Anna's Journal

Dr Drury smiled and said: We can cancel that heart shock. Your heart is back in normal rhythm. Congratulations. Thank you all of you who sent out prayers and good thoughts for this to happen. I also added hawthorne berry ( 500 mg) 3x a day and CQ10 2x a day. And I forbid myself to become overly concerned with my sons. For 5 days I focused on tranquility and the heart responded well. To celebrate this new phase, my friend Melissa took me out for a picnic at the Getty Center. I was thrilled to go out of the house for something fun, and not just go to the doctors! Melissa is a foodie, like me, so we stopped at Trader Joe's and filled the basket with delicious items that I had not eaten for a long long time. The Getty was almost empty so we sat on the grass with this amazing view of the city and the ocean coast, being able to see even Catalina island, as the sky was blue as blue can be and the air clean and fresh. Everything got golden as the sun went down, and everywhere we looked was a great photo. I felt very happy and thankful of being alive and enjoying the amazing palette of God's artwork.

Since I started on this Xarelto (rivaroxaban) blood thinner I had this ongoing light headache. I have no idea why doctors disregard all the other natural blood thinners I have been taking ( Omega 3, Vit E, Ginkgo Biloba an Hawthorne Berry) which give me no side effect. My friend and acquachiropractor Michelle brought over the Bemer mat and applicator. She thought it would help eliminate the pain in my shoulder faster. The Bemer has been officially approved by German government hospitals as a post-operative tool, a it heals wounds faster. It has also been adopted by the Swiss Olympic team to speed up recovery of athletes. And recently by Nasa. I used the applicator on my back and the wound region during the day, and placed the mat under my bed sheets as there is a "sleep mode" with very low frequency that keeps working on you for 6 or 7 hours while you sleep stimulating your microcirculation. I wondered if I should or not take a Tylenol for the headache but hated to take another medication to knock out the side effect of another medication. So I decided to go ahead and sleep with the headache. However, to my surprise, 2 minutes after lying on top of the Bemer mat the headache disappeared!!!!!!! I stayed up for a while wondering if it was going to come back, but after 15 minutes of being totally clear I just smiled and enjoyed a very deep sleep. Oh heavens, what a gift! That was the first really good night sleep I have had since surgery. In the morning as I went to pee I could smell the strong acid smell that Michelle warned me about, as the Bemer takes away all the acidity in your body providing an alkaline environment for healing faster. I have to tell you all that my energy level today is phenomenal! Thank you Michelle! For those of you who want to find more about the Bemer you can call Michelle, the west coast representative ( 909)7327540 or read on her website www.aquachiro.com

So much LOVE!!!! Thank you ALL of you for the prayers and beautiful messages you left which I was able to read only now. I have been deeply touched by your love. I am sitting on the zero gravity chair which is the only chair where I can stay. Shoulder pain has diminished enough to be able to update you all on the most recent events. Alex has been amazing. A real angel. I thank him every day for his kindness, cooking and cleaning, driving me, and even walking with me when I feel discouraged by the bad weather. I went to Cedars to get the stitches out and every nurse I met said how great I looked. However when I started hearing the echocardiogram, I knew something was wrong. I knew my heart rate has been touching the high, but when the technician moved the stetoscope to the upper chamber the high pitched sound and the speed was 3x faster than all the previous sounds. My cardiologist showed me the EKG all over the place. He said I have atrial flutter on one of the upper chambers. He gave me a betablocker to prevent blood clots and told me to come back in 5 days. He said if the rhythm does not get fixed on its own I will have to go back to the hospital to get an electric shock. I have been shaken by this news! It sounded so barbaric. Now that I read a few posts of people who have done it, I understand this is a common procedure and a lot of people develop this after surgery. I guess the heart is trying to understand what is going on. BUT EVERY TIME I REALIZE I AM ALIVE, BREATHING AND WELL I am totally in awe for this amazing team of highly skilled professionals who weaved their way sideways through my bones and flesh to get to that tiny valve to make it tighter. My body is finally receiving all the blood it deserves, all my organs are benefiting from the irrigation and my dear heart is maybe overly excited with all this novelty! I am not thriving into going into general anesthesia again, so I hope that my heart hears my plead. But whatever comes will be handled with serenity as I know I am protected by this amazing circle of human angels - YOU! and also by the illuminated spirit guides who have watched over me up to now. THANK YOU ALL. Lots of blessings

