One Man - Disney- Makes a Difference

Disney.  Disney!  DISNEY!!!

What a great country, where you can dream & make a difference!  Walt Disney & his empire has provided entertainment, jobs, movies, laughter, and many other great things.

We have not been to Disney World for about 15 years!  And it is still an amazing place!

Today we traveled around Disney World & and tried to check out all the sites!  We had a great day & prepared for the day when we return with our grand kids!!!!

Great Day for a New Heart!

Retirement & Florida!

We finished the day Thursday night by pulling into the home of Ray & Lois (Ferguson family).  After a great supper, got to bed to prepare for a big Friday:

Friday's Itinerary:

Breakfast at Ray & Lois House

Go for car rental in Gainesville, FL

Travel to Jacksonville, FL

Visits new baby in the family - Proud parents - Chad & Jackie & the new baby - Grace Meridith!

Visit family friends - Pastor Dave's daughter Kaci

And finish the day by driving to Orlando, FL!!!!!!

Busy day, but the Heart was energized!!

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New baby was awesome - Grace Meridith!  She is a great addition to the family!  Grace was born Dec 31st, 2011 (she is destined to be an accountant because she was a rest TAX DEDUCTION!) Grace is the first great-grandchild for my wife Sue's parents!  We shared wedding pictures with Jackie of our son Jared, because she missed the wedding in November!

Kaci was fun to visit a new teacher in the Jacksonville school district, that brought back memories of my early years!  Her future husband Michael is a Navy pilot!  And her friend & fellow teacher is dating an ex-track athlete I coached 7 years ago!  A SMALL WORLD!  We had a great supper & saw a small beautiful section of Jacksonville along the St. John River!

Vacation, family, friends & NO ALARM CLOCK!  The Heart is feeling great!!!!  Staying at Marriots - Grande Vista Resort!

Made It to Florida

The new heart made it to Florida!  Arrived at our 1st night location around 7 PM!  We will travel to Jacksonville & visit our niece and her new baby.  And then to another location in Jacksonville to visit our Pastor's daughter & deliver a care package from Lancaster, PA!

The vacation starts!

New Heart Travels South

As I said yesterday, the new heart is enjoying retirement!  This is our first trip to Florida as a retired couple (my wife and I & the new heart)!!!  We are traveling with my in-laws in their motor home & spending the night in Lumberton, NC. (20 miles north of the South Carolina state line.  Tomorrow we finish the trip & start the vacation in Gainesville, FL (home of the Gators!)

Traffic was good and the campground has Wi-Fi!  So the heart blog is possible!!

The heart held up well.  This was my first time driving a motor home & towing a car! Felt just like one of the thousand trucks that went by me at 75 mph!!

I'm sure that the state of Florida has more open heart patients than most states!  So, I will add one more!!

Camping in North Carolina!!!!

Heart Medicines

I have not discussed my heart meds lately.  At 13 months after open heart surgery I am still on the following:

Metoprolol - 25 mg - daily
Amlodipine - 5 mg daily
Plavix - 75 mg - daily

Before surgery I was on:
Atorvastatin (Lipitor generic) - 10 mg - now 40 mg - daily
Aspirin - 81 mg

And just started:
Omega 3 - Fish Oil - 1000 mg - daily

The meds seem to be working.  My PVC's are still there, but at a higher heart rate (110-120).  My cholesterol is under control, but still trying to raise the HDL & lower the trylycerides.  I just had my physical & should be able to report the latest blood tests.

Retirement & Florida

Will do what a lot of retired folks do, head south!  Sue & I will be traveling with her parents to Florida in their motor home!  This will be our first trip south with the "Seniors Gone Wild!" in Florida!  The plan is to stay for about a week & fly home!

I still look a little better then the picture above!

Omega 3 Fats

One of my New Year Resolutions was to experiment with Fish Oil - Omega 3 Fatty Acids!  In the process, more research!  Of course, one of my favorite sites is Cleveland Clinic!  Here is some relevant items!

Cleveland Clinic - Omega 3 Fats

The first info is a part of history!  The story ........

Early Arctic explorers noted that the Eskimos, despite their consumption of high fat and high cholesterol foods, had a very low incidence of heart disease. Scientists and physicians were stumped at this and considered it a paradox; until, that is, they looked at their diets. What they found has changed the way nutrition and health care professionals prevent and treat heart disease today.The Eskimos' diets were rich in omega-3 fatty acids.


What is good for the Eskimos is good enough for me (and I love rubbing noses!)  The diet is the key!

How are Omega 3 beneficial?

• Reduces blood clot formation. Omega-3 fatty acids act as a natural anticoagulant by altering the ability of platelets in your blood to clump together.
• Inhibits the growth of plaque. Omega-3 fatty acids help keep the lining of the arteries smooth and clear of damage that can lead to the thickening and hardening of the arteries.
• Decreases triglycerides and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL). High triglyceride values and VLDL cholesterol are associated with increased risk for heart disease. Omega-3 fatty acids decrease the rate at which these two substances are produced in the liver.
• May increase levels of the good cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Because omega-3 fatty acids lower triglyceride levels, they may also increase HDL, the "good" cholesterol that protects against the development of heart disease.
• Have anti-inflammatory properties. The development of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) is thought to involve your body's inflammatory response. Omega-3 fatty acids reduce the production of substances that are released during the inflammatory response and in doing so, prevent substances from accumulating and sticking to the lining of the arteries.
• May lower blood pressure. Several studies have examined the effect of omega-3 fatty acids on blood pressure. Those who eat fish tend to have lower incidence of high blood pressure.

Keep arteries smooth & clear!  Reduce triglycerides!  More research to come!