My echocardiogram was scheduled for 8:45 this morning at the city hospital. When we left the house at 7:00 AM it was rather shocking to discover that the temperature was hovering around -28C. One good thing is that we have very little snow. I should mention that this echocardiogram was booked on January 14th, 2002. The earliest available appointment at that time was December 2nd, 2002. Good thing I do not have a serious heart problem. I wonder how many folks fall by the wayside during an 11 month wait for an echocardiogram.

We arrived at the hospital early. I was pleasantly surprised when I was able to have the echocardiogram at 8:00 AM instead of having to wait until 8:45 AM. Some poor soul sitting in the wrong waiting room lost his 8:00 AM appointment to me. When they finally found him, I was half way through the procedure.

The technician had a student with her for the procedure. Having the student present made the echocardiogram so much more interesting. The technician explained each step in detail to the student. Since I was able to watch as well as listen to the technician, it was much easier for me to understand what was happening.

It will be a week before the results are sent out to No Name. I know I have a murmur but it has not been problem. I expect the result of the echocardiogram to be normal.

The holidays are fast approaching and I am beginning to feel a stab of panic whenever I think about that. For some reason it is very difficult for me to get into the holiday spirit this year. In the past I have had all the outside decorating done by the third week in November. Hopefully I will have a bit more energy this coming week and can get a handle on the shopping.