Weight Milestone

Let’s start with the constipation issue. Everything came out well in the end.

The reason I’m posting today is to announce I’ve reached one of my weight loss goals. Today, I weighed 224.6 pounds. I finally broke the 225 mark.

Unfortunately, I’m going to lunch with the boys and then going to dinner with Susan’s cousin who surprisingly showed up in Post Falls.

Neither of those meals is going to contribute to weight loss.

One of the things I notice during my constipation issue was my loss of appetite. I went on line to re-check the side effects of Ofev, the new drug I’m on that is giving me diarrhea.

It did say that one of the other side effects was loss of appetite. I had not noticed that since I started this drug back on the 7th. But it has definitely been the case for me since Saturday.

I’ll be keeping an eye on that.

Constipation

 I’m not sure if I’m having constipation or not. What I do know is I have not taken a crap since Saturday afternoon.

I don’t feel any giant urge to go and I don’t feel bound up. There is an ever so slight discomfort in my stomach, like an upset stomach, but not really.

I called my Pulmonologist because I’ve been on a new drug she prescribed called Ofev. The drugs is supposed to reduce the progression of scarring in my lungs. One of the side effects mentioned is diarrhea. 

I’ve been taking the drug since June 7th. The diarrhea started within a couple of days and has been a semi regular companion since.

I just got off the phone with Nurse Amy from Dr. Ajaz office. She suggested I increase fluids, drink Prune juice, perhaps some fibrous fruit like peaches.

So I’m off to the store.

Return to Posting

I was on a real streak of posting for a while and then it all went away. So I thought I better get back on the interweb horse and start posting again.

Back on April 27th was the last time my weight was below 230 pounds. I finally broke the barrier today, weighing in at 228.8.

I am very dedicated to losing weight right now in anticipation of my visit to Stanford Medical. And my dedication has been paying off. I have lost 8 pounds in the last week. The main changes I’ve made are cut down on beer and stay away from grains and sugar.

I’ve also been doing some exercise in the form of riding Mark’s eBike. I have been borrowing it now for well over a month. When Mark loaned it to me it had about 60 miles on it. As of yesterday, it has almost 300 miles on it.

I’m having a great time riding it around but it is easy to create the illusion that I’m getting some exercise. I try to peddle at all times. Depending on the level of assistance, I can create some resistance while peddling while not getting wiped out when I go up a hill.

I hardly ever use the throttle except when it’s the end of a ride and I’m trying to wear down the battery. Then it’s like I’m flying around the neighborhood on my twenty mile per hour motor scooter.

I have finally concluded that my best course of action is to set the bike on Assistance Level 2. That’s out of five levels. On 2, I can feel the bike being assisted, but there is some pretty good resistance as I peddle. It travels at around 8 mph. 

On Level 3, the bike takes off and runs at about 12 to 15 mph while I am peddling. There is very little resistance but as long as I peddle, the bike cruises.

The weather continues to be awesome. Nice sunny days but not too hot. I try to ride the bike whenever I can. Some friends loaned me their saddle bags so I can go to the store for stuff, as long as it’s not too much stuff.

I guess, this post is my way of letting Mark know that he’s not getting the bike back.

May BP

 

Stanford Change

We talked to Leslie at Stanford yesterday and learned that our initial week on the 23rd of June is not going to work. We looked at the following week but it contains the Fourth of July, so I don’t think that’s going to work.

So…for now…no Stanford for Stanburke.

Stanford Call

 We got the call from Stanford today.

I was out to lunch with Rob and Mark. We were at the Hub when I got an email from Susan that Stanford called and wants a callback.

I raced home and we made the call.

Leslie 650 725-3823

I am still waiting confirmation but we have set up an initial appointment for the week of June 23rd.  There will be a bunch of tests and meetings and then we should hear if we are approved (or not) by the following week.

I have already contacted my friend Arnie, who lives in San Fran and will put up with us for at least a week.

If we are approved, we need to move to San Francisco for three to six months. 

There are still lots of details to work out and lots of stuff we just don’t know.

Anyway, that’s the latest.

Summer Daze and Rash Update

We are having one of our first Summer-like days. Above is a screen capture of my weather app. We have several days of nice weather ahead of us. Too bad I can’t swim.

In the meantime, let ‘s get an update on my rash.

That’s today’s photo, seven days after the photo on my last post.

It stopped oozing almost immediately after I stopped applying Neosporun. It’s still pretty red and a little itchy but way better than it was.

I never did get the ointment that the doctor prescribed because Rite-Aid didn’t have it on hand. They had to order it and because of the Memorial Day weekend, they wouldn’t have it until at least Tuesday.

Well, by the time Tuesday rolled around, the rash was dramatically improving and I didn’t think I needed the ointment. So, sit on it, Rite-Aid.

