Heart test

by Sharon O | Mar 7, 2013 | Uncategorized

Two weeks ago I went into the hospital for what they call an Echo Cardio stress test.
My doctor recommended it after my cholesterol score was up and after he ordered a specialized blood test.
The cardio test is relatively simple if you are not a woman entering into a room with three men.
Rule number one:
IF you want my high blood pressure down, don’t surround me with three men whom I have never met.
Rule number two:
Don’t say to me. You will be fine but you do need to sign this form saying if in some rare case you have a heart attack it is basically not our fault.
Rule number three:
I will humor you and also let you know I am not afraid of dying and
if this should be my last day on earth it was nice meeting you.
Rule number four:
Be sure to wear good walking shoes which I did and leave your glasses at home if possible.
I had been instructed to ‘put a gown on’ after they left the room which is always a ‘fun experience.’
Then I had to let them know I was ‘ready’.
Can someone really be ready for this ‘forced exercise test?’
They fastened me with multitudes of sticky probes on my chest and then they told me to ‘relax’.
That was very funny again
I remind you there are three men in the room with me and 
I have a gown on and 
I feel a tad ‘exposed’ wondering what IS being viewed under those ‘sticky suction cups’.
They had me lay on my left side and the ultrasound began.
I began to watch as the technician said to the others in the room,
“this is not working well we need the contrast to make it more clear.”
Now the contrast is a protein liquid that goes into your heart through an iv line in your arm.
I immediately said,
“Is this iodine because I have gone into shock a few times and
I don’t really want to do that today.”
They said,
“No it is not iodine and here is another paper for you to sign should you have a problem with it.”
I signed paper number two while trying to write with an iv in my arm.
The contrast dye was put in and the technician looked at some pictures on the screen.
Then they said to me, “we will need you to move to the treadmill.”
So I got off the hospital table and sat up while one of them put more belts and probes on me.
Which again was a tad uncomfortable as he was in my ‘personal space’ and
really is this all necessary?
I moved to the treadmill with all the wires including the iv in my arm.
Then one of them said,
“We will need you to walk slowly then gradually we will make you walk faster.”
I have been using my home treadmill but at a pace I am comfortable with because it scares me.
On this day I had the grip of death on the handles as they turned the machine on.
While I was mildly walking another one of them inserted more iv drip for the contrast to move in my heart and chest areas and another one of them was taking my blood pressure on the other arm.
Multiple things were going on at the same time and I had to really focus and concentrate.
Then the one who I called the treadmill guy said, “in twenty seconds you are going to move faster.”
They raised the treadmill up to an incline and turned it up.
My little feet were moving fast like a hamster on a wheel.
My hands were white as they curled around the handle clinging tight with no letting go.
I was determined to do the test the right way and equally determined to not fail or stop too soon.
After what seemed like many minutes they said to me,
“Immediately we need to move you off the treadmill and lay you down on your left side for the contrast to be seen on the screen.”
My heart was beating fast and I was gasping for breath feeling sure that I would have a heart attack any moment while they put more contrast protein in my arm for the third or fourth time.
Minutes later the dye contrast worked and I was done with the procedure.
They made me lay there and catch my breath as they monitored all my vital signs.
Then they left the room and told me to get dressed.
At some point in the process one of them had taken my glasses and
I was not sure where they had put them.
As I was walking out the door to ask where they had put them I saw my gold frames in the garbage can.
Yes someone had knocked them into the garbage.
They came back into the room and one of them cleaned my glasses with a disinfectant.
The test was an experience that was both scary and interesting.
I left feeling like I needed a nap.
It was a heart test I have never done before and should I ever need another one my glasses will stay home.

Carmen

by Sharon O | Feb 21, 2013 | Uncategorized

For those who know Carmen:
ttps://www.facebook.com/CarmanLicciardello and his ministry this is a hard diagnosis. 
God has used his skill of singing and story telling all over the nation and now he needs our support.
Pray for him to have good doctors. 
To have a good mindset and not let this get the best of him.
We know that Heaven is our final destination and we also know it is our ‘home’ we just don’t always know how we will arrive there.

May he sing and minister with every ounce of energy he has till he no longer can do it. 

I have delayed writing this but those of you I call friends and supporters, who have prayed for me and this ministry need to know about this new battle that lies ahead. One week ago I was diagnosed with Myeloma Cancer. It is incurable and I’ve been given a 3-4 year window of time. Tomorrow I go in for my first bone biopsy and the process will start. I used to go to movies in the afternoon, now I go see doctors. I write these things for a few reasons. First, I want to put an end to all the rumors. Second, I ask for your prayers. And 3rd, I want you all to know that I will continue to minister and win souls until I can’t do it any longer. My life has always been about ministry. I have a call of God to touch lives with the gospel of Jesus Christ and that’s what I will do until the Lord calls me home. Please, do not allow this facebook site to be an ongoing blog for cancer treatment remedy’s. That would be depressing to everyone. If you have any insight you can message me personally. But I want to encourage you, if you can, to please come see me the next time I’m in your area. Bring someone who doesn’t know the Lord or who needs to be healed. I will always pray for the sick and I’m also going to step up the intensity of my message at these events. I will not leave this world quietly and I want the devil to know that he put cancer on absolutely the wrong Italian. I have a few good years and before it’s too late I want to see your faces, shake your hands and hug your necks. But mostly I want to see one of you get healed of what threatens your future and I really want to see someone you love come to Christ. Now lets get back to business, we have to work while its day for soon the night comes.
I love you all -C

A prayer to think about

by Sharon O | Feb 9, 2013 | Uncategorized

Philippians 1: 9-11 So this is my prayer:
that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well.
Learn to love appropriately.
You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush.
Live a lover’s life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God.
When I read this passage this morning it ministered to me on many levels. The first one was in the first line.

So this is my prayer.
How many times in our lives have we shared the prayers of our hearts to one another?
Isn’t it hard to do? It is a vulnerable place to pray when another is listening or reading what we say. 
He said “this is my prayer” meaning he wanted to share to them because it was important. 
Then he continued to encourage the reader. 
That your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. 
Isn’t that a wonderful encouraging line to those he cared for?
Then he continues.
Learn to love appropriately. That is a strong line. I looked up the word appropriately and the meaning is this: suitable for a particular purpose, person, occasion. belonging to a person. to set aside for some specific purpose. So he is encouraging them to be careful and cautious.
Then he continues.
You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. 
Wow that is very direct and to the point reminding me of high school days when we ‘felt’ we were in love with the one simply because they gave us a love note or a special gift. The admonition to use  your head is what every parent has said at least once in their lifetime.
Then he continues.
Live a lover’s life, circumspect and exemplary: which means careful, watchful, discreet, prudent, vigilant and guarded. Also it means: worthy of imitation.commendable.serving as an illustration or model. serving as a warning.laudable.noteworthy and praiseworthy.
A life JESUS would be proud of 
bountiful in fruit from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God.
Take a deep breath.
When we read it again with the meaning inside it 
the verse is powerful and convicting and certainly does give us 
‘something to think about’.

She Loved [Live]

by Sharon O | Feb 5, 2013 | Uncategorized