Huskers

Another Cornhusker win this weekend!  We headed back over to the official Husker watch party place, the Highlander and cheered them on to a sloppy victory over Idaho.  The Huskers went into the game ranked #6 in the AP Poll and #7 in the Coaches Poll.  From the beginning of the game the Huskers had a lot of penalties and looked a little sloppy on offense but Freshman quarterback, Taylor Martinez showed that last week wasn't a one time deal, he can actually run.  Although he does need to learn a little more.  Overall we did come away with a win, although we might lose a little ground in the Polls. ( we slipped to #8 in the AP and Coaches Polls)

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

I have recently found out that this is a genetic trait that my father carries and that I have to learn more about and start being tested for along with early colon cancer testing...

Here is what I have found on google health.  I have this to review until I get more info to read from the doctors at the Mayo Clinic.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a condition in which the heart muscle becomes thick. The thickening makes it harder for blood to leave the heart, forcing the heart to work harder to pump blood.

• Chest pain


• Dizziness


• Fainting, especially during exercise


• Heart failure (in some patients)


• High blood pressure (hypertension)


• Light-headedness, especially after activity or exercise


• Sensation of feeling the heart beat (palpitations)


• Shortness of breath

Other symptoms that may occur are:

• Fatigue, reduced activity tolerance


• Shortness of breath when lying down

Some patients have no symptoms. They may not even realize they have the condition until it is found during a routine medical exam.

The first symptom of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy among many young patients is sudden collapse and possible death. This is caused by very abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias). Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a major cause of death in young athletes who seem completely healthy but die during heavy exercise.



The goal of treatment is to control symptoms and prevent complications. Some patients may need to stay in the hospital until the condition is under control (stabilized).

If you have symptoms, you may need medication to help the heart contract and relax correctly. Drugs include beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers. These medicines reduce chest pain and pain during exercise. Medications will often relieve symptoms so patients do not need more invasive treatments.

Some people with arrhythmias may need anti-arrhythmic medications. If the arrhythmia is due to atrial fibrillation, blood thinners will also be used to reduce the risk of blood clots.

Some patients may have a permanent pacemaker placed. However, pacemakers are used less often today than they were in the past.

When blood flow out of the heart is severely blocked, an operation called surgical myectomy is done. This procedure cuts and removes the thickened part of the heart. Patients who have this procedure often show significant improvement. If the heart's mitral valve is leaking, surgery may be done to repair or replace the valve.

In some cases, patients may be given an injection of alcohol into the arteries that feed the thickened part of the heart (alcohol septal ablation).

An implantable-cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) may be needed to prevent sudden death. ICDs are used in high-risk patients. High risks include:

• Drop in blood pressure during exercise


• Family history of cardiac arrest


• History of cardiac arrest or ventricular tachycardia


• History of unexplained fainting


• Life-threatening heart rhythms on a Holter monitor


• Severe heart muscle thickness

Causes

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is often asymmetrical, meaning one part of the heart is thicker than the other parts. The condition is usually passed down through families (inherited). It is believed to be a result of several problems (defects) with the genes that control heart muscle growth.

Younger people are likely to have a more severe form of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. However, the condition is seen in people of all ages.



The health care provider will perform a physical exam and listen to the heart and lungs with a stethoscope. Listening with a stethoscope may reveal abnormal heart sounds or a murmur. These sounds may change with different body positions.

The pulse in your arms and neck will also be checked. The doctor may feel an abnormal heartbeat in the chest.

Tests used to diagnose heart muscle thickness, problems with blood flow, or leaky heart valves (mitral valve regurgitation) may include:

• 24-hour Holter monitor (heart monitor)


• Cardiac catheterization


• Chest x-ray


• ECG


• Echocardiography (the most common test) with Doppler ultrasound


• MRI of the heart


• Transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE)

Blood tests may be done to rule out other possible diseases.

If you are diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, your health care provider may recommend that your close blood relatives (family members) be screened for the condition.



Some people with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy may not have symptoms and live a normal lifespan. Others may get worse over time or rapidly. The condition may develop into dilated cardiomyopathy in some patients.

People with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are at higher risk for sudden death than the normal population. Sudden death can occur at a young age.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a well-known cause of sudden death in athletes. Almost half of deaths in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy happen during or just after the patient has done some type of physical activity.

If you have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, always follow your doctor's advice concerning exercise and medical appointments. Avoid strenuous exercise.



If you are diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, your health care provider may recommend that your close blood relatives (family members) be screened for the condition.

Some patients with mild forms of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are only diagnosed by screening echocardiograms because of their known family history.