I’ve been putting Vaseline on it because it gets pretty dry and scaly but I am definitely feeling that it is on the mend.

I have been riding the hell out of Mark’s bike. I’m really enjoying it. I can’t say that I’m getting the same kind of exercise as when I go on a walk, but I usually return to the house feeling like I stressed myself out a little.

As I’m typing right now, there is a guy named Tim from All Things Piano who is doing what I hope will be the final tune on the piano since it’s refurbishment.

We have been playing it for the last week and half, since Chris was here to do the initial tuning. As expected, it almost immediately went out of tune. During the shake down, we also indentified a few keys down on the bass end that needed a little adjustment.

He’s been here about an hour and probably has an hour to go.

In the meantime, I’m going to sit on the front porch and enjoy the weather with my lemonaid.

Dermatological Intervention

I have managed to secure an appointment this morning with my Dermatologist, Dr. Keith Parker, the guy I saw last January. I was able to find his name, not because of my great memory, but because I wrote about it here in this Blog.

It’s going to be a very busy day starting with this appointment at 9:50.

12:20PM: According to Dr. Parker, I am allergic to NeoSporun. He prescribed an ointment to put on the wound for a few days and then, just use Vaseline.

So, life goes on and we’ll see how this all works out.

E.R. Ordeal

I have decided to stop messing around and get back in for some professional care concerning this wound on my left arm.

I can’t say that it’s getting worse but it’s not getting better. The big red spot is what concerns me. It continues to ooze and I think it’s getting larger.

The oozing is the main problem. The gauge pad on the large bandage I’m using gets saturated pretty quickly. I have been changing the dressing twice a day but yesterday I changed it three times and then got up about 5am to change it again.

I will again say that it is not painful. It stings in the morning when I wash it and it’s itchy. I consider myself a top notch pussy when it comes to pain so you can take my word that it is not painful.

I have an appointment at the Express Care place at 11:00. Details to follow.

3:30 PM: I am in the ER at Sacred Heart Hospital. I’ve been here about two hours. The guy I saw at Express Care looked at my wound and said I needed to go to the ER or an Urgent Care location for a blood draw to test my blood.

So here I sit.

The place is very busy and there are lots of people here who look worse off than me. I’m staying until 5 and then I will go home and call my Doctor in the morning and go from there.

Thankfully, I brought my iPad along so I can post to this Blog and play some games. Let’s see how long I can play Mahjong or Solitaire before I kill myself.

4:15PM: I’d like to take a moment to talk about Charles Manson, cuz he’s sitting here right next to me. I know Charlie has been dead a few years, but that description also applies to this guy. He’s got the beard, the long scraggly hair. I haven’t really seen his face because he is in a perpetual slump, so I can’t tell if he has the swastika tattooed into his forehead.

There is also a young woman around the corner from me who has been here longer than I, who is clearly in some pain. She constantly moaning with an occasional grunt. Currently, there is a nurse walking around the waiting room calling for Juan. She’s calling and calling and no one is responding. 

I want to tell her there’s no Juan here.

5:12PM: The lady that checked in just before me just got taken in. So I think I’m close to being seen.

I called Susan a while ago and told her I was going to leave at 5:00. She said, “Oh no you don’t either!”

So, I’m still here.

5:37PM: I’m one step closer. They’ve moved me to a comfy chair. I guess I’m waiting for  Mr. Dr. to come see me.

6:30PM: The Doctor doesn’t think it’s infected. He’s ordering some labs and suggested I go see a Dermatologist. Standing by.

They have drawn blood, drawn s’more blood and really professionally wrapped up my wound. I’m not sure what I’m waiting for at this point, but I’m waiting!

7:29PM: I guess they are running the bloodwork and that’s why  I’m still here jut sitting. I’m pretty played out on Mahjong.

8:15PM: I am home. I stopped at the store on the way home and bought some ice cream. Now…I’m going to eat it. I think I deserve it!

Now I have to call a Dermatologist.

Oh good! More Doctors.

Posting About Posting…and the wound

I was on such a great run of posting often and for a while there, every day. I have not been walking since the Walking Challenge ended but I have been riding Mark’s E-Bike almost everyday.

I try to peddle the whole time I am riding but I think I may be fooling myself in how much exercise I’m getting. Some days, I return from a ride feeling pretty well spent and other days, I hop right off and continue my day.

The boo-boo on my arm continues to ooze and grow a bit. The odd thing is the bite that I presume started this whole thing is healing and getting smaller. The area next to it continues to be a large oozing patch. It is not painful, but it is itchy.

This is the picture for today taken shortly after I got out of bed.

Nice, huh?! For anyone concerned about such a lovely wound, let me assure you it is not infected. It is not warm. It is not painful. The ooze is clear and frankly, quite tasty. I am keeping it covered and changing the bandage twice daily. I am using an ointment they prescribed for me. And I am taking an antibiotic twice a day.