Hello everyone, this is Alex. Anna is still in no condition to sit at the computer and I haven't had much time to write because there is so much that I need to help her with. She is feeling pain on the scapula and that combined with the anemia has really drained her energies. She says it is difficult to concentrate, that it is too strenuous. On the other hand, she has been going up and down the stairs and has managed to walked around the block. Her friend Michelle, an aqua chiropractic, came to do an evaluation and a gentle massage. The home-care nurse has also payed a visit and assured that all the incisions are healing perfectly. Her blood pressure is kind of low, so tomorrow she will contact the doctor to know if she should reduce her medications.

Anna is back home! And although the recovery has been very quick she is still feeling very tired to answer to all the messages she got or post in the journal for herself. Her tiredness might be due to anemia that she's been having since she donated blood for her own surgery. Tomorrow I will go to the pharmacy to buy some Iron tables for her. Thank you for all the positive thoughts and caring wishes, for all the prayers and for all reassurances. - Alex

Hi, it's Alex again. Today Anna got the last tube removed from her (I'm not sure what kind of tube it was, I think it is called a drain) at 11am. And since then she is being monitored for 24 hours to check on how she is doing and if she is ready to come back home. The pain went away, she said it was probably caused by the tube that was in her thorax. She slept better than yesterday but still didn't get enough sleep so she didn't have much energy to receive visits, talk on the telephone or even look at her messages and emails. Even though she was very tired I could see that she was getting stronger. We went for a walk together and she was doing very well. She might be coming back tomorrow or Sunday, depending on how she is doing until tomorrow morning.

Hello everyone, it is Alex again. Anna didn't sleep at all last night because she was in too much pain. As I said before the operation was very successful, her heart is working, what is really bothering her are the muscles on her back probably because of the entire procedure, having her arm up for 3 hours. So she is not taking any visitors today because she is very tired. She has her computer with her so she might be able to read her emails or her messages here on her guestbook. Well, rest is really all she needs, so let's let her have that and completely recover from the surgery as soon as possible. Thank you all for your lovely attention and care towards my Mom.

Wow! As soon as I set my eyes on my Mom today I was amazed to see how young and beautiful she looked. She was exuberant in her soft and vibrant mood-color, rosy all around her face, on the cheeks and forehead. Her skin looked incredibly healthy and it actually invigorated me just by seeing it. It was very obvious that her circulation was working like it should. She is recovering so well it is a delight to witness. Hurray!

Hello, it's Alex again. I just talked to Anna on the telephone and she is already walking around and fully able to talk although she has some back pain caused by the procedure. All the tubes have been removed. The staff at the hospital is very surprised and positive about her speediness of recovery. Everything is going well.

Hello everyone! This is Alex, finally at the computer at 11pm. The news is great! Momma Anna has her heart better than it ever was, pumping blood with no leak. At the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) she was hardly bleeding at all and her body was responding very well to the procedure. She was still out from the anesthetics, and had tubes in her mouth that reached down to her lungs and her stomach. The nurse said that they would be extubating her around midnight since everything seemed to be going well. She also said that Anna will probably already be walking tomorrow and definitely sitting. I couldn't stay overnight because we are getting the stove in our kitchen replaced in the morning, but Melissa will be staying this night at the ICU to make Mom happy and welcome as soon as she first open her eyes. I'm very glad Mel decided to be there, I'm sure it will help Mom recover even faster. It will probably be 3 or 4 days until she can leave the hospital and come home, but soon enough she will recover her strength and be able to talk to anyone that would like to say hi either on the phone or as a visit. I think that is the main information I got. A many number of times I was talking on the phone (to all the wonderful people that were calling to know and care about Mom) while the doctor and the nurses were speaking to Lina (which stayed with me from 1pm to 8pm) and Mel so I ended up missing some of the details. Yay, lots of celebration coming ahead!

