January 8th. 2004, I had a triple "A", Dissection of the Ascending Aorta, brought on by "Anger". Anger over a conversation on the phone with an insurance agent. I had been thoroughly check out just a month earlier, stress tested, compare to the heart through a blood vessel in the groin, etc. It took 6 1/2 hours to determine what was going on within me, and 14 plus hours on the table, clinically dead for one of those hours, but frozen stiff so I'm told, a human popsicle so to speak. There have been a few speed bumps to become accustom to over the years since, like memory loss, a disabling pain that moves throughout my upper body from time to time (much like a cramp-but much stronger) it will be in a shoulder, center of my chest, base of my neck, under my heart,. There's no warning, it happens day or night, resting or working here on the ranch and there are "Dizzy spells" that like the migrating pain will put you on the ground or leave you helpless and vulnerable. 5 years a survivor

now, still ranching, breaking horses, raising cattle, maintaining, an African goose, Chicken, Turkey and Miscovy duck populations, not to mention 3 dogs and 12 feral cats. Ranch work is ranch work, Cowboy'n no longer a option had my spine fused 6 months prior to the triple "A" ( Hence the argument with the insurance agent/ and/ tipple "A") Well, its looking like iv developed an aneurysm on the scar tissue from the original operation, its 6 centimeters in diameter, it was discovered a year ago on a follow-up visit to the Doc, Just did a cats can yesterday and will be headed for his office Tuesday the 24th. to see if its enlarged anymore then the 6 centimeters. A year ago they were saying surgery was a must, had to be done, the sooner the better. (so why did they wait so long ? ) To be honest, I'm not sure I want to go through it all over again, I'm 66 years old, seen and done a lot more then a lot of men, ridden some good horses and some bad. Learn early on during Nam that

"Through the grace of God, I have this very moment---the next is not promised or guaranteed) I put my boots on this morning, but have no idea who will take them off tonight ? I'll keep you updated after Tuesday--- God bless each of you who have survived, "There's a reason you have, don't forget that, your here because your not done, not yet. % years ago when I first logged on to this site, I did so as AAA (tipple A) so I'll log off for now as "AAA". God Bless.............

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