The main problem is that with all my heart and lungs issues, plus my body’s age estimated somewhere in the 80’s, I am a slow healer.

Latest BooBoo Report

Perhaps I panicked a little concerning Sunday’s post. I guess my breathing issues that day were an anomaly, or at least a semi recurring event.

I have had no problem with catching my breath the last couple of days. I had a nice eight mile bike ride yesterday with no ill effects.

However, I have a bug bite that once again is causing me some problems. I first noticed it on Saturday but it didn’t become a concern until late Sunday.

Now it is large and red and oozing. I have been covering it with a bandaid and today I applied some of the silver oxide cream I have left over from last Summer’s bug bite eruption.

Stay tuned for more updates and pictures as they become available.

Can't Breath

I think I shall mark today as the day I couldn't breath.

Sometimes in the morning, I can feel how wheezy my lungs are. They kind of crackle with every breath. I learned today that it totally matters how I'm lying in bed, whether I’m on my right side or left side. Everything seems okay when I’m on my back.

I got up a little after 7:00 and found I was having a really tough time catching my breath. I could take a big deep breath but I still felt winded.

I pulled out the oxygen generator and caught a few breaths with that, but the battery was low so I had to charge it.

I went to put on my Oximeter to see where my oxygen percentage was, but that battery was dead too. It's on the charger right now as well.

I'm feeling okay at the moment. We shall see what happens as the day progresses.

4:41PM: The rest of day has been pretty uneventful. I’m definitely feeling a difference on stairs. I’ll just have to watch myself.

I just returned from a brief bike ride to the bank and I felt great doing that. It was only a couple of miles but I did peddle the whole way. Peddle on assist.   

Another Beauty Bike Day

Once again, I took the e-bike out on a ride. Today I used it for a practical reason. I rode 5 miles to Winco Foods to get some stuff, most notably, peanuts for the squirrels.

I managed to make the trip mostly on side streets or low traffic arterials.

The problem I didn’t anticipate was that with two bags of shelled non salted peanuts, my backpack was really heavy. I was able to strap the backpack on to the bike rack over the rear wheel.

It worked quite nicely and I had an equally enjoyable ride home.

I put about 10 miles on the bike and was on it for about an hour.

By the way, here’s a picture of the bike.

I’m glad it’s electric because it is one heavy mofo.

Biker Boy

As predicted, I did not walk today. But I did ride.

My speedometer says I rode 11 miles today but I'm positive at least one of those miles was riding around and around Corbin Park trying to discharge the battery on the bike. I wasn't peddling at all, just using the throttle to use up power. I wanted to get it almost to empty before I charged it.

At the start of my ride, I rode downtown to the Centennial Trail and headed west towards Riverside State Park. 

I'm still trying to figure out the battery life on this bike so I didn't get very far. When it got to 50%, I turned around to come home. It still had 20 % life on the battery when I reached the house.

Unfortunately, the bike is so heavy and I have such poor stamina that I cannot peddle for very long on low or no assistance from the electric motor. So that wears the battery down faster.

I'm planning on riding it to the grocery store tomorrow to get peanuts for the squirrels. It's at least five miles away so it should be a good test of the bikes distance.

But I'm really having a good time riding this bike around.   

End of the Thirty Day Walking Challenge

I guess I should have been keeping track of my mileage during this challenge but I didn’t think about that until I started typing this post. I guess it’s safe to say I walked at least 30 miles.

Until today. Instead of walking, I biked. I borrowed Mark’s electric bike and went for about a ten mile ride.

I peddled most of the time but took advantage of the peddle assist feature. Man oh man! I flew up some of those hills. It’s really fun riding this bike. I want to try and go on a long ride but I’m still feeling out this bike and trying to get a handle on the distance it can go. 

Anyway, the challenge is over and I’m going to be biking for the next few days.

Walking Challenge Day 29

 I measured the distance of my walk today and it was pretty close to 1.25 miles. So, that what I’m calling it.

The course is walking east on Waverly from the house to Atlantic, turn north and go two blocks to Euclid, west on Euclid to Post street, south to Waverly and back to the house.

It was another nice day. I stopped several times to get my oximeter to stop vibrating.

Walking Challenge Day 28

I only have two more days and my 30 day challenge is complete. I know I’ve missed two days but today was not one of them.

Also, it wasn’t one of my best days. I don’t think I made quite a mile and it was broken up by a stop at the Hub.

I’ll try to do better in the waning days of my challenge.

One thing about this challenge is that I have already posted more this year than all of last year. It looks like my best year of posting was in 2014 with just over 130 posts. 

I guess my next challenge is to beat that number. That will require me to stay alive through the year…so that’s my new challenge. Live through the year.

Walking Challenge Day 27

Today’s walk was a bit unorthodox but it was a walk nonetheless.

