Monday -Talk about a crappy week, I wake up at 3:30 am Monday morning with the sensation that someone is standing on my chest directly over my heart. After walking through the house hoping it will go away I finally wake up my wife and tell her I need her to drive me to the hospital. I spend 30 hours at the hospital giving numerous viles of blood and taking all the required test and everything comes back negative. The enzymes and ultra sound shows no heart problem and the doctors think its muscular or could possibly be arthritis. Tuesday -My 19 year old son who recently graduated high school and is a freshman at our local community college has ankalosing spondylitis ( a chronic, inflammatory arthritis and autoimmune disease. It mainly affects joints in the spine and the sacroilium in the pelvis, and can cause eventual fusion of the spine.) and has never been affected in a big way with his condition woke up and could not walk. He has had small flare ups over the years but this is a bad one and he is in a lot of pain causing mom and dad to cry when he is not looking at us as we watch him use a walker to come get his breakfast. He has improved a little the past day or two but is still very limited in his ability to walk. Wednesday -My year old Samsung 46" HD TV stopped working but have no fear I purchased the extended warranty. I call the warranty company and it has been sold two times since I purchased the TV and seems to no longer be in business. Thursday -I take the day off and decide to mow the yard one last time before winter kills off all the green grass. I start the riding mower up and mow for five minutes and hear a popping sound and notice the sidewall to the motor block is now laying next to the mower as the engine dies. Something has caused my motor to lock up or throw a rod...I have not taken the time to look at it in depth because I am tired of problems. Friday - So far so good, no problems at work and I am writing you this post and still breathing. My wife and son are in the house with me and we are still kicking... :shock: Ralph
God bless you, Ralph. You are a tough guy to get through a week like that and still have your sense of humor. You and your son are in my thoughts and prayers. I also have a 46" Samsung. Now I'm nervous. Oh.....and sorry about your riding mower. That does not sound like an inexpensive fix. Out of all this, the good news is that your heart is in good shape.
Thanks Sid its either laugh or cry and I would rather laugh because I couldn't find the booze. I studied the problem online on the Samsung and there seems to be a capacitor problem on the power cable. Evidently there was a bad batch of capacitors purchased by Samsung, Dell and other companies where they gas out and burn up. This in turn makes your TV set make a popping sound when you turn it on but it never turns on. Some folks recommend you pull out the power cable on the TV and change out the capacitors with replacements from Radio Shack with a soldering gun. I have misgivings doing that to my $1,000 plus TV set... :shock: Thanks for your prayers, they are coveted...
REC Sounds like a trying week. Thank goodness your heart turned out not to be a problem. Hang in there.
Crappy week heck! That's the best news I have read on these boards in a long time! Glad you're ok. I have now had heart issues twice and it is not fun. Scares me more than anything else I can think of.
Damn Ralph that is a crappy week, I'm glad your ok and that you have your family around you. But the real problem is that TV, what are you going to watch playoffs and bowls on!!! The riding lawnmower...it was probably sabotaged by your local John Deere dealer, are they having by chance a year end sale! Hope the weekend finds all well in your household!!
:shock: Holy crap! I think I'm going to print out Ralph's post so the next time I'm feeling sorry for myself I'll get a reminder of what a really bad week looks like!
Hang in there Ralph....hell, you're the only Cane fan that I know that I like. I don't know what I'd do if you weren't around???? :shock: In all seriousness, take care of yourself and your family, the rest is a mere inconvenience
Me too.....that was one bad week. Good luck with your son Ralph......Godspeed to his comfort and better health.
Ralph, glad you're OK and sorry to hear about your son. It puts things in perspective. I've had the worst case of stomach flu I've ever had since early Wed. AM. And I thought my week was miserable.
Thanks everyone your the best! I have scheduled the stress test so that part is done. Forgive my "Airing of the Laundry". I have to admit sharing it helped to keep my sanity this week. My son is my main concern please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. Thanks, Ralph
Finally happy positive news...We have answered prayer... My wife and I finally got my son into a rheumatologist after many delays and wow did we find a great doctor....We have been going to Tampa/St Peterburg All Childrens hospital the past six years who has a tremendous reputation and one of better known physicians in Ankolosing Spondalitis but were never happy with results or their interest. This doctor was only 30 minutes away and not the 2 1/2 hours away we have been driving. He was rather young but energetic and studied under a very well known doctor in this field in Ohio. It took my son 20 minutes to walk in on crutches because he refuses to use a wheelchair and the doctor who already had his files said I will have you walking in three days without assistance. He was rather upset with the treatment our son had received from All Childrens hospital saying they are using 1950 technology when more advanced medication is available and kept telling us he will be walking. A biological medication called Enbrel which is administered with an epipen into the thigh and it corrects the immune system that is out of wack which is the catalyst of this disease. And folks he was walking within three days and I am here to testify that every day his improvement is incredible. He just went to the grocery store with me and is walking almost normal and has taken only three injections...His mother and I are besides ourselves with joy and tears and our son is thrilled to be walking again. The Enbrel is $800 an injection but the doctor and manufacturer have worked with us in the affordability of this product and I cannot say enough about it and the company. So with all the negative news that seems to surround us in our lives I wanted to take a minute to yell out and say God is great. I thank you for your thoughts and prayers.... Ralph