Sins is dead right on pneumonia as I alluded to earlier. When I went to the ER last September, the last thing I thought I had was pneumonia and yet it was one of the worst stays I ever had because of the treatment and the advanced stage that it had reached. I had only a very dry type of cough and felt awful......I was afraid it might be the H1N1 flu. Pneumonia presents in a lot of very different ways and it can advance rapidly and take a long time to get past. Its not just a bad cold.........

Linn......The terms are the same thing. Arteriogram and Angiogram are basically interchangeable terms and the testing is like a cardiac cath. Basically, they insert the cath and then use it in the same way they do in a cardiac cath but this time its in the neck. Nothing terrible and a lot easier than a cardiac cath as you don't need to lay flat and immobile for gawdamned forever!!!! Generally they like to keep a close eye on you for a longer time though as they're mucking about with the carotids which allows flow to the brain and they don't want you "blowing a headpipe."

Although I know how Tom feels, I learned to accept hospitals and it makes everything easier. Just think of it as riding an elephant downhill. Just hang on til the rides over.........

Tell Tom that like everyone else here, I'm thinking about the both of you...........There are a lot of us (and some are now gone) who have spent way too damn much time in hospitals. I know we have to "pay" for the follies of our youth, but is it really necessary to pay so damn much? And our spouses have to pay too. I have no idea how Linn and Karen and the many others do it. I apologize to Karen all the time but she thinks I'm nuts, but really....the woman deserved a lot better than me!

Hang in Guys.........This particular elephant ride has a a ways to go yet it seems but for what its worth, we're all here for the duration.

Spaw