If you have high blood pressure, make sure you take your medication and follow your doctor's recommendations.

• Dilated cardiomyopathy


• Heart failure


• Life-threatening heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias)


• Severe injury from fainting

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if:

• You have any symptoms of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy


• You develop chest pain, palpitations, faintness, or other new or unexplained symptoms

Busiest Labor Day Weekend

I think this year was the busiest Labor Day weekend I have had in a long time, even with Kelly visiting last year.  We had no visitors but we crammed a lot in the 3 days.  I'm not complaining one bit because we were able to do everything that we wanted to do and I was even able to get studying in every day, an amazing feat I think.

Saturday we started out at Soulard, a nice Saturday ritual, and stocked up on fruits, veggies and ribs for Monday's BBQ.  The place was packed more that usual, especially the spice/coffee store.  But we managed to get out of there with everything on our list. Here is a picture of the meat counter:

[caption id="attachment_620" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Our Ribs"][/caption]

After we finally made it out of Soulard we went straight to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church for the Greek Festival.



By the time we got there the place was packed and the lines were huge for any type of food.  But we headed for the Gyros and they were worth the wait.  We even had a pastry box of assorted pasties that were awesome!

I headed to Borders to study for a couple hours and Reily and Scott took naps.  I think I got the raw end of the deal but the studying was needed.  After a couple hours of test questions we met up at the Highlander to watch the Nebraska/ Western Kentucky game.  The restaurant was packed when Scott got there, filled with NU fans.  It felt like we were in Lincoln and not St. Louis.  We sat outside to watch the game with a bunch of Huskers, it was great watching the freshman, Taylor Martinez lead the team to the first victory of the season.  And watching them start the season at #8 was even better.  (They are now ranked #6 on the AP poll).

On Sunday we headed back to Borders so I could study some more with my study buddy, Shirley.  We studied for a few more hours and then headed to LeGrand"s for some lunch to go.

We went to the Hill to watch the Gateway Cup.  It was the third leg of the race and by the time we got there the women were racing.  We found a corner and ate our sandwiches and watched.  Then we decided to get closer to the start/finish for the next race.  As we got closer the men's race was going by and then a man crashed right in front of us.  He flipped over his bike into the iron barricades and landed on his shoulder and started screaming.  They had to stop the race and carry him off.  It was pretty bad but they said he would be ok.  After that whenever the bikers came by I would get a little nervous.  But it was really fun to go see the race and watch the bikers.







After the Gateway Cup, we headed downtown to the Muddy Blues Festival.  There was a band playing on the main stage and you couldn't even see them.  There were a ton of people there this year.  We decided to hang out at the smaller stages where you could see and hear the performers.  They were pretty good and played songs that everyone knew.  It was great people watching.  Kristen and Tom met up with us after the Cardinals/Reds and a Cards win!





On Monday I headed back to Borders to and then back home to clean and cook for our BBQ.  I tried a new recipe of bacon wrapped shrimp with chipotle lime seasoning.  They were very good and Scott made ribs for the first time that were awesome!  All in all it was a great weekend.  Now it's time to relax, well kinda.

Pig Personality Test

This was a fun way for us to relax after finishing the national book for real estate class.  It was a great way to get our minds off of the upcoming test.

Get a blank piece of paper, draw a picture of a whole pig on it, not just the head, just a basic drawing though, don't spend too long on it...

DRAW THE PIG FIRST

The pig drawing serves as a useful test of the personality traits of the drawer.......

• If the pig is drawn to the top of the paper, you are positive and optimistic.Towards the middle, you are realisticTowards the bottom, you are pessimistic and have a tendency to behave negatively.


• If the pig is facing left, you believe in tradition, are friendly and remember dates (birthdays etc)Facing right, you are innovative and active, but don't have a strong sense of family, nor do you always remember dates.Facing front (looking at you), you are direct, enjoy playing devil's advocate and neither fear nor avoid discussions


• With lots of details, you are analytical, cautious and distrustful.With few details, you are emotional and naive, you care little for details and are a risk taker.


• With less than 4 legs showing, you are insecure or are living through a period of major change.With 4 legs showing, you are secure, stubborn and stick to your idealsIf you have drawn more than 4 legs, you are stupid.


• The size of the ears indicates how good a listener you are. The bigger the better.


• The length of the tail indicates the quality of your sex life, and once again the longer, the better.....OK. who didn't draw a tail? ...

My pig drawing from class:

The first 48...

I finally started taking the official steps to getting my real estate license this week.  It starts with the 48 hour class and then the licensing test.  The week has been challenging, there has been so much to learn and remember.  The teacher has been great at giving us plenty of test prep questions and letting us know what to expect on the actual test.