Susan had to go downtown to get her bib number for Bloomsday. So we drove down, walked several blocks to the Convention Center, walked around the Trade Show and back to the car. I figure it was about a mile. 

Of course, there were several mini grilled cheese sandwiches from the Franz Bakery booth as well as many frosted animal crackers.

Walking Challenge Day 26

I finally got to my walk at about 2:00. It’s a beautiful Spring day. Perhaps the first to hit 80, which is temperature as I write this.

I only did a mile and there was a stop at the Hub Tavern. I learned from my Doctor’s appointment yesterday, that when my Oximeter is buzzing, indicating my oxygen level is below 90%, I need to stop and catch my breath.

Even though I don’t feel any ill effects from the low oxygen, I am stressing my heart. Apparently, that is bad.

I haven’t looked at the data from todays’ walk yet, but I think I did a pretty good job of keeping above 90%.

Anyway, I did my mile and I can put another notch in my walking belt.

Walking Challenge Day Twenty-Five

I only have 5 more days of this challenge. The next challenge will be if I continue the Challenge.

At this point, I plan to continue walking every day. I may not get out every day and if that becomes the norm, I will reinstitute the challenge to get me back on track.

I have a Doctor’s appointment at 11:30 and I want to be able to say that I walked two miles today. I’m heading out shortly and we shall see if I will be able to make that claim.

I made it. It was a beautiful warm morning and a good walk. I stopped a couple of times to catch my breath but overall, I’m happy. PLUS, I can make the claim.

Here’s the data.

I need to take my Oxygen Generator in to the OxyShop. It locked up on me twice today. I noticed it wasn’t delivering a burst of air to me. When I tried to turn it off to reset it, it wouldn’t do it. I had to pull the battery to shut it down. It came back once I turned it back on.

Walking Challenge Day 24

 I didn’t get my walk in until late in the day. I grudgingly trudge out at 5:10PM and fully intended to only do the short course around the park. That would be .8 miles.

I even considered saying here that I did a mile, even though it wasn’t quite accurate.

But I really want to maintain the integrity of these posts and so, I walked the mile. I did it in about 25 minutes. I did not take my Oximeter with me so I have no data to report.

One other item. I again need to remind myself that when I feel the urging of my body that it is time to go to the bathroom, I should heed it.

That’s all I have to say about that!

April BP

 

Walking Challenge Day 23

I had what I think was a really good walk today.

I did the mile around the park. I was walking at a pretty brisk pace. I thought I could finish below 20 minutes. It took me 21 minutes.

But check out my Oximeter Chart.

I spent most of the walk below 90% oxygen and some it below 80%. I never felt dizzy or terribly out of breath.

It’s really weird the way some days are slogs and others are a breeze.

Walking Challenge Day 22

 Well, I blew another day. I didn’t get out and walk yesterday. No excuse…just didn’t do it.

I set out to do two miles today but I cut it short after a strong mile because I was having trouble with one of my socks. It kept falling down into my shoe. That was annoying and uncomfortable.

So, out of twenty-two days I have two fails. But, I have twenty successes.

Walking Challenge Day 20

Today’s walk was not up to the caliber of walking for which I have set the standard. Today was the annual Hub Tavern Run. The course is four blocks long. South from the Hub to the Mosey Inn Tavern and back. A total of .08 miles.

Not very impressive but at least I got my walk in. Also, I mowed the lawn and Susan and I won best costume for the third straight year.

Walking Challenge Day 19

Another beautiful day for a walk. 

After yesterday’s decision to not give me a transplant, I decided I needed to go hard on my walk today. I walked the two mile route and I made it.

For some reason, my Oximeter reset during the walk so I have two different data sheets.

I was out for about an hour and I rested for about 11 minutes during the walk.

The odd thing was that my oxygen generator stopped working. It locked up. It wasn’t delivering oxygen but I didn’t notice until I was coming down Waverly on the last leg of my walk.

I ended up removing the battery to get it to reset. It seems to be running fine now but I’ll be keeping an eye on it.

Walking Challenge Day 18

I got out this morning and walked a mile.

Not that it’s going to make much of a difference because I finally heard from the Transplant Team and I do not qualify for a transplant. My lungs are too badly deteriorated to the point that they don’t think I can survive the surgery.

The next step I was hoping for, a Left Ventricle Assistance Device, (LVAD) is also off the table for the same reason.

So, the next step is to talk to Stanford University and the more aggressive program they have there. Because of the travel involved, I’m not terribly excited to get involved down there.

The one question I didn’t ask is what is my life expectancy. I would like to know what the doctor thinks is ahead for me. Do I have a year? Two? Clearly I’m going to get weaker as this goes on.

Right now I can pretty much get out there and enjoy life. I’ve been able to ski, I can still get around okay. The only bummer is I can’t swim.

