summer cooking and where I have been...

this is not how I had planned my summer, at all...we had moved to a new house on May 1st and I still have so much to do with the new house and I thought I would just be really busy with that...
I was thrown a curve ball...big time...

when I was 46, I had a heart attack...I thought at the time, I was too young for that sort of thing...although heart disease runs in my family...my mom died of heart disease at 56 and so when I passed that age, I thought I could breathe...from that heart attack, I got heart failure and at first, there was no problems but as time has gone on and I am now 67, heart failure is a huge issue, a daily problem...it is very hard...I also have CoPD with symptoms of frequent bronchitis and a daily cough (more than daily, seems like every minute of the day...)  when both issues decide to raise their ugly heads, we have a problem...

Friday night 6/3 I noticed an increased breathing issue, tried an inhaler, did not work, did a breathing treatment, still did not work and then felt an increasingly worse chest pressure with my blood pressure skyrocketing...the chest pressure kept getting worse with a burning tightness associated to it also...tried taking nitro, still pain...finally called paramedics when it was evident that I could not get better on my own...very scary night...it was pretty bad on a bipap machine etc.  once they started a nitro drip was the first I started feeling some relief...mild heart attack with heart failure exacerbation...

it is hard coming back from that...I am still very tired, and I feel guilty about not getting much done...I am still hoping to have the house completely done before school starts in August...(hopefully)...still some issues with heart meds, but we are getting there...

so, with all of these problems, I am still trying to get dinner on the table each night, being mindful my energy level and how hot it is outside...

here are a few things I have made this past month:
    slow cooker mac and cheese
    sloppy joes
    taco salad
    chicken salad
    BBQ whole chickens
    anything else I can BBQ
    I have made a couple of slow cooker pot roasts (they make terrific sandwiches)
    a slow cooker chicken with gravy
    sausage and hash brown casserole
    turkey and bacon wraps
    one skillet pasta with bacon and peas (this was very good)
    korean beef

at least I am trying...