Hello dear ones, Here I am at Cedars 6th floor with my son Alex. Waiting area for the family of the patient. We are greeted by Zach who is very sweet and has an earring in his left ear. I ask him what time is the surgery and he says: 1pm. And then he explains they schedule me early in case the previous patient doesn't show up or something. But then he says with a reassuring smile: You have the Best one! ( in regards to Dr. Trento's reputation). Lina an her boyfriend Andrew txt messaged me that they will be coming here while I'm in the operating room. I AM HUNGRY. And can smell all the fragances coming from the food everybody else consuming. Coffee aroma, hummmm. The ladies next to me just came in with a huge breakfast pack and the smell of cinammon roll.... Oh well. is fasting day. Not a big deal, I've done fasting many times. Before midnight I drank a huge glass of coconut water to hydrate myself. And to trick the idea of thirst I go into the ladies room and throw some water in my face. I didn't sleep very much, it was a light sleep, but I guess I will sleep a lot today! I admire a little lady who is sound asleep in one of the armchairs. We have a beautiful view of Beverly Hills and the Hollywood hills. It is a beautiful sunny day with blue sky, and yesterday was quite hot for fall. Yesterday I rearranged my room to fit the hospital bed and the guys who delivered when they knew I am from Brazil asked if I am going to the World Cup. Of course he was Mexican, he said he was in Guadalajara during the World cup. Yes, I would LOVE to be in Brazil for the world cup. The whole country will be a huge party wherever you go. And I love soccer. The room now is packed with happy relatives. There's a big group of 8 to my right. Something good about this hospital, there is no heavyness in the air. We are sitting under the TV set ( unfortunately) because that was the only plug left to hook the computer. But the sound is low thanks the Lord. I am feeling calm, and I will be doing a bit of stretching soon. I did some at home but with 2 hours waiting I can do some more. Yesterday I also had a deep tissue massage session. I bought this memory foam pillow, but wough! it has such a weird smell I could not sleep on it. Let's hope it changes in 48 hours as the instructions say. For now I will just take whatver the hospital has to offer. OK. Alex will take over now. Good luck to all of you. Good luck Jim!

I took a long time to get out of bed today. I did Chi Nei Tsang and then listened to the " Successful surgery" tape. Gee, tears continue to run down when the narrator guides you to move into the plasma screen and approach the surgery room where a bed is wheeled in and there lies myself. Then she says to see that you are not alone. Your magic group of protectors are there with you, smiling, filling the whole room. I keep seeing more and more faces of all the people that is part of my life. Today I saw also the face of Chagdud Tulku Rimpoche with his long white thin beard. He was the Tibetan monk that I met by chance many years ago in Brazil. So many wonderful teachings I learned live from him. His smiley peaceful face quiets my mind. Have you heard Tibetan chanting? Rimpoche was a great singer with a deep low nasal voice that helped quiet the never stopping thoughts. I have been singing a lot for the last months. I even composed a samba for my heart. I also took a Beatles song and created my own lyrics about my healing heart. But today it was a do-nothing day. I went to 3 plant nurseries looking for plants to beautify my balcony, a fuchsia bugainvillea and a morning glory. The bright colors will help me distract from any discomfort. Then I went to rent a hospital bed. Behind the counter on the wall there were 4 dozens of signed framed pictures of famous and not-so-famous movie stars. I spotted Liz Taylor, and Jack the owner told me they served her for 8 years and everytime they went to deliver something they had to fill a huge paperwork of non-disclosure of any information about her illness and there were about 24 bodyguards lined up along the main road to her house to be sure she would not be disturbed. Hollywood stories... And here we are all of us disclosing to each other the details of our health challenges with no shame! I think this action in itself is so healing! A round of applause to Adam Pick for this brilliant idea. So I went to Ross after renting the bed to take a look at pajamas. Then I realized that it was so silly to get a pajama to wear for only 4 or 5 days at the hospital. I will never wear a pajama any other time! I'd rather buy some sexy new outfit and celebrate life. Have a good night everybody! tomorrow my son Dominik who I haven't seen for 1 month is coming for dinner and I want to bake a gluten-free,dairy -free, sugar-free banana bread with cocoa chips for dessert. I am not sure I will have time to write here tomorrow...