The numbers from yesterday’s Right Heart Cath indicate I’m declining. The drug that is presently attached to me and pumping into my heart, Milrinone, is probably helping me but not improving me.

So, today I walked one mile in 25 minutes with a two minute rest a little beyond half way.

I am maintaining a positive outlook and fully expect to complete the 30 day Walking Challenge.

Walking Challenge Day 17

Another great day for walking. I headed west on my two mile route and I wanted to do the whole two miles. I have a Right Heart Cath Procedure later today and I wanted to tell my Doctor I walked two miles.

No such luck. I pussied out at around a mile and a half. I don’t think I actually made a mile and a half, but that’s what I’m going to tell my Doc.

Here’s the data from my Oximeter.

The fact that I was out for nearly 40 minutes is what makes me think I made the 1 1/2 miles. But then, I remembered my rest breaks and those probably amounted to almost ten minutes.

In any event, I walked today.

Walking Challenge Day 16

 I haven’t done this before so forgive all the wasted space I’m taking up on the InterWeb.

I walked the one mile course on the bright sunny Tuesday. It was a nice walk and nothing of note happened. What’s different today is I’m showing all the data on the Oximeter App. I can’t fit the whole thing into one screen shot. Here’s the part you usually see.

Below is the lower part of the screen.

I like that it clearly delineates the total time of my walk and breaks down the categories of my oxygen levels during the walk.

Maybe this information will be helpful for a future autopsy.

Walking Challenge Day 15

 Well, I blew it. I didn’t walk on Easter and ruined my streak. To make matters worse, I gained another 2 pounds, putting me back up to 229.

To make up for it, I walked the 2 mile course today. My oxygen generator ran out of battery power on the last couple blocks of my walk. But it felt like a good walk.

Here’s the data from today’s walk.

I’m not going to beat myself up too much over missing my walk on Sunday. After all, poop occurs.

Walking Challenge Day 13

The great weather we have been experiencing had to end at some point and that point was today.

I woke up to a steady stream of light rain that lasted until about 11:00. 

I had a few things to do around the house. Chief among them was to mop the front porch. I was able to complete that task by about 1:30. 

Next, I had to fit a walk in.  But that was proving difficult.

Just as on Thanksgiving I must listen to “Alice’s Restaurant”, the day before Easter, I have another listening tradition that must be played. So while Susan was working on our Easter dinner for tomorrow, I sat down in the kitchen and put on “Jesus Christ Superstar”.

So I finally got to my walk about 3. The rain had let up and the sun broke out enough to enjoy a nice walk.

I did about a mile and a quarter and got back just in time to talk to a guy selling pest control, which we already have from another company. But it didn’t work on him.

Walking Challenge Day 12

I got my walk in today, a little over a mile. But it wasn’t a walk in the traditional aerobic sense.

One of our neighbors puts out crosses every Easter in yards around the park that represent the Stations of the Cross.

Susan and I walked around the park and checked out the crosses. So you walk a little until you come to a cross, then you stop, read it and reflect. 

Because it starts half way across the park on Park Place, we walked a little further than the .8 miles of just walking the park.

Therefore, I’m calling it a mile. And the streak continues.

Walking Challenge Day Eleben

Since I missed walking yesterday, I thought I needed to make a good effort on today’s walk. I pulled off the two mile course. Here is the data from my oximeter.

The important details are that the walk took me about 54 minutes. I had some precipitous drops in my oxygen level but I never felt dizzy or in danger of passing out.

I did stop several times for a brief rest. But in general, I tried really hard to slog on through.

Walking Challenge Day Ten

Today’s weight was 227 pounds. That is as low as I’ve been in quite a while.

Rob and I drove to Lookout Pass today and skied. It was sunny when we left but kind of cloudy when we got to Lookout. It turned out to be a great day. The overcast sky kept the snow from getting too mushy.

We skied from 10 to 1 and we managed to knocked out 11 runs. We were joined by Don, a former co-worker of mine. All in all, a great day and a great way to end the season.

I did not walk today. I wanted to when I got home from skiing but it was kind of windy out. That’s the type of excuse that the Walking Challenge is supposed to quell. But, because I skied today, I’m going to allow it.

Walking Challenge Day Niner

Yet another beautiful day and another great walk. I considered doing the two mile walk again but decided to do a strong mile instead.

I went out with my oximeter today but it died shortly after I put it on. So no breathing data today. I can tell you that I felt pretty good throughout the walk. Today’s weight was 229.4.

Ski day tomorrow.    

Walking Challenge Day Eight

It was another bright sunny day with the temperatures into the 60’s. I took advantage by walking my two mile route. 

I walk east on Waverly Place to Atlantic, turn left and head north for two blocks to Euclid. From there I head west down Euclid, past Post, past Monroe, all the way to Adams. At that point I head south two blocks to Fairview and then start the final leg for home.

