Heart broken, but still smiling!

So I have had a rough couple days. Sunday sucked. I pretty much stayed up all night doing my insomniac thing again. Turned on Field of Dreams. That movie always puts me to sleep when I am down in the dumps. I start relaxing as soon as I hear Annies voice reply to Ray's question if she heard a voice "We didn't hear anythiiing" in that sing-songy fashion of hers.I want to meet an Annie some day.

Monday only got better! I took my current head pain over to my friend Jason's house and hung out for a bit. We drank a few brews. Comiserated, talked about life. A couple funny things came out of that convo though. I remembered why bad days are great, because without them, the good times wouldn't seem as sweet as they do. He explained some of the more maddening and fun points of golf. Then we went and sat on his couch.

I sat there for a few moments and then all of a sudden my chest stared to hurt. It felt like Shaka Zulu had busted into the Craighead home to stab me in the chest with one of those short war spears that he was so fond of. I am talking shortness of breath and extreme, excrutiating pain for just about five minutes. It was scary. I thought i was going to die. My arm hurt afterwards. My neck and stomach did also.

We were both really freaked and I went home.I talked to my former wife (great lady that she is, Nic, thank you so much for today, or yesterday prolly when you read this entry) and decided to go to the hospital. I thought that after my "old infarction" ekg reading a few months back, I should exercise caution.

So got to the hospital, feeling like shit and my chest hurting. I must say that the admition process happened quickly.I was processed within a half an hour. "What seems to be the problem Mr.Dowd?" "Well I have chest pain." "I see. When did it begin?" etc,etc.

So they admitted me. They hooked me up to the EKG. My nurse was nice but kinda dumb. She actally mixed up the left arm and left leg alligator clips for the one ekg moniter.They took my readings, took some blood.She laughed when I asked if I could take some pictures. I did get a smile going. The pic above was from when I was the slightly less bionic man.At one point they had me strapped to about 15 different electrodes.

The doctor came in, examined me. Gave me some prescription pain killers and some something to drink. Tasted like all of the dirty nubs of school chalk that are left at the end of the week, ground up with pig feet and then watter added.

I made some phone calls. Dave got the comment of the day award. "Man when you said you had a broken heart I didn't think you meant REALLY!" hahaha. The doctor, who took my suggestion of broken heart much better than my previous doc, said that was okay because we know that will heal.

I found out that my lungs are really big. The chest x-ray did not cover the bottom of my lungs. They had to radiate me twice. Damn height! For those of you who don't know, I am 6'5' tall.Big body=big lungs I guess. I am all torso too.

So battery of tests, pokes prods, and two exams with a biting pain going on most of the time, I lamented my life and the fact that I was in the hospital. Finally, when they were discharging me, after spending tons of money, no doubt, I had a last moment alone with my dullard nurse. She gave me some pain killers, took the IV out of my arm and said that the doctor wants me to call another doctor if the pain continues (she provided the number) and that he was prescribing me some pain killers.I asked her "So what was wrong?" She said, "you have chest pain"

Thank you Duke University Hospital of Raleigh! You are the best!

I walked alone, truly and utterly alone, out of the hospital and to the parking garage. Just me and my broken heart. I looked dowen at the stained sweatshirt that I was wearing and thought. "Fucking Jets. This must somehow all be your fault". They are my new scapegoa, I am blaming the Jets for all bad things in the world.

You know that thought that Jason and I shared about how the bad days a re need to have some good ones is really appropriate for my life right now. After these past few, I definately have some great days ahead of me.

Love and southern hospitality to Ya'll