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ORIGINAL: Mavis

Just thought i'd post a bit to explain my recent absence.. i had planned to be in here less often once i started my job outside the house, but i didn't plan to be gone completely!  

New jobs always come with new people contacts and new germs, and i usually catch a cold.  Colds always suck, but this time, it got away from me, and by the 4th day, i was in the ER with a bad case of pulmonary edema.   (Fluid backing into the lungs from poor heart function, which pretty much means you're drowning from the inside)  Was a touchy 3-5 days, while hoping the meds could help, then two weeks of recovery..but i am doing well now.

i have congestive heart failure, which isn't too uncommon nowdays, but i'm going from the largely compensated state to a largely De-compensated state, which means it's harder for medications and lifestyle to reduce the load on your heart.   Eventually, all CHFers go fully decompensated, resulting in death, but avoiding "decomp events"  is much preferred!   These little "events" upramp in frequency and severity over the course of heart failure, and each takes it's little toll on overall prognosis.

i was lucky, got good care, and changed specialists, and am now in superb hands.  Am recovering nicely, and new meds seem to be working well.  Am sticking with the new job, but it'll be a while before i have enough energy to be on computer after work.  It was fun reading the threads i was following before and catching up, but i sure feel out of the loop on the new stuff!

Hope A/all are well and wishing Happy Holidays to E/veryone!
~mavis