The problem with this route is that it takes me right by the Hub Tavern and it’s a perfect time for a rest and a cool refreshing glass o water. Next week, when Lent is over, I’ll have a beer.

I ran into a problem today with putting my oxygen generator in my backpack. It over heated. I was a good half way through my walk when it suddenly started beeping and shut down. The display said it was too hot. So I pulled it out and continued the walk with it draped on my shoulder. 

I guess I’ll just have to be tough and suck it up.

I did not take the oximeter with me today so I have to breathing data to share. I am however happy to report that I started the day at 228.8 poundage’s.

I have a potential conflict with the Walking Challenge on Wednesday. My friend Rob and I are going skiing at Lookout Pass. I may not get a walk in that day. I will try to take a walk when I get home but I think skiing in lieu of walking is an acceptable trade off.

Walking Challenge Day Se7en

A great day for a walk! My backyard thermometer says it’s 60 out. The sun is shining and there is lots of activity in the park.

I helped a friend move today and when I got home, I immediately went for a walk. I did a good solid mile, maybe as much as a mile and a half and it felt pretty good. I was winded when I got back to the house.

He’s the data downloaded from my oximeter.

I’m surprised by the big drops. I certainly never feel it when I’m walking. All in all, a good day for a walk and I’m keeping the string alive.

Walking Challenge Day Sex

The challenge continues although I only seem to be able to walk a mile every day. I know today is a busy day so I’m not expecting to walk much more.

The larger backpack worked better but I still feel the strain of carrying it. My back and shoulders get sore but that is just a matter of ignoring the discomfort and stop being a puss.

Today was a good walk and I did the mile in about 21 minutes. I was good and winded at the end.

Here is the breathing data for today.

I only stopped a couple of brief times to catch my breath and then continued the walk.

Today’s weight is 230.

Walking Challenge Day Fi5e

I have just returned from my one mile morning walk. It was a tough one today. I again went out without my oximeter. I stopped to rest a couple times and I was really winded when I got back to the front porch.

I tried one new thing today. I have found that carrying the oxygen generator with the strap across one shoulder became uncomfortable during the walk. So today, I put the unit in a backpack and carried it evenly distributed on my back.

I think it worked better but it became uncomfortable because the backpack was too small for me. 

I’ll go out again today and use my good backpack that is larger. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Later: I wasn’t able to walk more but I did visit the Spokane Falls while out doing some errands and I walked around that area quite a bit. 

We also walked over to the Hub and back which I figure is a strong half mile to add to my total. The two glasses of wine I drank while at the Hub might remove a quarter mile from my total distance.

Todays weight is 231 pounds.

Walking Challenge Day Four

I got in another walk today but it was only one mile around the park.

It turned out to be a good walk and I have a theory about why. I did not  wear my oximeter today which means I had no indication when my oxygen level dropped, so I never felt compelled to stop and get catch my breath. I pretty much managed to make the trip around the park without resting.

Another theory is that there are good days and bad days.

Walking Challenge Day Three

I managed to walk today but only a mile. I’m afraid it won't be long until I find a reason not to walk. My resolve sucks.

It doesn’t help that the walk was difficult. I stopped three times to rest. My oximeter was vibrating pretty violently about two thirds of the way back. I figured it’s probably not a great idea to keep walking when my oxygen is below 90%…even if I don’t feel dizzy.

Here’s a screen shot of the data from my walk.

You can see that my oxygen levels fluctuate rather dramatically during my walk.

Walking Challenge Day Two

I have now completed my goal for two days in a row. 

Today was nice enough that I walked the park. I did one mile this morning and felt quite spent at the end. I only stopped once to catch my breath.

My second walk happened a little after three and I again walked the park. This time was harder and I stopped several times to rest. The rest periods were not much more than a minute or two. I was definitely feeling it when I got home.

Today’s weight was 231.6.   

Start of New Walking Challenge

 I am challenging myself to walk every day for the next 30 days. I’m going to try to walk three miles each day. I may walk less but no less than a mile.

Today I weigh in at 232 pounds. My goal is 200 pounds. I am weak, I do not have good resolve and when it comes to pushing myself, I am a Pussy!

I thought by writing it down here, and committing to posting about it every day, it will keep me in line and on track.

I did my three miles today at Northtown Mall. It took me one hour and nine minutes and my Oxygen Generator died on the last lap, so I stop and caught my breath a few times. It did pretty well on my first two laps, equal to 1 1/2 miles. 

It’s a rainy day in Spokane which is why I went to the Mall.

March BP

 

Reminiscing

I have just been looking back at this Blog. Back in 2007 when I started it, I weighed 215 pounds. At that time, my goal was to get to 200.

Right now, I would be thrilled with 215. That is my current goal. 

