At a loss

That sweet, sweet Linnea asked me where I had been lately. In a quandry, mostly. Out of my mind, too! I was going to post my outrage at my Lakeland Electric bill, the most recent one. Normally our meter is read every 28 days but this time it was 40 days. Over 63,000 customers have humongous bills, me included! I haven't found a job yet and unemployment isn't that much to help pay this bill. I could pay it but would have 0 left over to get me thru 2 weeks.

Now I'm at a loss. I lost one of my very closest friends Saturday morning. Cause of death will be a heart attack. Her husband thinks her new meds did it. She went to the hospital last Sunday, not feeling too good and difficulty breathing. Diagnosed with congestive heart failure, released on Wednesday afternoon. I called her, she told me they sent her home with 7 prescriptions. She had an appointment on the 12th next week to see the cardiologist. She took the meds on Thursady and started feeling very bad , went to the ER and they said she had indigestion and sent her home. She did not take her meds on Friday. Saturday morning she ate her cereal and took her meds. She started feeling bad, things got worse and 911 was called. They resuscitated her 4 times and flatlined each time. The doctor in the ER worked on her for an hour and could not bring her back. My wonderful, beautiful friend was gone.

She told me me tht she hadn't been feeling so good since January and had been to the doctor. She gained 30 pounds since January and this was obviously due to the CHF. She leaves a husband, 2 daughters, stepson, stepdaughter and several grandchildren. We did so many crazy things together. I went to see my first Chippendale knockoff dancer. I went to a biker bar and played darts. It wasn't that wild of a place, after all it was next door to a gas station. She gave me a baby shower. So many fun times at work and many long talks. She had the best laugh and a great smile. Her husband and her had just planned to take a 3 week trip on the motorcyle and go wherever the wind blew them. They were working really hard on their marriage. Her youngest daughter, Allison, 17, will be a senior when schools start and just made captain of the cheerleading team. She kept her grandaughter since Samantha couldn't take care of her. She became a new Mama again. She was full of life and energy.

She was let go from her Verizon job after 30+ years of service. In the past few years she was a supervisor. They are cutting back drastically, letting craft and management go left and right. She was under a great deal of stress, she smoked and did imbibe. She was diagnosed several years ago with cardiomyopathy, inherited from her father who died from that. Her brother has it and her sister was recently diagnosed with it. Cardiomyopathy and CHF don't make a good combo plus she had high BP which was being treated. Her husband told me he was going to pursue the meds aspect, sounds like a good idea to me.

I am at a loss for everything at the moment. Numb, sick, sad, empty. Vicki was 50 years young.
I will miss my friend, her laugh, her smile, her craziness. My friends mean so much to me and all of you in bloggyland included. Goodbye Vicki!!