Wow, amazing how a surgery pushes you to get things done! Over the last days I have been driven to tie all loose ends specially in regards to an old business. I just talked to a lawyer today and feel really good that I did this. I found this great CD called " Successful Surgery" that you can get at www.healthjourneys.com. It has been recommended by Dr. Andrew Weil in his website. I downloaded as MP3 as I only have 3 days and mail won't do it anymore. Studies conducted in Davis say that who listens to it at least 4 times will have a much fast recovery and less pain! Even people who listened only once had improvement. I liked the tape. They even suggest you talk to the surgeon to take it into the surgery room. There is an intro, than guided vision, affirmations and just music. I don't have an IPod but I will ask my son to bring my laptop as soon as they remove the tubes so I can listen to it several times a day. Today I also bought ear plugs as I read in Adam's book that the noises in the ICU are too loud. My best friend Shanti landed me a cozy plush pink robe as I will never use a robe again. Thank you Shanti! The only robe I had is a a silk chinese one which would be too light. Reducing my list of things to buy. Shanti is producing a Brazilian TV show called Alternativa Saude. My family doctor Dr. de Mello is going to be in it and he asked if I could give an interview. Let's see if I feel fine by the 15th to be on camera!. I told my son Alex I want him to bring daily to the hospital my coconut water, a shake with acai with banana ( I dont eat any of the usual breakfast they serve), alternating with a super vegetable shake with chia seeds and flax seeds - and a daily shot of wheat grass juice. Food is super important for me. If I dont have a decent breakfast I can't think straight. Today I showed Alex a picture in Adam's book of how the person looks with that tube in the mouth and so on. I just don't want him to be shocked seeing me tied to all the tubes. I am happy I will be able to see my other son Dominik this Sunday. I am happy also that Dr. Drury told me I can take Calms Forte to sleep or if I get anxious the next days. But I am feeling totally fine since my fabulous massage therapist Cherie came over and gave me an amazing session with acupuncture. Thank you Cherie! I feel so blessed! Thank you!

