Current lava flow from Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano

[PackRat]

A very rare geologic occurrance -

USGS Interview

crazy stuff; miss working with those USGS people.

[hakerdefo]

That is awesome site!
@PackRat You used to work in Geology?

[PackRat]

24 years mining, construction, some research.

Two heart attacks forced me into retirement.

[hakerdefo]

24 years mining, construction, some research.

Two heart attacks forced me into retirement.

24 years in mining and construction!
That is a tough work, isn't it?

[PackRat]

Yes, some days "the mountain wins" as the saying goes.

[VastOne]

24 years mining, construction, some research.

Two heart attacks forced me into retirement.

Shites RatMan.. that's some heavy duty life history.. was not aware you had two HA's..

I had Triple Bypass at 42.. was healthiest then than ever in my life.. years of traveling and a terrible stressful job as a consultant and airport/travel food and periodontal gum disease all caught up to me and contributed to mine

I am glad to be here and that you survived the two as well..

Thanks for that link.. W O W

[jedi]

Hey, I'm a 'twofer' as well!!!    First one in Aug of 2011, second one in June 2013.  (@PackRat, I also am "retired", since Mar 2005!)

Sitting in a recliner aint all it's knocked up to be!  Everyone you know is at work, so you end up alone most of the time!  Luckily for me, I treasure my own company. 

[VastOne]

^ Why does 'like the smell of my own farts' suddenly sound in my head?

[PackRat]

First one in Aug of 2011

That was when my 2nd occurred.

Lucky for me I was in the lobby of the maternity ward the day after my youngest was born. I was standing there with my mother-in-law (nurse with trauma experience) and dropped right after I rang for the elevator. She immediately shouts "code blue" to the desk (so I'm told) and when the elevator opens, out walks a paramedic who de-fibbed me.

I was dead on the floor for 28 seconds, woke up looking up at 4 EMTs in the back of the ambulance. Doctors put a stent in.

I was out on disablity for 90 days then went back to work. Wasn't really into the 15 days on 6 off schedule and the travel to Tennessee (from Virginia at that time) so there was mutual consent not to renew my contract.

[PackRat]

Sitting in a recliner aint all it's knocked up to be!

You seem to have adapted quite well - 



I hear you though. I wish I had some artistic ability - paint some pictures or something - and sell them at the flea market.

Although, how long would it take to get proficient at this:

[jedi]

Yes indeed, adapt or die so I adapted!   

Never got the Pollock thing...    Something tells me that the learning process for it would be a drip, drip, drip affair...   

The exact same recliner I was sitting in when the second HA happened.  (hmmm, wonder if that is saying something about my reclining abilities? I was not dead that I know of!  The second one got me the stent.)

I had been admitted on Sunday Feb 4th 2007 with what they thought was a heart attack. (it wasn't though it should have been as my Indianapolis Colts won the SB) My family doctor/primary care physician comes into the hospital room and just goes off on me.  He'd known me since I was 14.  Said it was all in my head, blah, blah, blah.  So, Aug 2011 rolls around, and I'm out in the garage when I started having some terrible chest pain.  Came in the house and suffered through about 6 hours of indescribable agony.  Decided I probably should go to hospital.  Got the car backed out of the driveway (yes, I am sometimes an idiot) and suddenly had the urge to regurgitate.  As soon as I did, I immediately felt better, drove the car back into the garage and came back in the house and went to bed.  That time, it wasn't all in my head.  2 years later, when the second HA happened, they told me about the first one.  I immediately knew exactly when it happened.  It totally destroyed my lower right coronary artery.  By the time of the second HA my heart had compensated for the loss of the artery by diverting the blood flow through different vessels in my heart.  Because it was "all in my head", I now can't walk through the house without panting. ( not to be mistaken by 'painting'!)  I'm extraordinarily lucky to be here according to the surgeon who put in the stent for the second HA.  He said that even if they had to do a 'bypass', they would not be able to repair that artery ever.

And yes, if your wondering, my first HA I never even went to the emergency room.  The second HA was caused by one of the arteries at the top left of my heart, which was repaired with a stent.  It was then that they discovered the large amount of damage to my heart that occurred when the first had happened.

Most memorable event of the second HA;  A giant of a man comes into the hospital room and informs me that he was there to shave me.  No, not my face!  Anyone wondering, humility serves well during the time of a HA!

C'est la vie...

[zephyr]

^ Spent my life with low blood pressure, last year it sky rocketed and now on meds for it. PackRat, jedi take care of yourselves. Working hard, having active lives know for one it is not easy to slow down. Certainly not an easy thing to accept. Hope all of you rebound and get back into the norm of things.

Moved from the lake environment and seclusion to a more populated area and be close to what ever I need. First time in 30 years since I have lived in a major city, although in a satellite city of Norman, OK.  So, think it will be a good move and if anything goes wrong with the old ticker perhaps have a chance at surviving a HA.

PackRat, not an artist or critic, think you have artistic abilities. Like your painting. Studied drafting and make a nice straight line the a T square, and not even very good at stick figures.

Lived in Hawaii in the early 1970's for five years, and never did make it to the big Island to see the Kilauea Volcano. Regret not taking that time out and doing so.

Just saying hello to everyone and folks hang in there. Best regards and thinking about you! :  )

Cheers

[PackRat]

Not my painting. That is a piece of "splatter art" by Beau Black.

[jedi]

Not my painting. That is a piece of "splatter art" by Beau Black.

Wow PackRat, I thought for sure that was a Jackson Pollock!  Color me educated...

[zephyr]

My bad PackRat, very nice piece of art. Thanks for sharing!