Well Wishes For An Amazing Blogger

If you visit Joe's blog this week you'll see he is with his sister and has been diagnosed with congestive heart failure.

It seems my favorite blogger needs a heart.

To many this would seem very sad news...but Joe and friends, I have something to pick you up...no worries.

First what is CHF?

Congestive heart failure (CHF), or heart failure, is a condition in which the heart can't pump enough blood to the body's other organs. Congestive heart failure (CHF) affects nearly five million Americans. More than half a million new cases of CHF are diagnosed every year Usually, CHF is caused when the heart has been weakened over time Congestive heart failure (CHF) happens when the heart's weak pumping action causes a buildup of fluid called congestion in your lungs and other body tissues.

What causes CHF?

(No surprises here)
-- Diabetes- Diabetes is a set of related diseases in which the body cannot regulate the amount of sugar (glucose) in the blood-- elevated cholesterol

-- High blood pressure that results in thickening of the heart muscle (left ventricular hypertrophy) Years of uncontrolled high blood pressure damages both heart and blood vessels.

-- loss of heart muscle due to coronary artery disease (heart attack)

-- heart valve disease

-- cardiomyopathy (weak and enlarged heart)

-- When the heart cannot pump enough blood throughout the body, fluids build up " and that can lead to complication

-- Unhealthy habits, such as smoking and excessive, toxic exposures, like alcohol or cocaine

-- Obesity and lack of activity may contribute to CHF, either directly or indirectly through accompanying high blood pressure, diabetes, and coronary artery disease.

Anyone who follows Joe's blog knows he also blogs about having and living with Diabetes.

But as well as Joe knows me, he will totally NOT be wowed by the next thing that happened to me today.

Just after reading his blog post about his CHF I sat down to eat my morning ritual of coffee and a toasted bagel with butter. I turned on my television to FOX news (what else should I watch on a Sunday morning) and Dr. something or other is on the television talking about none other than CHF and DRUM ROLL PLEASE.............................................................................................

I kid you NOT. One of the drugs used effectively to treat CHF is Viagra.

So it seems that the cure is better than the disease for once. HAHAHAHA!

So dear Joe, my favorite blogger in all of NJ, it seems that you'll be doing just fine and Mrs. Crotchety gets some major bens from your disease as well.

Please take a moment and visit Joe's Blog and leave him well wishes over there as well as here, so that he feels doubly loved when he comes by my blog today.