It’s interesting how your prospective changes in 18 years. Of course, back then I was talking about running a mile and working out on a cross country ski trainer. Today, running…any running is in my rear view mirror and the view of running is waaaaaaay back there.

Well, I guess that is the reason I have this Blog. It gives me the opportunity to look back and try and figure out what the hell I was thinking.

It would be great to have this Blog going back to my twenties when I wasn’t thinking at all.

Fatter

I had a bad day on Wednesday as far as eating goes.

I had a pre-arranged lunch with a guy who is offering to help us with some issues concerning our church. I also was invited by Susan to join the girls for dinner at O’Donnell’s.

I ate light at lunch. A salad and a bowl of soup. I had a hankering for a Rueben sandwich when we got to O’Donnell’s and I satisfied that hankering. Plus a bowl of their chowder. Mmmm Mmmm Good.

I gained four pounds as a result. I lost half a pound yesterday so I’m weighing in today at 235.6.

I cannot seem to break below 230. Every time I get close, I bounce back up.

I’m off beer for Lent so I should be able to drop some pounds but it is proving difficult. 

I shall be tough and fast today.

Ski Day Four

Rob and I headed to Mt Spokane for another Ski Day. Again we chose a bright, sunny day. They haven’t had any new snow in a while but what they have is still in great shape.

Joining us for the morning was our high school buddy Johnny. We ended up spending most of our time on Chair Six. It gets the best exposure to sun. 

I really felt great today! I still had to stop in the middle of runs but I had some great stretches of skiing without stopping. Of course, when I do stop, my legs are on fire and I’m breathing heavily.

Fortunately, I recover within a couple minutes AND there is no chest pain.

We managed to eek out 14 runs. Good day!

February BP

 

Ski Day Three

 Rob and I headed to Mt Spokane for another great day of skiing. The skies were clear and blue and the snow was great. It started out kind of hard but loosened up quickly to give us some great pre-spring skiing.

We did 9 runs in the morning and another four after lunch for a total of 13.

That’s a good day in my book!

Dermatology Update

My little rash that I had frozen a few weeks ago is getting better. I've been pretty good over the last couple of weeks about keeping it covered. That has made a big difference in the healing process.

It probably doesn't help that I'm old and therefore, slow healing.

I was going to take a picture but it isn't really anything worth looking at. I consider this matter closed.

That means I'm moving on to all the other ailments I'm dealing with.

Ski Day Deux

7:45 AM: I am just getting ready for my second ski day of the season. It looks to be a nice, clear day. Here’s a shot from the Mt Spokane Webcam.

One of my criteria for skiing now is “No Fog”. So today meets that requirement.

However, I’m a little worried about the temperature. The mountains thermometer looks like it says 10°. It’s supposed to warm up to 25° by mid day, so we’ll see how we do.

I’m properly equipped with all my cold weather gear and accoutrements, so I think I’ll be okay. I shall update you in the next paragraph.

4:39PM: Well, it was certainly cold up on the ol’ mountain today but it didn’t stop us from having a great day. I got in 9 runs for $40.00 which works out to about $4.45 a run. That’s cheap entertainment in my book.

It was kind of tough skiing because of the cold. The wind on your face would give you an ice cream headache. But it was such a beautiful, sunny day, it took the sting away from the headache.

Overall, I’m thrilled with the day and now I’m going to take a nap!

January BP

 

Dermatology Report

 About a week and a half ago when I saw Dr. Mooney, she noticed a rash on my chest just below my neck. The spot is a small indentation right at my clavicle that I've noticed since the 70's. It used to get a little light brownish discolormentation that made me think it was Ringworm or something. I do not recall if I ever had it looked at.

On Mooney's encouragement, I made an appointment with Advanced Dermatology to have it looked at. Yesterday, was that day.

I met Dr. Keith Parker. He had me remove my shirt and looked me all over. He said he saw nothing that concerned him. He decided we should freeze the rash off which I agreed to.

It was just a matter of spraying some liquid nitrogen on the rash. It kind of stung but was no big deal.

Later in the day, I felt around the rash and the scabby skin that was there fell away and exposed this red oozing sore.

I followed the instruction they gave me and dabbed a little Vaseline on it and covered it with a bandage.

It continues to ooze a bit but other than that, I'm just letting it heal.

Anyway, that's another piece of good news that I don't have skin cancer.

Transplant List Update

If I am reading the notes correctly from Dr. Reddy, who is my Kidney Specialist, he seems to feel that my kidney issues are caused by my deteriorating heart and I would therefore benefit from a heart transplant. My kidneys are not failing because they are going bad. They are going bad, because of my heart.

This is good news for advocating my getting on the Heart Transplant list.   

Kidney Doctor

We saw a kidney doctor yesterday. This was the next step in my looooooong journey to get on the list for a heart transplant. The thing they are trying to figure out is are my kidneys going bad, or are my kidneys going bad because of my weakening heart.

