Sorry about the light posting.

Hectic has been the name of the game for the last three weeks. First of all, one of our two dogs – Harvey, pulled a disk. Thankfully, he has made a full recovery rather quickly. The surgical cost of handling a slipped disk would have cost over $8000.00.

Next came the news last week that I am going to get a 10% pay cut – across the company I work for. Being over $50,000.00 in credit card debt, this was not welcomed news. I have been paying off about $1200.00/month, but I won’t be able to keep that up now. I may not even be able to make the minimum payments. My father, who lost his job as a consultant geophysicist is in danger of possibly losing his house.

I am also worried about the love of my life. My wife has a odd shaped mole that is on her back. We have a dermatologist appointment this Thurday to get it checked out. It is probably nothing, but it is hard to keep positive and upbeat about this particular situation.

On the heart front, my workouts are becoming more intense and my maximum heart rate is increasing. It is now around 172 beats a minute, while four months ago is was around 180 beats per minute, so I can’t complain.

The testosterone recovery appears to be going very well. It is now day 30 and I am noticing improvements in testicular size almost daily. I get another measurement of total testosterone and luteinizing hormone (LH) this Thursday. Hopefully, the results are positive. There is no guarantee, but it sure would be nice to get off the Testim gel permanently. Fingers crossed.

Which brings me to my final point – stress. For those with heart disease it can be a major enemy – especially chronic stress that seldom lets up. Using meditation in the past has helped and I am now beginning to utilzie this technique again. However, nothing beats a good workout – either cardio or weight lifting. As my Houston doctor says – get your mind focused on something. Good advice all around.

If you feel you may suffer from an axiety or panic disorder, see a psychiatrist as soon as possible. There are a number of good medications to assist you. As always, make sure your pyschiatrist and cardiologist are aware of any medication changes.

Gerald Merits