Hello Dear Ones, I got a bit of anxiety today as I still have a list of things to do. Then I realized I am the one putting pressure on myself! It is unrealistic to get everything organized. All I need to organize is really my peace of mind. "Every thought you have create your future" the words of Louise Hay ressonate in my mind, so I shifted from anxiety mode to finding my center again. After breathing and visualizing my youngest son Dominik totally well and happy, and forgiving myself for not being able at this moment to be the one caring for him, I remembered that as a little girl I got fascinated with ballet. I guess I was 3 or 4 years old and in the black and white TV I saw Nureyev dancing. My grandfather caught me mimicking swirling and tiptoeing in front of the TV and the next day he took me to a ballet class. He died when I was 5 and ballet classes were over, but the passion for dance never died. So today I swirled pleasantly in those memories and realized how my body is so deeply connected to movement, and how dancing - whatever dance -makes me feel so sure of myself. One of the great incentives doing this surgery is to allow me to dance and dance without getting tired so fast. Specially samba! I then decided to talk to my ribs and my muscles and skin to warn them to collaborate and make way for the metal surgical instruments that will be travelling through that area to reach the leaflets. Dr. Trento will be using the Da Vinci robot. I like the name. Da Vinci - the artist/inventor/scientist/doctor - was one spirit ahead of his time, and I share that feeling with him, of being an artist, an inventor, and being ahead of my time. I have many talents that have been backstaged by so much turbulence that has taken my life since 2007. Today - 7 years have passed - and I am clearly starting a new phase of my life. I think that with a more precise beat I will have more precise thoughts and actions. I don't think I will be haulted by doubts or by fear anymore. I can sense this is a big shift for me. So I explained to my tissues and I will keep explaining over the next days, that a shift will be happening and I want every cell collaborating, making room, not being in shock with the minimally invasive excursion led by the precise arms of the robot guided by the precise hands of Dr. Trento. There are 4 reasons I chose Dr. Trento. First he was on the list recommended by Adam Pick. Second, he is Italian. Italy is my second home. There is always a Madonna ( Our Lady Mary) in every angle of every house in every village in Italy. She's watching Dr. Trento for sure even if he doesn't ask! Third he operates on little kids. Kids from Equador who can't afford. I just love the fact that he puts his talent to serve South American underprivileged. Fourth he called me at home before my first appointment to introduce himself in response to my email. Now how many doctors call you at home? That made a real good impression on me. Dedicated! Over the next days I will probably write more. Thank you for reading!

I was totally impressed with the high-quality performance of all Cedars- Sinai staff, from reception desk to scrubbing nurse. What hospital do you know that has everybody smiling and in good humor? People just love working there! I met Dr. Kar first time just a few minutes before going in for the angiogram procedure. I had been a bit umconfortable the previous week about the idea of general anesthesia. Did he read my mind? He said hello, touched my pulse and said he would be doing the procedure through my pulse which would make it much faster and there was no need to put me to sleep, he wanted to keep talking with me. I just loved every word he said! And I felt a tremendous trust on him. I had seen in google how Dr. Kar travels the world to share his expertise in important conferences. In the silent of my heart I thanked Dr. Trento for insisting that Dr. Kar be the one to do my angiogram. Now, something really interesting happened during the procedure. Dr. Kar asked why I would be doing the surgery as it did not look like I had a severe situation. He asked where my echoe had been done. After the procedure he came over and asked if I had symptons. He said he might talk with Dr. Trento to check a few things. I did not have time to tell him about my 8 months treating with SE2, and many supplements, and about the spiritual surgery that happened 3 weeks earlier. The nurse who was preping me for discharge said he had written in the chart that maybe my surgery should be suspended! The nurse told me to call his office and set an appointment in 3 days. Well, as soon as I got home I called Dr. Kar's office but his assistant told me he would be out of town the next week and only back on the 4th, the day before my surgery. I told her all about what happened and she said she would check with him, and the answer back was that the surgery was on the same date. Well, it is very intriguing what is happening. I don't know if Dr. Kar ever saw the echo that was done in Nov 2012 at Harbor/UCLA, which is the one that Dr. Trento saw. Dr. Trento has not seen the last echo of July 2013. Well, 3 weeks ago I had a spiritual surgery requested by friends in Brazil. For 3 Mondays during a certain time I rested for half an hour while in another dimension doctor spirits have been called by the Tupyara Center in Rio de Janeiro to perform a surgery in me. I have not been able to check if I still have any sign of sympton as first I had sprained my ankle and could not walk for a week, than I had blood taken for the surgery and refrained from overdoing. Then, for the last 6 days I had a cold and did not go outside to walk for 1 hour and climb stairs as I generally do. Then with the angiogram I was asked to not exert myself for 48 hours. Ok, tomorrow will be the first day to move myself. Let's see what happens. Dr. Kar said my heart regurgitation was between 2 and 3. I will check with Dr. Trento monday what number he would classify my 2012 Nov echo. Did something happened after the spiritual surgery?

