Healthy Arteries, Wedding Plans, and an Ace!

I woke up yesterday morning to the sound of thunder. My Weather Bug app's radar depiction screen lit up with a large area of precipitation working its way through southern Minnesota. I don't think I've ever been happier to see rain. We're so overdue. And maybe the rains will wash the smoke out of the air (at least for a while). The wildfires out west have been feeding a steady stream of smoke across the country, even at the lower levels of the atmosphere. I was mowing the lawn last week and could see smoke hanging in the air just by looking across the street. I can't begin to imagine what it must be like living much closer to the source of the fire. 

My primary care doctor is the same doctor who guided me through my last round of blood clots in January 2015. My previous primary care physician had retired a few months earlier so I was in need of someone new and Dr. Foley was happy to fill that role for me. He's very intent on making sure I've got the healthiest arteries possible and to do this he has a blood panel drawn up on me twice each year with the focus being on my cholesterol levels. They're in the average range but they've been trending slightly upward over the past few years. He suggested I begin taking Pravastatin to get my LDL cholesterol level a little lower than it is but I've been reluctant to follow his advice after hearing too many negative comments from family members and others who have been on a statin drug — primarily stories about muscle and joint soreness. I mostly worry about how it will affect my biking; specifically my knee joints. 

Tammy entered my cholesterol values into the Cleveland Clinic's Heart Risk Calculator and the results say that at this point, "On the basis of your calculated risk for heart disease or stroke less than 7.5%, the ACC/AHA guidelines suggest you have no indication to be on a statin." The calculator placed my risk value at 5.5%. I'm still working through trying to find a medication to address my recent Crohn's disease diagnosis and that's been complicating matters because of associated side effects I've been experiencing with the drugs that have been prescribed to me for it. Once I get that figured out I'll consider adding a statin to my regimen. I meet with my primary doctor again on Wednesday.

One other test I had them include in my latest blood panel was for the amount of lead in my body. With all of the stained glass work I do (shameless plug) during the winter months (which involves working with lead), I've wondered for some time now if my procedures for working with lead are keeping me safe. They are. My results came back this week and my lead values are on the low side of the acceptable range. That's good to know.

Rachel and Drew's wedding in Lutsen is just around the corner. It's going to be a small wedding with only immediate family attending but there are plans in the works for a reception next summer where extended family and friends will be invited. (The ongoing pandemic caused them to take a conservative approach to their wedding and with the proliferation of the delta variant of the coronavirus, they appear to have made a wise decision.) There are still some small details that Rachel and Drew have been working on in preparation for their big day and those likely won't stop until they walk down the aisle. Tammy has been helping wherever she can, even making a bow tie and collar for PJ so he looks his best on their special day. He's such an adorable pup!

Steve and I played golf at Bellwood Oaks last Thursday. It was a beautiful day to be on the links and made even better by what happened on the par 3, 6th hole. I measured the distance to the flagstick at 173 yards and gave Steve the number. He pulled out his 7 iron and set up for a shot just to the right of the hole to allow for the wind to bring the shot back toward the pin. It was a beautiful, high arcing shot that landed just in front of the green before bouncing up onto the green. I can't be sure if I said it out loud or just to myself: this could be a hole-in-one! We watched for 2 or 3 seconds before seeing the ball disappear into the cup! Steve turned back to me, eyes wide as can be and said loudly, "I just got a hole in one!" I can't remember what it was I screamed back at him but we were both making a lot of noise. Steve turned to the group behind us just making their way to the 5th green and yelled, "I JUST GOT A HOLE IN ONE!" I've never seen him smile so big! I'll never forget that moment for as long as I live. What a fun thing to witness. 

We'll be back at it again tomorrow morning. I'm more than happy with pars and birdies but should an ace come my way, I'm gonna make a lot of noise, too!

That's all I've got.