Look our Mickey!!

We are getting ready to go to Disney on Sunday....a lot of last minute shopping and packing..so I am running around again like a mad man.

I just want to get there for a few reasons....

It is warm.

I can get a lot of walking in when we are there.

and I don't have to cook for a week!!!!

After many nights of with Insomnia...what's a guy to do!!!

I have spent many of nights just staring at the walls and ceiling. It is during these times that my mind starts to play tricks on me. I sometimes will come downstairs and get on the computer like I am doing now...I check my e-mail, facebook, the Adult Congenital Heart Association message board and some other bloggers that I follow. Other times I come down stairs grab my Zune and hope that it is charged enough to get a few hours of music listening in ( I have not yet down loaded any pod cast yet). But more often then not I just sit or lay there thinking about my life.

Sometimes it is about getting things done here around house. Sometimes it is about the things I need to do for work. Sometimes it is about my relationship with Evan and how I wish it was better....sometimes I think about how it would be if he did not have his Autism. Sometimes I think about my relationship with Sharon and how I wish it was better...don't get me wrong it is not that horrible...we have been through a lot in the almost 27 years(hell I am getting old) that we have been together...the biggest being the transplant. and sometimes I think am I doing all I can do with my life now that I no longer have the heart issues holding me back. Yes I am still diabetic but that never stopped me from doing stuff...It is a pain in my ass and it is a battle to manage it but it is not the same.

So tonight while I was thinking again and replaying some of the same old tapes in my head I decided to come down and get on the computer and take some steps in putting a plan into action. I must admit that I am a little pissed because my Zune just died on me..really should recharge it after my walks or my insomnia nights. Anyway I have decided that there are a few changes that I need to make in my life and I figure if they are written down here that I can revisit them, plus you all can keep me accountable to what I write here. So here goes:

1. I am going to tune out for awhile...i.e. no facebook or message boards for the next month. If people leave me a message on either one of those sites I will be notified by e-mail. I am going to only check my e-mail once a day and make responses as soon as possible.

2. I am going to turn my personal cell off for 25 hours each week (a lot of my friends will understand this)

3. When I first came home from the hospital I was given a Kindle and I really have not used it that much so instead of watching tv or being on the computer I am going to read more.

4. I am going to insist that my family have one night during the week where we all spend time together either watching a movie or playing a game....but not everyone scattered all over the house watching different things in their rooms. Also during this time I am going to ask that all cell phones be shut off. I will have to keep on my work one as I am required to be available to my clients 24/7 unless I am on vacation.

5. I have talked and some have suggested that I write a book...I actually wrote and outline but never started it. I am going to start it. So instead of stroking the keys on facebook and message boards I will be spending time on the book.

6. This blog is about my needing the transplant and life after it..I am not going to take down the blog...I will however be posting a lot more then I have been.

7. I purchased 3 journals after the transplant..wanted to write down shit that I did not want to share here or on facebook or msg boards....have I done that no...am I going to start yes.

8. I need to get my exercise groove back on...it has been missing for awhile..partially because of the weather and the issues I am having with my shoulders.

9. I have a DVD that I got to years ago to learn Tia Chi...it is still sitting unopened but will not be as I am going to look at it today...when I get home from picking Evan up from school.

10. This is hard for me to say but I need to just chill and not let the little things bother me...this is especially true in interacting with Evan. I have got to learn to accept that he is not your average 17 teen year old. I know it is frustrating for him which then gets him anger and then I get frustrated and angry it is a stupid vicious cycle that needs to end. This will also help with my relationship with Sharon as my Frustration and Evan's Frustration with each other always put her in the middle.

Well that is my list...hopefully once I begin to make these changes I will not have that many sleepless nights again.

Happy Birthday Evan

Evan is 17 today.....so what does that mean...well he is becoming a man and I now have the energy to keep with him and his activities....I use to sleep whenever I took him to his youth group meetings now I stay awake.....we can do the Wii and I can sometimes beat him at different games...I can toss the football....I can help him clean...If he needs the help although he should do a lot of it on his own...we now shovel snow.......

Anyway...I hope that we can do more physical things together this year as I continue to get stronger.


Happy Birthday!!

Evan!!!!

Second round of Cortisone was given today!!

I am still having a little pain in my left shoulder...it was treated last week with a cortisone shot. My right shoulder received no relief from that injection, so as planned I went back to the Doctor today to get an injection in my right shoulder. The good news is the major pain goes away right away. However not all the pain goes..certain movements make me shiver with pain. Dr J. also wants me to use and gel but it is an anti inflammatory so before I can use it I need to check with the Wonderful Colleen (transplant Coordinator) to see if I am allowed to use it. As Dr. J stated. " We don't want to do anything to hurt your heart."

Keep you all posted!!!

RIP Steve

I received word today that Steve passed away this morning. He was a wonderful friend of many and an advocate for all with Congenital Heart Defects....His lose will be greatly felt throughout the entire CHD community. I am again posting the original post that I used here to introduce you all to Steve.

Rest in Peace my friend....you will be missed.


Steve is a person I know from the Adult Congenital Heart Association. He has a Blog that he writes that discusses Living with Congenital Heart Defects. His Blog educates folks about Congenital Heart Defects not only in Adults but children as well. The thing that makes this Blog special is that Steve links other Heart folks blogs on his site...He always shouts out to what he calls Heart Warriors and when one of us is having a surgery or in my situation he keeps his readers informed.

I wanted to introduce you all to him today because his Blog has been nominated for a 2009 Medical web blog for Best Patient Blog.

Go check it out!!

Congrats on the nomination Steve, I am proud to call you a friend.

What a difference a year makes!!

I can hardly believe that it has been a year already....no not the transplant but the transplant evaluation...January 5&6, 2009 were the 2 longest day of my life!!!!

Needless to say we all know that everything worked out and I am doing fine!!!!

I posted this on Facebook so I will also share it here:

Dear G-d thanks again for the new heart.....having the energy to try new things and I have done a lot of new things...but snow shoveling is so overrated so if you could turn it off that would be great!!

Thanks, Anthony

P.S. Thanks for the new heart!!!!!

With that being said...what a difference a year makes!!

Sleeping in the Recliner!!!

I will be sleeping in the recliner until Friday when I finally get to the doctor's office and get 1 shot of cortisone shot in each shoulder. Since moving to the recliner on New Year's night I have managed to get more sleep then I had been getting by being in the Bed!!!

Tomorrow it is back to school and work!!! I am hoping to squeeze sometime in at the Y as well.

Have a good day!!!