Time for Health Humor

One thing that will help in any hard times is a little humor!  What is that old saying?

Laughter is the best medicine!

An old couple go to the doctor. The old man goes first to have his physical. When the doctor is done with him, he sends the old man back into the waiting room and calls the old woman in. 

The doctor tells her, "Before we proceed with the examination, I would like to talk to you about your husband first." 

The old woman says, "Oh, no, it's his heart. I told him to lay off the eggs." 

The doctor says, "Well, I asked your husband how he is feeling and he told me he felt great. He said that when he got up to go to the bathroom, he opened the door and God turned the light on for him. When he was done, he would shut the door and God would turn the light out for him." 

The old woman responded, "Damn it, he's peeing in the fridge again!"

Tips on Taking Your Heart Medicines

I have been very faithful with my heart meds.  Again, here is what I am taking, along with my other meds:

Heart Meds:
Aspirin
Plavix
Amlodipine
Atorvastatin
Metoprolol

Non Heart Meds
Singulair - (for my allergies & asthma)
Achiphex - (for my stomach)

WebMD, one of my favorite websites, had an article on taking your meds:

How to Take Heart Medication

A lot of it is common sense and I have been right on all the the suggestions!  Have a look. One thing I tried tonight is to click on the listen button and have the article read to you.  This is great when you are too tired to read!

A Different Cardiac Workout!

So rate you bored with those 50 minute walks?  Sick of the treadmill?  Is the elliptical putting you to sleep?  Well, try something new!  How about a four hour workout stocking trout is local streams?

Since my open heart surgery and retirement I have been looking forward to more outdoor experiences!  And getting back to a childhood love - fishing!  Today I spent 4 hours in north east Lancaster County stocking 1900 trout in local trout streams!

The procedure is:
1 - Follow the tan truck filled with trout
2 - Stop at key locations, along local streams
3 - 10-12 old timers (and one kid) carry a 5 gallon bucket of 20-25 trout to the stream
4 - The average walk is 40-100 yards - first downhill to the stream & uphill to the truck
5 - We stopped about 20-25 times

Great exercise, great day & I KNOW WHERE TO GO FISHING WHEN THE SEASON BEGINS!!!!

American Idol & Healing a Heart

For the past 10 years my wife and I have become loyal American Idol Fans!  Yes - I ADMIT IT! We missed the first year, but from year two (The battle of Reuben & Clay) we have been dedicated fans!  I have cheered Carrie Underwood, I have two Daughtry CD's, and cheered when Simon & Paula left the show!

What does this have to do with healing a heart?  When our oldest son (Jared) was in Iraq (4 TIMES)  it helped us get through 4 years of scary times!  I would share my picks with my brother Jon & cousin George! (George has even gone to American Idol concerts!)  And of course our youngest son Josh can sing as well as all the contestants!  Check him out at - You Tube - Gustav's Concert - Fantasy.  And check out - You Tube - Let it Go.  As I healed from open heart surgery, I would vote for my next favorite super star - Scotty McCreary!

So, here we are Season 11!  Let the competition begin!

Exercise & PVC's

Last Monday I went 50 minutes without PVC's, today I went over one hour & had PVC's twice during my workout.  I did one of my favorite trails, Lancaster Junction.

The trail is an old railroad bed & is very flat.  So, after a half mile warm up, I kicked it up a notch - fast walk.  At a heart rate of 100, I had my first PVC's on my walk.  I pushed through them and felt pretty good.  They stayed with me till I slowed to a heart rate of 92.  Without the heart rate monitor I would not even know I had the PVC's.  Some people can feel the PVC's, but I have trouble feeling them!

I walked at a heart rate of 92-96, and again accelerated to over 100 & had the PVC's again.  But as before, the PVC's went away when my heart rate went down to around 92.

I will continue my walking, but only wear my monitor on Mondays.  Tomorrow I will walk my other favorite trail - Lebanon Valley Rail to Trail!!

Stress and Heart Disease

Sometimes you go through life and do not even realize that stress is around you!  Work, family, money, church, retirement, decisions, food, exercise, holidays, pets, weather, home repairs, car repairs, sports, traffic, relatives, friends, news, newspapers, changes in work, changes in health, changes in weather, changes in politics, taxes, aging, teachers, lawyers, mechanics, doctors, pollution, global warming, nuclear arms, the middle east, war, peace, airports, ................

Do you have stress, are you BREATHING!  Stress is everywhere!  There is good stress & bad stress!  But you you handle stress is not "stressed enough"!  From the web site:

Web MD - Heart Disease & Stress

Below are some common stressors that can affect people at all stages of life.

• Illness, either personal or of a family member or friend.
• Death of a friend or loved one.
• Problems in a personal relationship.
• Work overload.
• Starting a new job.
• Unemployment.
• Retirement.
• Pregnancy.
• Crowds.
• Relocation.
• Daily hassles.
• Legal problems.
• Financial concerns.
• Perfectionism.

What do you think of that list?

How about some warning signs?

Below are some common stress warning signs.

Physical signs	Dizziness, general aches and pains, grinding teeth, clenched jaws, headaches, indigestion, muscle tension, difficulty sleeping, racing heart, ringing in the ears, stooped posture, sweaty palms, tiredness, exhaustion, trembling, weight gain or loss, upset stomach
Mental signs	Constant worry, difficulty making decisions, forgetfulness, inability to concentrate, lack of creativity, loss of sense of humor, poor memory
Emotional signs	Anger, anxiety, crying, depression, feeling powerless, frequent mood swings, irritability, loneliness, negative thinking, nervousness, sadness
Behavioral signs	Bossiness, compulsive eating, critical attitude of others, explosive actions, frequent job changes, impulsive actions, increased use of alcohol or drugs, withdrawal from relationships or social situations

Take a look at the article AND RELAX & DO SOMETHING FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!