Being Thankful is the key to bringing good luck into your life. Here's a small exercise to acknowledge your gratitude for each organ and body part that contributes to holding together the whole of you. Ordenate the expedition of recognition using your own words. and enjoy! Thank you, eyes! for bringing into my being the light of sunshine, the light of smiles, the colors and shapes of this absolutely creative universe and allowing me to read, to see where I am going and to collect non-verbal information from all living beings. Thank you, nose! For being the main carrier of the air that keeps all of me alive, and provides my senses with the perfumes of jasmin, rose, gardenia, lemon grass, cinammon, the smells of rain over the earth, fresh cut grass, fresh baked bread, chocolate souffle, roasted rosemary chicken and garlic shrimp among so many other delicious food smells. Thank you, mouth! Through you I can taste mangoes, papayas, passion fruit, blueberries, raspberries, açai with banana, cupuaçu, jabuticaba and 500 other brazilian fruits! I can chew cashews, nocciola, kale, aspargus, brocolli, carrots, beets, rice and black beans with farofa, tagliatelle with pesto sauce, ice creams and wow, I can kiss. Eating and kissing, what a bliss! And yes I can sing. Romantic ballads, bossa nova, samba, gospel and pop songs. I can tell everybody I meet about their unique gifts, I can inspire people with my words, I can ask for what I need, I can say thank you for your kindness and I can say I love you. Thank you, ears! Because through you I can receive words of love, words of wisdom, words of courage, I can hear the ocean, the wind, the rain falling, the birds, the monumental orchestra of nature and the monumental creation of outstanding composers, musicians, poets, the strings, the piano, the african drums and the zillions of musical instruments that human creativity has invented. Thank you stomach for digesting food and emotions! You are the great recycling center of my body evaluating everything that comes in and deciding where it goes. You turn food into nutrients and generously allow the blood to carry all it needs to feed all organs. You also push out whatever is toxic and must be discharged. I recently realized you need my attention and I hope you are enjoying the Chi Nei Tsang navel massage that I do to digest also the scares, the worries, the doubts, the fears, the anger, the ressentment, the anxiety. Thank you navel for receiving all those undigested emotions and recycling them into recognition of divine love and wisdom. Thank you heart for beating every second for the last 57 years of my life! Thank you for being there with me, silently, and recently with more sound presence, letting me know you are working so hard to keep me going until I can perform all my dreams! Thank you for being my very best friend and companion, never leaving me alone, doing your very best to pump the blood to all other organs, being the maestro of my internal orchestra. Thank you for communicating to my brain what really needs to be taken care of. Thank you for being the Monumental Master that commands all functions and is in direct communication with the source of all creation and unveil daily the path for my evolution. Thank you brain for organizing my life through both hemispheres, the creative and the logical, and organizing my speech, my writing, my thoughts, my walking, my lifting, holding, embracing, dancing, research, study capacity, habit training, visionary imagination, solution seeker, and master of all tasks that I desire to investigate and do. to be continued...

