Frenzied But Fabulous Friday!

I was going to tell all that has been going on the past couple of days in one entry, but decided it was too long. Sooo....

Yesterday morning, (Friday) I had an early appointment with the doctor at 8:30 am. Since last August, I have had a number of instances where I have a bit of difficulty breathing. I will be fine, then I will find myself having a tough time "catching" my breath. It is as though I can breathe deeply, but am unable to feel "refreshed"...it is as though the air is not entering my lungs. A little difficult to explain.

Given the fact that my older brother had to have open heart surgery last June, and my father recently had a pacemaker/ ICD implanted, I decided that perhaps I needed to have the doctor at least look at me....

I am generally on the low side when it comes to blood pressure. You cannot imagine my surprise and dismay when the doctor told me that my blood pressure was 180 over 100! She took my family history, and examined me. Upon completion, she decided that I needed to have bloodwork done and a cardiogram. When asked what her thoughts were, she said it could be heart, but she wanted to rule out anemia and thyroid problems.

I don't know exactly *why*, but I was relieved after the doctor visit. She asked me to have my blood pressure checked a couple of times this weekend, and I will tell you that the readings were considerably lower....in the range of 122 over 76.

After finishing up, I went in to a lab up the road and had blood drawn. The receptionist was a little different....she asked if I was fasting. Well, no, I had a cup of tea with a teaspoon of sugar and some milk......she released a heavy sigh as though insinuating I was a dummy, but the joke was on her....I had NO idea I would be having bloodwork done!

The doctor admonished me to "take it easy" and not do anything strenuous, nor anything that would cause stress. A bit hard to do, but we had some plans......

We finished up in town, then headed home to pack our bags! After an extremely disappointing cancellation of a trip to Splash Lagoon in Erie, PA last month, due to *extreme* weather, the time had finally come for the kids to go! The real "trick" to this whole event was that it takes place from 11 pm until 3 am! It is deemed an "almost overnighter"!

We left early, right after noon, as the kids had done their schoolwork ahead so they could have a day off. We went to my parents' home, as they are along the way. We had such a relaxing visit including a wonderfully delicious meal at the Lakewood Rod and Gun Club. The club is exclusive...you must be a member, and sits on Chautauqua Lake. Mark and I had their fish fry, and the meal was so fantastic! What a memorable evening this was!

We went back to my parents' house and visited some more until it was time for us to get on our way.

We arrived in Erie and dropped the kids off. We parked in the lot and Mark and I both immediately fell asleep! We had planned to go inside and take some pictures of the kids and just hang out, but our plans changed! Mark awakened me at about 2 o'clock, saying he was cold. I gave him a blanket, then sat and waited for the kids to come on out.

What a crazy but fun day!!! The kids had a delightful time and they were so excited but tired!