Now here for something you don't see everyday... Roni's Cardiological Rant and Praise Time...that's right kiddies, rant AND praise.

5am- Time to get up and drive to St Louis...since, ya know, apparently they didnt plan on people actually becoming ADULTS with congenital heart disease...so I have to go all that way to find one of the few specialists with it. Why not go to a regular cardiologist you ask? Well simply put, they are dumb. Seriously.... of course my PA valve is leaking...gosh what did they expect when you've had PA banding and have my CHD? So I went to one in Columbia last year and he wanted to do an emergency open heart surgery on me because they didn't know my leaks are normal. So yes kiddies, I must make a trip to St Louis every year just because cardiology students seem to overlook us and don't get the training to help little girls like me.

9ish- In St Louis but royally lost around Barnes Jewish because my directions suck and I cant remember what the building looks like.

9:45ish- We've parked and have walked about 7 blocks to find out we need to backtrack 3 and go over 5.

10ish- I have arrived. Since I'm late they move me to the front of the lines. My echo is ready for me.

11- I'm still having my echo.

12- They've decided I need an iv to insert this lipid based thing.... it acts as an enlarger and works as a mirror because my lungs wont corporate. What do I mean? Well it's hard to see around the lungs to see the function they wanted to. This lipid thing would help.

12:30- After having 3 new holes in my body, they realize I wasnt kidding about being hard to give IV's to. They give up and hope the doctor is happy with what he's already got. My blood pressure has now shot throught the roof and if they don't give me a shot to calm back down from the rough housing, this could be bad. It's reaching almost stroke level.

1- Hi Dr Billadello's cute male residential staff MD..how ya doin? :) So this youngin is going to talk to me, ay? I think it scared him that I knew what he was talking about. Also he was royally shocked to walk in and see a 20 year old. What? Just because most your patients are old...doesnt mean I dont need you. So he does the usual check up and then I tell him about my strange hand numbness so he enlightens me about him studying the vascular system recently and he does his own little tests. So my blood pressure has calmed back down...and the levels are now normal.

1:20- Hiya Doc...miss me? So he was happy with me. I'm supposibly doing 100% correctly...he was pleased. Oh and apparently the fact I'm fat isnt bad....because I'm healthy and apparently there's really not much I can do to lose it because of my condition and since it's not affecting me, he said it's not a problem at all and to be comfy with it. So ha Dad, quite calling your daughter fat! So the report is well and he's happy with me...and they finally enlighten me on some stuff I never knew about my CHD. So I'm amused.

....I'm sore though. I don't like being a pin cushion. And do you have any idea how much it hurts when they are jamming into your scar tissue hard into your rib cage?

...I need a nap.

Anyway, Dr. Billadello...see ya next year!