August BP

More Walking Man

I am on Day Three of my walking program. I am not having too much trouble getting up early and getting out. I'm finding it really enjoyable. I'm alone with my thoughts and I'm not really exerting myself. I have started noticing all kinds of things I have never noticed or thought of before.

One thing I've noticed that I've never seen before is the canopy of trees over the street at the far east end of Park Place. That's the way it used to be all around the park before the Dutch Elm Disease hit.

I walk right down the middle of the street because the sidewalks are too uneven for the dark. I never even saw a car this morning. It takes me just short of 40 minutes to walk two laps.

I can tell you that I definitely feel the burn towards the end of lap two. My hip joints feel a little sore and today at least, I was starting to get a little sweat going. That is probably not a good sign or indicator of my current health status. That's no big deal though because I am doing this specifically to improve my health status.

Walking Man

After work on Friday, I was at the Hub Tavern meeting the usual Friday after work crew including Susan, whom you may know as my wife. Also in attendance was LeeVee. 

He started giving me shit about how I don't exercise enough and I should be walking more. 

He then challenged me to a walk on Monday morning. He would be on my front porch at 5AM to walk with me. I know that this is no problem for LeeVee because he is an early riser. He works in the Financial Industry and must be at the office when the Market opens.

I normally wake up at 5:30. In order to meet LeeVee for the walk, I had to get up at 4:45. That's only 45 minutes earlier. I can do that! 

The problem with the whole arrangement was that I knew for 99.999% surety that LeeVee was never going to show up at my door at 5AM to walk with me.

It's that .001% that concerned me and made me get up and walk this morning...alone...by myself...with nobody else.

I liked it. It was quiet. It was peaceful. I noticed a couple of things about the neighborhood that I had not noticed before. I need to continue this trend. I only walked a mile this morning but I'll up it to two tomorrow.

I will say that I am going to commit myself to doing this five days a week. Let's see how long this lasts!

T.M.I. - More Pee Tracking

I was so successful yesterday tracking my bathroom visits that I decided to do it again. I just want to see if I follow the same patterns every day, which I suspect I do.

  5:46  Took my drugs
  7:31   #1
  8:29   #1
  9:38   #1
10:45   #1&2  Do NOT go in there!!!
11:32   #1
12:15   #1

I'm drinking coffee again. I had given it up for about the last two months, since the defibrillator went off. I haven't had a problem giving it up so I'm not sure how wise it is to take it up again. I just enjoy a cup in the morning. While it is a big cup, I have only been having one.

The reason I gave it up was I was experiencing some slight dizzy spells after having drank a cup on a Saturday or Sunday morning following my initial release from the hospital.

So I have been reluctant to try it again. But I had a cup yesterday and did okay. And I'm having a cup today. So far, no ill effects.

Later: Okay, I'm thinking now I need to give up coffee. I'm bummed. There's nothing better on a Saturday or Sunday morning that a nice cup of coffee with a splash, a dollop, a sousant of Bailey's Irish Cream

T.M.I. - Pee Tracking

I'm conducting an experiment today that I've never thought about doing before.

Among the plethora of medications I swallow every morning is Furosemide, a diuretic. It offloads any extra water you may be retaining. In other words, it makes you pee. A lot!

Normally, I take the pills at about 5:45 AM at home and have my first visit to the bathroom right after I get to work. Then again about 20 minutes later. Then again about 20 or 30 minutes later. From there it steadily decreases and by lunchtime, I'm back to visiting the bathroom like a normal person.

I decided this morning to actually track my visits. I love statistics. I never do anything with the statistics, but I love to collect them.

So here is what we have for todays' bathroom activity.

  6:53   #1
  7:18   #1
  8:00   #1
  9:20   #1
10:38   #1
11:32   #1
  1:05   #1

If you think I have provided too much information here today, I agree. Also, too damn bad! This blog is for me, not you.

Now I'm going to take these stats and forget about them.

BP - Day Two

Just a quick note to say my blood pressure is back to normal...132/82.

Low BP Man

I had to call the Doctor's office today to request a letter approving my return to work.

Immediately after, I got a call from one of my Doctor's Nurses who was just checking in to see how things were going with me. I said I was fine but reported an unusually low blood pressure for the morning. It was 72/53. I thought that was odd and took it a second time with essentially the same results.

I took it again while the nurse was on the phone and it came up a little bit but not much...92/60ish.

She called back a while later and asked if I could come in at 2:45. I said I could. 

