Like many retirees on Monday morning, I have a TEE time. However, I’m not taking my clubs. Instead, it’s another heart test at Sarasota Memorial Hospital to monitor on my aortal aneurism. TEE is an abbreviation for Transesophageal Echocardiogram. On Wednesday, I should have a date for surgery when we meet with the cardiologist to examine the results. Other tests have previously determined that I have no blockages, but the concern is the size, currently at 5.3cm, just under the 5.5 danger mark. Most of my advisors have indicated that I should just go ahead and get it taken care of before I get any older, which is inevitable. If I don’t get older, it’s because of this life-threatening flaw in my circulation system. 

It has been proven that I do have a heart, although some of my employees in the past have questioned this fact. I’m also not disappointed that there will be no golf on Monday, a skill that I really never got the hang of, despite many attempts and lessons. I do still have my clubs, but they are slowly deteriorating in the heat of our Florida garage. The TEE procedure co-pay will be about the same as a round of golf.

I’ve had tubes shoved down my throat before, at least this time it will be done while I’m not conscious. I have a strong gag reflex; proven during the many laser procedures I had done on my vocal cords down in San Antonio many years ago. Ultimately, the wart that affected my speaking abilities continued to grow back until a more drastic liquid nitrogen freeze was conducted when we moved to Portland. It has left me with a raspy voice that when coupled with my hearing aids and upcoming cataract surgery, means I will hopefully speak no evil, hear no evil, and see no evil.