[Leica] Angioplasties and a Friday Flower

[cummer at netvigator.com (H&ECummer)]

Hi Luggers,
Some of you may have noticed my radio silence over the last month or  
so but only a few safari friends know the reasons why.
I have been learning about the miracles of modern medicine first hand.  
On November 11th I had my first angioplasty involving 7 stents in the  
two left arteries.
Just the day before I had had a dye CT scan which showed major  
narrowing in all three arteries - despite having normal range LDL  
numbers - which I have tracked for years.
And the first miracle was that I was able to be operated on the day  
after the scan - in fact the cardiologist wouldn't let me leave the  
hospital but checked me in right away.
The second miracle is that the medical technology is straight out of  
Star Wars (made by Siemens Germany) allowing three dimensional imaging  
of the operating area
through the use of contrast dye and little R2D2 xray boxes that zip  
around by remote control with a large X ray wheel swiveling overhead.  
My first angioplasty lasted 4 hours and I took in so much contrast dye  
that the last right artery was left for another time to avoid over  
loading my kidneys. The second angioplasty took place on Tuesday this  
week and it wasn't so successful.
The cardiologists couldn't get in due to a double S bend in the artery  
near the heart so no stents were installed. That's the bad news. While  
they were in they checked the earlier stents and everything is  
settling in well. The blood flow from the left arteries is strong  
enough that capillaries are developing to feed blood to the nearly  
blocked right artery and if that trend continues the cardios say that  
open heart surgery may not be required. So that's the good news.
So, I am back and here is a friday flower to celebrate - taken with  
the Fuji X100 in macro mode.

<http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/HKFall2011/OrchidW.jpg.html 
 >

Please look large and enjoy.
C&C always welcome.
Howard