Dr. Reddy seemed to feel that it is the latter, my heart is making problems for my kidneys. They were going to do a kidney biopsy on me but that would require me going off my daily aspirin for seven days. Apparently, that's not a good idea. They decided against that.

Instead, I am on a 24 hour Urine Study. So, since after my first pee this morning, I have been peeing into a jug until my first pee tomorrow morning. Then I can return the jug to the lab and some poor technician gets to deal with it then.

Hopefully, the results of this rather large collection of urine will help to get me on the list.

Breaking the Fast

Susan and I just finished a 12 day fast. It was something that a local church offered up as a way to commune with God. 

The deal was to not eat anything all day until sundown. Then you could have a normal meal.

I have to say that I did pretty good during the fast. I had a few moments of weakness, but a little prayer to build my resolve and I cruised on towards dinner time. And besides, the point was to get closer to God.

In the course of doing the fast, I lost five pounds. For that reason, I think I’m going to continue to eat just one meal a day. I really want to lose 30 pounds. That would get me close to an even 200. 

It’s going to require some good discipline and some walking. I’ve been going to Northtown to walk and the last two times I went, I did three miles. I haven’t done three miles in ages.

I’m not going to fool myself. There will be snacking. But I’m going to try and make it healthy stuff and stay away from the Reeces peanut butter cups.

Excuse me now while I go and scarf!

Reprieve

Yesterday, I had my monthly appointment with one of the doctors on the Transplant team. This time, we met with Dr. Mooney. I brought up how disappointed I’ve been with not being allowed to ski. She thought about it for a while and at the end of the appointment, she said it would be okay if I skied. She said to take it easy and listen to my body.

I can do that. I can hear my body right now. It’s saying, “Let’s go skiing!”

Three Mile Walk

For the first time in a looooooooong time, I walked three miles today.

I went to Northtown Mall to walk and when I got there, I was feeling pretty good so I set myself to walk 3 miles. I did two laps on the main floor (1.5 miles) and two laps on the second floor (1.5 miles). I took a brief rest just after the start of the second floor, about three minutes, and then finished up.

Afterwards, I strolled down to an airsoft shooting range shop on the main floor of the mall. Practically every time I walk by this place, there is nobody in there. I decided to give it a try. It cost me $15.00 for 80 shots. I think I managed to hit 12 targets with my 80 shots. 

I hope to do better in the future.

Heart Alert

I just had a little event that was significant enough for me to come upstairs and record it here so I remember the date and time.

 At about 9:00AM today, I was in the kitchen reading the morning news when I began to feel this discomfort in my left arm. As it grew stronger, it started to radiate into my left shoulder blade on my back.

It got to a point where it was pretty intense and very uncomfortable, not painful. I came upstairs and took my blood pressure. As the cuff finished the reading, 110/72, the discomfort faded and I was back to normal.

At no time during this event did I feel any chest pressure or pain. 

Mall Walkin’

Susan and I went to Northtown Mall to walk on Friday and it did not go well. I didn’t even make it around the main floor which would be .75 miles. I was just shaky and a bit dizzy. We ended up leaving and I took it easy for the rest of the day.

We went again yesterday and had much better results. We walked the whole coarse, both levels which means we walked a mile and a half. I felt much better than the day before. It felt good to know that the walk on Friday had been an anomaly. I was worried that something had changed with me and I couldn’t walk anymore.

To confirm, I walked again today with great results. I made the mile and a half in about 24 minutes. I would like to break 20 minutes but that is going to require some training and some grit. I’ve never been accused of having grit.

Twenty Twenty-Fi5e - The Year Begins Anew

I start 2025 five pounds heavier than I started 2024. I'm at 242 this morning. I know I've said it several times, but this trend has to stop. I'm feeling the 242. I'm tired and easily wear out. I know that's due to my heart issues but it can't help to weigh at over a tenth of a ton.

We celebrated the New Year with our friends Kim and Gary and went and saw "A Complete Unknown", the Bob Dillon story. It was pretty good and should ring up quite a few Oscar nominations.

We woke up to snow, as I had hoped and as had been forecast. It's ending soon and I doubt much of it will stay around. Already the sidewalks are clean and we didn't have to do anything. But, I was able to get this lovely picture to start off the new year.

The main project of the day is to get our tinder dry Christmas Tree out of the house. If I can get to it, I'm going to get all the outside Christmas lights down as well.

10:05PM: Success! We got all the Christmas lights on the house down. We got the tree undecorated and it is currently standing on the front porch. 

Tomorrow, I shall unceremoniously cut it in half and put it out in the alley for the city to pick up. They have a program for picking up trees and composting them.

Anyway, I feel pretty good about our progress today. Tomorrow, maybe we can get some of the boxes stowed up in the Carriage House.