Happy Monday!

Heart Doctor: I saw my heart doctor last Thursday for a routine yearly checkup. Again, I am impressed with the doctors at KU Med. This guy is the head of the cardiology dept and only sees patients 2 afternoons a week. Yet he and the resident take the time to read my file in the computer BEFORE they came into the room to see me. I don't feel like just a number that they have no idea who I am or what my problems are like it was in Tucson. He took me off one of the meds that I have been on for a year since it didn't bring my triglycerides down like he hoped it would. Cholesterol is good so that med is doing it's job along with walking and diet. Because of family history, he is scheduling me for a carotid Doppler (ultrasound of the neck artery).  They didn't do the neck when they did the heart a couple of years ago. I like that he said "yes, you are a high risk but go live your life and do what you can that is within your control - you can't change what you inherited." We talked about me going back to taking Trilipix, the only med that worked on triglycerides for me,  but he wants to review all my liver numbers first.

Neuroscience Happy Hour: I went to another one of these last Friday night and learned all about Parkinson Disease. Bet  you didn't know that the stethoscope was invented in 1816 so a male doctor would not have to put his ear on a woman's check to hear her heart? The doctor's other tidbit comment was "There is NO advantage to getting older." He was speaking medically because otherwise I would have to disagree with him. Parkinson is a neurodegenerative disease like Alzheimer's or dementia is. It is on the increase because people are living longer. He compared the body to a car as we get older.... The engine (brain) and transmission (heart) may still be good but all the other parts are wearing out. The production of dopamine (enzyme in the brain that makes us feel happy/good) slows down as we get older so we don't enjoy things like we used to. If you have hand tremors when you are holding something but it goes away when you rest your hand in your lap then you do not have Parkinson's. The head movement of Michael J. Fox is not due to the Parkinson that he has but is a side effect of the medication he is on for the Parkinson's. The next Happy Hour topic is on migraines and I plan to be there. Where else can you learn from a doctor while enjoying a glass of wine and appetizers?

Otherwise...: I'm still plugging along on preparing for the classes I am teaching this month. I'm prepared for the first one and making progress on the 2nd one. I'm also working on the trip book from when Nancy was here for a visit last month. The pictures are all in the book and am writing the text. I'm also doing some planning on things to do when Jane comes out for a visit next month from Tucson. Busy week coming up.