Goodbye Thirties!

So tomorrow I turn not just another year, but the big 4-0.  [Don't worry, I accept gifts all year long, so you still have time to shop...]  Normally, on such an occassion, one tends to reflect, ponder choices made, look to the future, and plan what direction to take their path.  While I'm doing a bit of that, my birthday also stings a bit more since yesterday.  Yes, just yesterday.  While waiting for the elevator after Andi's sedated echo, some schmoe (that's the nicest word I can conjure) chatted to me briefly about babies, and how he has some spectacular granddaughter and then he asked me, 'is that your granddaughter?'  No joke.  I was so taken back by the question, I snapped a quick, stunned reply, 'no, she is my daughter.'   Although I didn't look at them, I could feel the younger kids he was standing with cringe at his error.  While I'm not really all that upset with what he asked, I'm just flabergasted by the ignorance or stupidity of some people, seriously.  Yeah, let's keep cutting education America!  THERE'S the answer to all our financial problems!  Let's let China dictate the next century, since they've invested in their people, but whatevah!

Andi's sedated echo went swimmingly.  Her cardiologist said that her heart looks as good as he could hope.  The leak on the right side is gone, and the leak on the left side is mild-to-moderate...something that we'll just continue to keep an eye on over the years.  At some point, should it not improve, they might need to go in there and try to seal it up, but, for right now, it's minimal enough where she's good.  The pressure on the right side is now good, so ... goodbye Viagra!!!  Yippie!  He doesn't want to see her again until December or January!  How nice that is to hear!  Here's a glimpse of how far she's come.  When we were released from the hospital on September 24, 2010, Andi was on 11 medications.  Eleven!  Today, she's only one three.  One for acid reflux (prilosec), amoxicillin for her bladder reflux - to prevent UTI's, and enalipril.  I asked her cardiologist yesterday for another explanation of why she was on that medicine, because as old as I am, I certainly couldn't remember.  He explained that due to that leak on the left side... we give her enalipril to lower her blood pressure slightly, so that it assures the blood will go up through the heart and not in the wrong direction.  Hopefully, that's a good enough interpretation of what he said!

We are supposed to work on tummy-time twice a day, at least.  In addition to that, we can throw butter, olive oil or polycose into any food she eats orally.  We're working on it. Tonight, Daddy Bean and I will be working on expanding our own waistlines as we go dine high on the hog at El Gaucho.  I call it 'el gauge-o, the wallet-o!'  Luckily for us, we have a nice fatty gift certificate to use!  *happy dance!*  We've only been there once, but we deemed it our favorite steakhouse in all of Portland. Super Yum!!! It's the perfect place for me to say farewell to my 30's with glee.