When we got in there, we waited for a good half hour before being called in. They ran an ultra sound on my heart and then checked my device and ran an E.K.G.

Dr. B came in after a bit and said she brought me in to make sure that blood wasn't pooling around the top of my heart. That is sometimes a consequence of the surgery. She thought everything was okay and we were outta there.

There's No Place Like Home

I am writing from HOME! Yea!

I passed the Blood Pressure test on the third try. See my earlier post for info on the Blood Pressure test.

Anyway, I am home for a few days. I'm going to go back to work on Monday. In the meantime, I'm feeling a little tired. I think I shall nap.

Not my Last Post

I am writing from bed 1 of Room 601 at the Sacred Heart Get-Yourself-Better Institute. It is early in the morning. I was unable to update anything yesterday because I had to lay flat on my back for about nine hours in order for my wound to heal sufficiently. 

I got the catheter removed just moments ago and finally allowed to sit up.

The procedure went well in that I survived it. I am bruised, banged up and hairless.

I will get to go home today and so that is good.

We won't really know how successful the Ablation was for a while. I have been on a drug called Amiodorone, which stopped the extra beats in my heart. Now I have to be weened off it in order to figure out if the Ablation worked. 

In the meantime, I have been almost completely shaved. I have a giant bruise on my groin where they inserted the Ablation hose. I woke up with a catheter and again...like last year, it is very painful to pee. Now that it's out, I can tell it won't be as bad as last year.

Additionally, my lips are bruised. I assume that is from whatever tubuals they jammed down my throat.

The picture really doesn't show it that well.

As soon as I can pass the blood pressure test, they will set me free.

First they take my blood pressure while I'm flat on my back. (151/73) Then they take it while I am sitting up. (140/73) Finally, they take my blood pressure while standing. (95/72) The top number needs to be with 20 points for all three reading.

I've done it twice and waiting for another try. I'll eat some breakfast first.

My Last Post?

I am about to walk out the door where Susan will drive me down to Sacred Heart Medical Center for my Ablation procedure. The procedure is scheduled for around 11:00 and I have to report in at 8:00.  

It remains to be seen if I will be back home tonight, tomorrow or never again.

Let's try not to be negative.

Dive In Movie Night

We have a busy weekend in front of us with lots of social gatherings to attend. The first was last night. Our neighbors were having a pool party. The theme was "Dive In Movie". They hauled a big screen TV out to the patio and after some socializing, we all watched "Jaws".

It was a great evening and here are some pictures.

Here are some more pictures

The one odd weather event for the night was smoke. It had been a beautiful clear day all day until about five o'clock. Then the smoke blew in thick and heavy and obliterated the sun. It really cooled everything down which was nice, but it was kind of odd. Towards the end of the movie, you could start to see the moon, but here is what it looked like.

Our next event for Saturday evening was a trip to the Spokane River in the valley for Chuck O'Connor's birthday. I met Chuck and Maggie years ago when I bar tended in the valley. We go to their summer party every year and it's always a great time.

Unfortunately, I got a call from Maggie today and she was wondering why we didn't make the party. It was last night!

DAMN!!! We missed it!

If she had not called, we would have gone out there and showed up and realized we were idiots.

In the meantime, it is Saturday afternoon right now...about 2:00. I have been watering and Susan is out with my Mom playing with jewelry.

We have a guy here working on the roof. Just some minor repairs to the Carriage House and some wind damage to the main house roof. The guy's name is Mitchell and I've known him since before he was borned. He is the son of our buddy Mark, whom we have mentioned and chronicled here on many occasions.

Here are some more pictures.

So, that's our day.

Walk About Report

I have been walking a lot lately. Well, a lot for me. I go out at lunch and do a mile. It's very very hot out and it looks like that condition is expected to continue. That adds to the difficulty of the walk.

Basically, I walk down to the store or a fast food place, have some lunch, and walk back. I know that it's a mile, down and back.

I need to go to the grocery store more and stay away from the fast food. One of the nurses at the hospital told me that if the food comes to me through a window, I should not be eating it.

Of course, I am still not able to drive so nothing is coming to me through a window. However, the counter that is attached to the window is the same thing.

I will say that I am noticing that the pain in my hips that I have complained about is not as severe. That means I am improving. Improvement is good. Therefore, I am good!

For the second day in a row, I took the bus home from work. It takes about an hour AND I get to walk some more. The bus has sure been crowded. It's hard to get a seat to yourself. I lucked out today but not so much yesterday.