If You Can Picture This, It Will BeYour Laugh For Today

About a month ago, I chose a new doctor from my healthplan. Now, it takes a lot for me to even go to a doctor. I only go once a year for new blood pressure meds, but I had developed a swollen and sometimes painful knot at the top of my ribcage which just wouldn't go away. So this doctor checked me over and said "I believe you have Costochondritis." (It's an inflammation of the cartilage that connects your ribs to your breastbone. No real cause, no cure, just take pain meds until it goes away in about 6 weeks.) I could see the dollar signs in his eyes as he asked when I had my last EKG, so I told him about 10 years ago. So he does an EKG and says he wants me to see a heart specialist. I saw my husband's doctor about a week later. He does another exam and EKG, and says everything looks fine. THEN HERE COME THOSE DOLLAR SIGNS AGAIN. He schedules a nuclear stress test and abdominal ultrasound, because my father died from an abdominal aneurysm. So I went for that today. Now, I live in my cowgirl boots(have 8 pairs of them) so they are my "comfortable shoes" required for this test. I took along a pair of hiking shoes and told the tech I had them. I get the "nuclear" medicine injected, and get on the treadmill. After a few minutes at a brisk pace, she asked how I was doing. (I sounded like a Cyldesdale pulling the Budweiser wagon in a parade with those boots on.) I told her my legs hurt and I was getting short of breath. After a couple more minutes ,she finally shut it down before I passed out. I told her it was surprising to see what I couldn't do anymore. She said "If you weren't a smoker(which, I am. It's my only bad habit, LOL) and if you hadn't HAD THOSE BOOTS ON, you probably wouldn't have had much trouble. Of course, I had you walking uphill." Well gee, thanks for sharing that. I could have changed into the hiking shoes.

Next time, I think I'll borrow one JBG's horses to ride or just take the SAT's. I could probably pass those.

Luv To All,

Your Old Mama Wolf