Numbers

It is often surprising how numbers dictate what you do in your life. For instance, age, very often you hear the phrase, "Act your age." What does this mean? Who decided how a person is supposed to act at a certain age? I even catch myself saying an activity is "age appropriate." Bah, I'm in my forties now. How am I suppose to act? I'm not a mother, I take college classes, I'm married and I work for the government. Right there are very distinct groups of people and each of use get a mental picture of how old each may be. Interesting.

So what brought this musing? I had a blood test for prothrombin time today. For those who may not be medically inclined, it tests the clotting factor in your blood. Why is this important? Last August the doctors found a blood clot in my lungs and since then I have been on Coumadin. The generic term is Warfarin and some of you may recognize that as the main ingredient in rat poison! Isn't life fun? Ok, again what does this have to do with numbers? Well, each month I get tested and it tells me what my level is and if I need to adjust my dosage. Interestingly, different types of food can affect this level. I need to have a level between 2 & 3. A normal person not on rat poison would be 0. My number is 2.2 this month! Yea.

Ok, so what? Well, one of the things I learned that fateful weekend in August was that I need to watch my activities. My favorite activity is to work and ride horses. Can't do that now until I get off the rat poison. The reason is that if I were to fall ( and I have with a concussion as a result) or get kicked, I could easily bleed since my blood doesn't clot as easily as the next person. So, this number dictates my life. If it is too high, I get nose bleeds and feel sick. If it is too low, I'm at risk for another blood clot. Although, the cause of the first clot was decided to be the birth control pills I was on. So, no more hormone therapy when menopause comes around!

The next number I'm looking forward to is 9 0f 2007. First, because it will be mine and Dastards first wedding anniversary and second it should be the time I can go off the rat poison and start riding again. Let the countdown begin! This is a set of numbers I look forward to!!!!!!

Keep on Go!

Edit:  With St. Patricks Day so close I thought I would add some Irish Blessings to each blog.

May you live to be a hundred years, with one extra year to repent.

May you be in heaven one half hour before the devil knows you're dead.

As you slide down the banisters of life may the splinters never point the wrong way.