Yes, I had a heart attack almost two years ago--about three months after the picture above was taken, in fact.
Yes, counting multivitamins, I'm on about 8 pills/day.
Yes, I wear a medical ID bracelet now.
Yes, I try to be in bed by 11:30pm most nights, especially worknights.
Yes, if I'm in a phase of being serious about my workouts, I hit the gym most nights after work, which does put a crimp in the ol' social life.
Because I'm not home and presentable until around 8:30pm, and I haven't even had supper yet.
I also don't want to go out to places that allow smoking, because my hair is tailbone-length, and washing smoke out of all that hair, then waiting for it to dry, takes a long time (using a dryer on it would fry it).
So that limits what I'm even interested in doing on a weeknight--no bands playing in smoky clubs, for example. On a weekend, it's easier for me to deal with getting all the smoke out of my hair and clothes. During the week, I just don't have time for that mess. Plus, I don't smoke, and I don't like breathing smoke. If there's a good enough reason, I'll put up with it, but really? I plain don't like it.
When I do go out, I don't drink more than two beers, at most. I can't remember the last time I was well and truly drunk, complete with hangover. Eventually I figured out that the cost-benefit wasn't working for me: the few hours of being buzzed weren't worth spending the entire next day feeling like someone was pulling out every single hair on my head, individually.
On the other hand, I'm *also* not gumming the 4pm K&W early-bird special, then hopping into my long granny flannel nightgown, taking my teeth out, pulling up my Depends, and going to bed by 7pm.
So what do I do on my weeknights after work and gym?
Sometimes I go out to events at bookstores: author appearances, book signings, that sort of thing.
I host a monthly book club meeting.
Once every two months, I host a women's heart disease support group.
My husband and I go out to dinner with friends.
We have board games nights.
A lot of times when I get home from work and the gym, after my shower, if I'm not going back out again, I'll get into whatever I plan to sleep in: usually lounge pants and a comfy shirt.
While I may be in my jammies by 8:45pm, by no means does that mean I'm going to bed at 8:45pm.
What it means is that I've gotten comfortable in my own home, and I'm relaxing after work and working out.
I have heart disease--but I'm still above ground. And I plan to stay that way.
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