16 Years and One Week

Erika and Sugar (blog-buddies) commented on my Jan. 6 post, wishing me a happy anniversary, and I was reminded again just how blessed I am to have found the ONLY man who:

1) can hold his own with me
2) deal with my 'eccentricities'
3) won't argue unless it's really worth arguing over (and it *rarely* is)
4) doesn't expect me to fill some stereotypical housewife role
5) is amazing with the kids
6) still treats me like a sex goddess (I'm blushing! Did I just type that????)

The love of my life ran a 9K race (5.6 miles) today and did great. He's feeling good. He calls it "better living through chemistry." For those of you who don't know, he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) in 2002 at the age of 36. His family history is awful (fatal first heart attacks on his father's side, multiple bypasses on his mother's). We pretty much figured it would be an issue one day, but I honestly thought that we'd have another 20 years before we'd have to deal with it (he'd be in his late 50's then).

Instead he had one angioplasty and one stent in August 2002. Three more stents, including one of the new medicated ones, in August 2003. Triple bypass surgery in March 2004. His surgeon at the time, said dear hubby has 'the arteries of a 12 year old girl.' (a genetic predisposition for very narrow arteries). He was also the first to say, 'well, technically, your husband has a fatal disease." (thanks, doc!)

I guess if you have to have a 'fatal disease', CAD is the one to get. The American Heart Association lobby is apparently a powerful fundraising and lobbying entity. During the time between stents 1 and numbers 2-4, for example (a one year span), the drug coated stents were approved by the FDA. Unfortunately, they didn't work for dear hubby, but someone else with benefit, I'm sure.

Now they're working on new medications, based on a certain protein (apoA-1 Milano), that may actually clear arteries like Drano...no surgery needed! Of course these meds are a few years from being approved, but perhaps during dear hubby's lifetime...

He and I don't discuss it in depth often, but I think we've both resigned ourselves to the fact that we probably won't grow old together. He has mentioned on more than one occasion that he doesn't think he has the same life expectancy as the average 38-year old man. Perhaps medical advances - and a lotta prayer - will change that.

Here's hoping for another 16!