Now we have to get through Monday and all the Missouri state laws and take the practice test on Tuesday.  Then it's time for the real deal!  So much stress in the next few days but hopefully it will be all over in a week!

The Big 3-0

It's official, I have reluctantly turned 30.  I have fought this day for a while but it's here.  And so far it isn't that bad.  My day started good, I did a few real estate things (sales meeting and caravan) and then I hung out with Reily for the afternoon.  It was a great afternoon hanging out the couch.  Scott took me out to dinner at Gian-Tony's on The Hill.  The food was great! And I was able to finally find out where my birthday trip was to.  We were off to Tan-Tar-A resort in the Ozarks.  Then we hurried home from dinner to catch the end of the Cardinals game.  We started watching the game before dinner and it started with a scrum with benches clearing and Tony LaRussa and Dusty Baker getting through out of the game.  And the Cardinals still won the game 8-4!  Happy Birthday to me!

My birthday celebrations continued through the week.  I had dinner and drinks with Theresa and Liz at Bar Louie.  I hadn't seen them in a while and it was great to catch up with them.

On Friday we headed to Lake of the Ozarks and Tan-Tar-A Resort.  I had been there before with my parents and was excited to see how things had changed.  I thought the drive to the Ozarks was at least 4 hours and was pleasantly surprised when it was just over a 2 hour drive away.  We arrived in time to grab dinner at the Black Bear Lodge and then hit the outlet mall for emergency flip flops.  Afterwards we relaxed and watched the Cardinals get their only win of the weekend against the Cubs.

On Saturday we went for a hike.  We had a couple recommendations to go to Ha Ha Tonka State Park.  We consulted with the visitors center to get an idea about the trails and decided on the Dolemite Trail.  The first half of the trail was boring, easy and hot.  Then once we crossed over the truck path the trail got a little more difficult and fun.  We saw a deer and Scott saw the back of a fox.









After hiking we relaxed at the pool for a few hours and then watched a horrible Cardinals game.  We had reservations at the fancy restaurant at the resort for Saturday night.  The dinner was very relaxing and we were able to try another way to have stuffed mushrooms with crab.  The dinner was awesome!  After dinner we hung out on the deck and watched the lake.  It truly felt like a scene out of Dirty Dancing being at that resort.

On Sunday we took a quick swim to try to get some relief from the thousands of bug bites that I had on my ankles.  Then we hit the outlet mall and found some awesome fudge.  On the way home we decided to stop in Jefferson City to check out the state capital.  It was out third state capital this summer, not too bad!







It was a great birthday weekend, just what I wanted for my 30th!

Windy City Visit

Chicago, what a great city to visit and so close to St. Louis that it is the perfect long weekend get-a-way.  We flew up to Chicago Friday afternoon so Scott and his sister could run in the Muddy Buddy race on Sunday.

On Saturday we woke up early to play a great penguin game with Riley while some of the best homemade pancakes were being made.  After quickly getting ready we headed downtown to walk around for a while before picking up race packets.  We stopped at a Fansedge store.  To check out the displays and products as Scott's brother-in-law's company owns Fansedge.  The younger kids bought Bears jersey and cheer leading outfits.

We need lunch before starting our walking tour of downtown.  We headed to the Billy Goat Tavern for some "Cheezeborger, Cheezeborger, Cheezeborger!  No Fries!"  It was a burger joint under the street that had great food but you have to look for it!



Afterwards we walked down Michigan Ave. to Millennium Park .  We let the kids play in the water for a while and then hung out at the famous Bean.  It was great to finally see the infamous Bean.  It made for great pictures.  It was also amazing to see and hear all the different cultures that were in the park.







We then walked down the entire Magnificent Mile to the Columbia Store to pick up the race packets.  It was great to see the architecture in the City and all the people.  We later met up with the kids at the Rock Bottom Brewery.

On Sunday we relaxed and stayed out in Highland Park.  Scott and his sister ran the Muddy Buddy in the morning and after naps we all headed down to their private beach access.  Their house is a block away from Lake Michigan and at the end of the block is a path down to the beach.  We hung out at the beach for a couple hours while the kids swam and played in the sand.  I didn't want to get in the water since it was about 60 degrees.  But it was so beautiful.  We had fun burying people in the sand and building dams by the creek.






Over all it was a great trip to Chicago that must be repeated as I need to redeem myself for my poor showing at Scrabble and Banana-grams.  There were also a bunch of games of Dirty Neighbor played and I'm sure rematches are in the making.