DAY 30 - Flashback - 012307

Tuesday was a day of great anticipation. While my new stem cells are flowing around (they are a week away from Grafting), we are watching the daily blood reports to watch the demise of my original Immune System.

52 Years of colds, mumps, cuts, broken arms and Scleroderma, have worn it down in ways that science can't yet understand - so we are trashing it!

I awoke feeling great on Tuesday. I had energy, motivation - I was ready to kick some ass!

That morning, an exercise bike was brought into the room... It was donated by a friend of Debbie (The Boss). It was sterilized and ready to use immediately! I Sat on it and set all tension rating to "1"... I proceeded to pedal 0.1 miles! The is the exact distant for my garage - to our mailboxes, at the end of the road. I was alone and doing the Snoopy Dance!

Now fast forward, oh, 5 minutes and it was time for vitals... A new development!

Atrial Fibrillation, or "A-Fib", as we on the inside refer to it.

Quick Def:
Atrial fibrillation is a disorder found in about 2.2 million Americans. During atrial fibrillation, the heart's two small upper chambers (the atria) quiver instead of beating effectively. Blood isn't pumped completely out of them, so it may pool and clot. If a piece of a blood clot in the atria leaves the heart and becomes lodged in an artery in the brain, a stroke results. About 15 percent of strokes occur in people with atrial fibrillation.

{Now you know why we weren't so quick to post play-by-play, throughout the diagnosis, head scratching and treatment phases.}