bitflipper
...After 20 minutes I still hadn't raised by heart rate high enough for the test. 133 BPM was the target, 120 BPM was all I could manage. Is it just a coincidence that's also the default tempo when you open a new SONAR project?

Ha!  You've been synced to SONAR! 

Best wishes, Dave, sending out some positive vibes (at 120 bpm of course.)
 
John

More positives from Sunny Scotland Dave.
 
My father suffered with angina for years. I always remember on a visit to the doc asked if his heart would kill him one day. Doc said 'how old are you?' '80' my Dad replied. Doc thought for a sec and said 'No, don't worry about it. Something else will get you before that does'

Positive thoughts and prayers for you Dave!
 
Exerciser and eat healthy! You got many many years left!
 
 
Paul 

Thanks, Julien. They reinforced what you just said - that just because the CT scan and EKG didn't show any problems that doesn't necessarily mean there are none. The nurse told me of a patient who came in under similar circumstances, was sent home, and had a heart attack 3 weeks later. They all stressed the importance of coming back in if I have chest pains again.
 
That's depressing. My last visit to the ER cost me $1500, and that was just for a single CT scan (which identified kidney stones). This time I had 2 scans + stress test and stayed overnight in the hospital. It'll be at least 2 grand. It's enough to make me want to move to Canada. Or France, or Great Britain, or Sweden or just about any other industrialized country on the planet where health care doesn't routinely bankrupt people.
 
Jeez, I've got more important things to spend my money on! Ozone 6 is out!
 
 

It breaks my heart to hear you're suffering.
 
My very best to you, Bit. 

But we have the greatest medical care in the world! Doctors earn 4x to 10x as much money here as their counterparts in France. Insurance companies are among the richest, most consistently profitable businesses in America. And lawyers, who make up 98% of Congress, are accustomed to 6- and 7-figure settlements over medical lawsuits. Pharmaceutical companies have no problem charging $100 a day for medication that someone needs to stay alive.
 
If a politician suggests even the slightest improvement to the status quo some very big money comes out to make sure they're portrayed as Commies who want to institute mandatory euthanasia for the elderly. It's OK, I'm not violating the no-politics rule here because it's not about politics at all, it's about money.
 
My wife has stage 4 cancer. The diagnosis came on my birthday. The family was informed during my birthday party. In all likelihood I'll be observing my next birthday alone. Fortunately, she's old enough to qualify for Medicare so we won't have to sell the house to pay for treatment and oxygen. 
 
The one bright spot in this mess is that we live in one of the few states where you don't go to prison for using marijuana for medicinal purposes.
 
Turning to better news, my new computer is arriving today, a gift from my son-in-law. Woo hoo. Enough RAM to finally use my OTS Rickenbacker library properly. As long as I don't have to sell it, anyway.

OMG Dave when it rains it pours. I'm very sorry to hear of your wifes condition :(
Hang in there dude. It's all we can do when on a ride like that. I hope she has good care.
 

I bet if you try, you can get on SSI Disability. Low cost and they will do what you need. This government wants everyone to be dependent on them so they are quick to approve. I bet you'd get it. You should try... they will also send you a check every month. I'm sure you have paid more than your part in, may as well get something back and it sounds like it could help you. IDK. The worst they can do is say "no", then you appeal and they usually say "yes".

Dave, I'm really very sorry to hear about your wife, that's awful.

I'm so sorry to hear about your wife's cancer, Dave.  My best wishes to both of you and your family. 

I wanted to try something cheering, but cut it for fear of a backfire.
 
How about a song...
http://stabilitynetwork.blob.core.windows.net/g-tunes/20130614_05_TheMaker.mp3
 

My hopes and prayers are with you and your wife bit flipper. We have a saying here: kia kaha. It means stay strong.

I have had to dealwithdoctors unions over here inNZ and believe me they only care about money too. It's a cookie cutter degree with no real intelligence required but when fully qualified they earn about 350k a year for 50hrs a week and then massive income for overtime. At least u guys can sue them over there.... The knowledge could be codified and moved to some sort of iapp. But then of course it would take a doctor with a degree to press the diagnose button on the iPhone. Bunch of bastardsIMHO.

Keep us up to date on you and your wife's health bitflipper. Kia Kaha.

I'm in two minds about the whole health care system having experienced both the US system and the NHS. On the one hand tax funded healthcare seems like the fairest idea, but on the other hand it's not without its drawbacks. When I got told I had skin cancer and had to have surgery ideally within 6 weeks (preferably a lot less) in order to stop it spreading to my lymph system, I made inquiries back home in the UK as to possible waiting times to have the surgery for free and was told that there was a strong possibility that I'd have to wait longer than that, worst case maybe even double. Not having health insurance at the time I realized it was going to cost a considerable sum in the US, but I didn't want to substantially decrease my chances of survival on an NHS waiting list, so I bit the bullet. When I asked the specialist how soon I could have the surgery, he asked me "when are you next free?" I also found there was quite a bit of wriggle room with the price - when I told the surgeon that I was paying for it out of pocket, he slashed the price for me. I'm not sure how often that happens. I was also given a variety of payment options by the hospital, and they also put my in contact with a cancer charity which helps uninsured people with treatment payments. In the end I decided that since I had the money it would be wrong of me to accept charity, even though I certainly had other plans for that cash  - but in the end, I consider it the best money I ever spent. The quality of treatment here really is second to none in terms of facilities, waiting times etc. It was certainly a far cry from anything I'd ever experienced back home. 
 
On the other hand, I once went into an emergency room in NYC with strep throat and for a 5 minute session with a student doctor, during which he injected my butt with penicillin and told me to be on my way, I was charged almost $1000 (most of which was an "emergency room fee"). So there's that. 

Ya man, break that seal and and that's only a $25 toothbrush.