Here are some tips to improve symptons during the time you are waiting for your surgery. I am a persistent researcher and have found relief with: Elimination of all sugar and salt from what you eat. Amazing difference! You will feel immediate well being. SE2 - removed my shortness of breath and gave me enough energy to go around doing all my chores. I started with 4caps 3x a day. Now am at 3 caps in morning and 2 caps 2x a day It increases the natural production of stem cell in your body. Your own stem cells engage in a journey to heal any damaged tissue. Check about ingredients and research here: http://www.stemtechbiz.com/SE2.aspx Magnesium Malate or Citrate - decreased PVC's (pre-ventricular contractions) 480mg a day C ( 1000 mg) , D ( 1000 IU), E (200IU), B Complex 100 and Niacin 100mg Coconut Water - removes the awkward palpitations. It is full of electrolytes. It is the ultimate hydrator. Get the 100% pure one ( no sugar, no preservatives. I drink at least 500 ml a day ( 2 glasses). If I am going to be under direct sun I drink 1.5 liter along the day. Hawthorne Berry - I take 450 mg 2x a day. It improves circulation reduces angina, palpitations, strenghtens the heart muscle and aids digestion. Study found that 900 mg a day for 2 months was as effective as captropil. http://www.aafp.org/afp/2010/0215/p465.html Omega 3 Fish Oil - I take 1000 mg a day ( Nordic Naturals is a 100% pure brand used in clinical trials and much cheaper than Lovaza) Ubiquinol - 100 mg a day I walk daily 40 min-1 hour. I do 14 breaths in the morning, afternoon and night http://www.artofliving.org/yoga-breathing-techniques/alternate-nostril-breathing-nadi-shodhan Even with all that care sometimes I am caught with a stressful situation derived from exterior challenge relating to my children or work. When anxiety comes to surface I breathe and if necessary take drops of kava kava extract, or take homeopathic Calms Forte from Highland. And I allow myself to receive a cranio-sacral massage or acupuncture treatment. Took me a while to accept investing on such a luxury as a massage. Today I understand how stupid I was resisting. Women have a tendency to give so much care for all around her and always think she can endure whatever. I thank my mitral heart valve for teaching me to make myself a priority at last. Lessons in self-love. Along with heart symptons I don't know if any of you deal with inflammation of joints and digestive issues. I have been eating organic healthy meals for years but that alone does not suffice. Here's what I do and I have improved tremendously. Digestion - Probiotic in capsules or kombucha or sauerkraut ( I vary daily); L-Glutamine in between meals ( 500 mg); Superdigestaway and Digestan-SP ( I take them anytime I have beans or meat protein) - Infflamation - Turmeric - 1,500 mg a day Cat's Claw - 500 mg 2x a day Glocosamine/Chondroitine/MSN Hyaluronic Acid This is what has worked for me. Every person has a different body and chemistry, so of course you must check with your doctor before taking anything I list here. But most doctors do not take the time to study the benefits of nutrition and supplements. A naturopath like Dr. Andrew Weil will know. Dr. Sinatra is a cardiologist that practices functional medicine ( integritive medicine). I read everything and cross check information because I have an inclination to be a researcher in well-being. P.S. If you decide to order SE2 please use my ID # 6386736. I am not a sales person and this is not a sales pitch. My passion is writing, but when people can't believe my heart condition because I look so healthy and ask what I do, I share the information, and Stem Tech offers me a discount on my next order.

I was on my way for donating blood for myself when Gladis ( Dr. Trento\'s scheduling coordinator) called to say the surgery needed to change for a new date. From the 2 options I chose Nov 5th - and later checked with my \"spiritual counselors\" in Brazil Lucia and Brandira and they confirmed that it was a good choice. New moon, and a Tuesday, a good day for surgery, ruled by Ogum. I have to arrive at the hospital at 9:30 -- so the surgery will be at 10:30 I suppose. My son Alex will drive me there and will wait so he can notify all of you how well I am doing. He will be in charge of updating everybody through this journal. I thought this would make his job easier until I can type on the computer again. My zero gravity chair arrived today. I plan to place it by the balcony so I can look at my plants. I am buying new flowers to make a beautiful very green and soothing view for my recovery. Everything is easier knowing of the wonderful friends and beautiful family that I have!

A romantic date? Well sure...with my new heartbeat! Don\'t we get all excited with dates, weddings and births? I have been intrigued by all that will happen after Oct 29th when my valve will start closing without a murmur! I will go for mitral valve repair with Dr. Trento at Cedars- Sinai. And I am preparing my spirit, talking to my body and explaining to my heart that something extraordinary will be happening with the reshaping of the leaflets and the BEAT that my whole body heard since 15 years old. New beat, new dance, new way of feeling awaits me. Have you heard of Chi Nei Tsang? This is an ancient taoist navel massage to digest emotions, and I am learning to do it on myself. I also got a reading of my navel with an expert and was told that I worry way too much. Well, it is time to leave all worry behind and fully trust a skilled humanitarian surgeon who I chose to provide me with a new beat.