes.  Quite unpleasantly at times.

I love to work, it's almost an obsession.  After months of burning the midnight oil around the new farm, the coup de grace was to work third shift cleaning in Auburn during Spring Break.  Brilliant, non?  My heart didn't think so.  By Monday morning, my chest pains were radiating down my arms, nausea and dizziness were my friends.  I was actually concerned enough to go to the Urgent Care clinic, as a precaution.  The good doctor informed me that I had all the symptoms of an impending heart attack.  Oops.  His EKG results lead him to get me to a cardiologist that day.  Well, there goes all the pretty extra money I earned the previous week!
By the time I was seen at the cardiologist, I'd had a day of cat napping and I felt better.  Alas, they still wouldn't let me go home:(   All the expensive poking and prodding revealed an Atrial Septal Defect: a hole between the two chambers of my heart.  There from birth.  Why was this never caught during all the cardiac profiles I've had to have in the past 8 years?  
A congenital disorder that usually closes in childhood.  Only about 10% carry it through into adulthood.  That makes me special!  Not short bus  special, thank you very much.

After the age of 40, that's when problems start arising.  Go figure:  now I know why my ankles get fat by the end of the day.  Unfortunately, it doesn't explain why I'm always looking for my keys and reading glasses.
It was expressed to me that ultras and marathons were no longer permitted.  Getting by with 4 hours of sleep at night was also a no-no.  Looks like my Evil Knievel days are over.  I spent a week grieving for the loss of the lifestyle I love so much.  Once the pity party was over, I addressed myself to finding a new obsession.  Gardening has always been a close #2, why not bump it up to #1?
With an acre to fill, I've been busy ordering from all my favorite sources.
Rare Seeds has the most beautiful seed packets:

Gilbert Wild sent me a batch more daylilies:

My bedside book is a dangerous one:

300 page compendium about irises.  Oh yeah, my wish list doth groweth!
A couple weeks out from that Black Monday, I'm doing much better.  Instead of falling asleep all over the place, I'm making it through a full work day.  OK, so I'm in bed by 6 or 7 PM:

Cole and the farm dog, Pete, don't seem to mind going to bed before the sun goes down!
Thankfully, I have the best docking station:  the farm.  I'm recharged at about 50% right now...baby steps.  
I'm wholeheartedly (get it?) taking it easy.  No more pushing the wheel barrow for a while.

Maybe Evil Knievel will ride again!