Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a common and potentially lethal disease; unfortunately, the diagnosis is often missed because patients with PE present with nonspecific signs and symptoms. If left untreated, approximately one third of patients who survive an initial PE subsequently die from a future embolic episode. Most patients succumb to PE within the first few hours of the event. The mortality rate is greater than both AIDS and breast cancer COMBINED. In patients who survive, recurrent embolism and death can be prevented with prompt diagnosis and therapy. Fortunately I had symptoms like severe chest pain and was able to get help. I was taken to the hospital by ambulance and spent 8 days in the hospital. I will be on blood thinners for quite a while but my outlook is good. It was scary to know I could die at any minute and now I have a second chance and I'm taking advantage of it. I'm thankful to everyone who thought of me and prayed for me. Be thankful for everything you have and those in your life because you never know when it could be over. Please watch the video...
This is the house I grew up in. It is in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I LOVED this house. It was nice and big (at least I thought it was big). It had a big backyard and we even used to have an above ground pool. Later we took the pool out and my mom had a great garden in its place. We had a swing set when I was little and it rocked back and forth (it was NOT in the ground). My brother Guy even proposed to his lovely wife Christa in that backyard. We had a front living room that we had most of our Christmas's in. We would always get a real tree and put all of our childhood ornaments on it and listen to Christmas music. I shared a bedroom with my sister until my oldest sister that is 10 years older than me went to college. Eventually I was the only one left in the house with my mom and I had the room you can see in the picture that is in the front of the house. That room was big with a walk in closet and a bathroom. I also in that room had a California King waterbed. I LOVED that bed. I had it until I moved to Arizona. That was the best thing while I was pregnant. I would just catch a wave right out of the bed when I got big! This was also the house I met Stephen in. I was friends with his cousin and she and Stephen and their cousin Guy came to the house and I thought he was really cute. I had just turned 15! Amazing that now we are getting married! I left the house when my mom got married when I was I think 17. That was SO hard. I really had a tough time leaving. That was the only house I had known. When I visit Albuquerque I like to drive by the house but it is still hard at times with all the memories. Today a friend that still lives in the neighborhood sent this picture of the house to me on my phone. It looks pretty much the same and it brought back so many memories of growing up! Click on the picture to make it bigger.
