Today I drive 90 miles each way to Scottsbluff, NE, for routine heart tests. I want to make sure my ticker is strong and healthy before I head to the wilderness during my summer sabbatical (it is).

I went to Scottsbluff because when I searched for cardiologists at my insurance web site, it listed them by distance from Wheatland. They indicated that the Scottsbluff doctors are  60 miles from Wheatland. I thought,  I get tired driving 70 miles  to Cheyenne so how about something new, a little drive to Scottsbluff, taking a back route that parallels the coal trains and the North Platte River?

Surprise: Scottsbluff is 90 miles. I left early, so no problem. The cardiologist is about my age, a nice guy, and wants to talk not about my heart but my upcoming trip: where I an going, where I will stop, camper description and so on. He has all kinds of advice about things to see. Finally I am able to nudge him to discuss my heart. He orders a stress test and a 24-hour holter monitor.

The nurse took me into another room and then placed the monitor connectors on my stomach and chest. I clip the monitor to my jeans and head for the checkout desk. The lady says,  You have to get the stress test today. And oops,  I have to do that before I get the monitor installed. So, back to the little room and a flustered nurse. Monitor off.

I wait for a few more minutes for the stress test guy to call me. He takes me into another room with fancy equipment  and a treadmill and then tells me to  undress from the waist up and put on a gown. Next, I lay down while he puts more connectors and wires on my chest and stomach area. Oops the machine is not working. Oops., it is really really not working. I will be right back, he says,

When the tech comes back he tells me the machine is seriously broken and he has to take me to the hospital for the test. The nurses were frantic about all this and thinking maybe I was getting angry. I said, No problem. Doesn’t everyone have these kinds of experiences? To my surprise, they said uh..no..we are all having a bad day.

I think, what do you mean, no? Am I the only one who lives Murphy’s Law in their daily life?  Apparently so.

Anyway, medical building connects to the hospital. After many hallways and elevators, we get to another fancy room full of equipment and a treadmill. Repeat with the gown and laying down. I watch as he does a heart sonogram. So very cool to see my own ticker.

Next, the actual doc comes in, full of questions about the trip again. Yak yak. I get on the treadmill and it won’t start. The guys did a few tweaks and finally it starts. Doc yaks the whole time about my trip…this time about wolves and bears and how I deter them (a common question).  I tell him my pepper spray story (discharged into my own face) and describe my person locator beacon. He was ultra nice!  Sigh.

Anyway, the doc informs me that my heart is looking good, but I still need to wear the 24-hour monitor just to be sure. More hallways, elevators, and I am back in the doctor’s office getting the monitor hooked up, again.

Chest connections to monitor

Next, I start the 90 miles drive back home, all wired up. En route,  I reward myself with an artery clogging stop at Dairy Queen for popcorn shrimp and onion rings (heart is okay, right?).

Drive, drive, drive. I come into heavy rains and small hail. The windshield wipers are whoosing like mad and I could barely see. Suddenly I drive out of the storm and all around me are dark, menacing clouds. I realize after a few miles that this looks like Weather channel footage of tornado systems: an anvil cloud formation, small rotations. The wind suddenly shifts and tumbleweeds start blowing the opposite direction across the road. Then everything is still. I roll down the window to feel the stillness and eerie vibe, and  I keep driving, fairly certain I am in the middle of a tornado cell. The way the road turned, I ended up driving right under the anvil cloud. Yikes,  I am thinking.

After I get under the storm, I see lots of people pulled over, looking in the direction I just came in from. Now I am certain that I was in a tornado cell. I pull over to get some photos and am amazed at the rotating clouds and mini funnels at the base of them. Nothing huge, though. Nothing touched down.

When I got home at 7:45 PM, I see that my phone had an alert that said , Tornado Warning in this area till 7:30 PM. Take shelter now. Since I was driving in the loud hail I never heard the alert come in.

I also learned that Weather.com sent me an email: Severe thunderstorm  capable of producing a tornado  was located 9 miles north of Wheatland. Yep, that’s a big 10-4. Drove right through it. Good thing my ticker is going strong.

A few people sent  texts asking if  I was okay. I guess the tornado sirens went off and it was nasty here.

I claim to love adventure and that was the most I have seen in a while. So back to Murphy’s Law: is it only me who lives a crazy life? Am I the only one who eats popcorn shrimp and onion rings after a visit to the cardiologist? Would it be possible to have a few days of peace and quiet? Is it genetic? Is it in the Wyoming water? It’s all good, though. I wouldn’t know how to live any other way.

Photos:

Nice mini funnel right in the middle of the photo

Baby rotations, lower left

Everything is sooo green out there–thanks to frequent snow and rain this year. Now, a cold beer and a hug from Tango, who was home through all of this.