two years. . . that's how long it's been since i've been to my doctor's office. that's what the receptionist told me last week when i broke down and called make an appointment. it's not a good thing when your doctor's office can't find you in their system. but after giving my DOB i was found. and much to my surprise, my local family doctor is not really local any more - instead of being downtown beaver falls - which is just a hop, skip, and a jump away -- it's now in the booming area of chippewa - which really isn't too much further away but not as close either.

what would cause me to break this trend i had started. . . being sick for a week. what i thought was just a cold seemed to be a bit more -- so i did it - went to the doctor and yes, it was more -- a sinus infection - fun for me!

but before i found out i had a sinus infection, my doctor - who was a new PA in the practice - was listening to my chest and the most puzzled look came over his face -- he stopped, stared at me, listened again and then preceeded with. . . "um, do you know. . ." it was at that time that i rememeber my heart condition and decided to let him in on the news. being relieved, he said he had never heard a heart mummer as loud as mine -- of course not! that's been my trademark for years -- God has given me this wonderful thing called a VSD - Ventricular Septedal Defect -- i have a hole in the left ventrical of my heart -- but to be a bit simplified - -a heart mummer - but mine is a bit more complicated than a heart mummer -- i've lived with this for 30 years and never had a trouble. it's rather unusual though - -most heart mummers, i'm told, get less and less noticable and not as loud as you get older or with medical correction. neither has happened in my case -- no medical corrections and no lessing of the loundness - but it is getting smaller!

all my life i've been the odd ball at doctor's offices -- i've been the one that has the parade of student doctor's coming in and listening to my heart - i always hated it -- i felt like a lab rat -- but it's become so much a part of me that i never think of it - until time like that when someone new is examining me - but over all after a week of meds. i'm feeling almost better. i've not slept so much in all my life.

on another note. . . my sickness caused more than my desire to sleep. . . it caused stupidity! i took my final on monday - after having it post-poned due to being sick -- i had to call dr. payne's office and find out how to get the final - it was labled inactive on ecampus -- so his assistant emailed it to me -- i finished it - took my 10 page paper, my reading reports, my evangelism reports, and my final to the post-office and mailed them, what i thought was priority mail to southern - thinking they would get it in a day or two. oh was i wrong!

tuesday - i walk out of my house at 2:30pm to go to my doctor's appointment - now mind you, i hadn't been out all day - i pick up my mail on my way to my car -- sit in my car to look it at - and notice i have a priority mail envolope -- i wonder who this could be from . . . i looka t the address and realize. . . I MAILED MY FINAL AND STUFF TO MY SELF! so, on my way to my doctor's office - i call dr. payne leave him a message and explain what happened. i come out of my doctor's appointment to have a message -- dr. payne's assistant is laughing - telling me that it was okay - he understands i've been sick to mail it tomorrow. can i say not a good thing - but second time was it -- i labeled everything okay and to my knoweldge my final and all my assignments are being graded as i type.

okay - i need to go and make an appoinment to get a windshield for my car -- $155 in boardman, oh - the cheapest ever!