Jan 23: General updates
I plead my usual excuse for not posting for a while.... Always mean to 'tomorrow'.... So, briefly:
-Worked a couple extra Fridays. Great for the checking account, absolutely exhausted me. Also had to do rounds in the hospital a few times, which also is very tiring even though only half a day. Going back to the hospital is necessary; doing on call has been harder since I'm no longer as familiar with hospital medicine and all the newer drugs.
-Dining room finally done! Windows are in there and the kitchen (technically done in December for tax purposes) and my wonderful handyman, Nelson, came over Saturday and painted, put trim back up, etc. For the first time I went out on a limb and painted a room a color--I've always stuck to off white before. Now it's a Wedgwood blue (bluish-gray) with white trim. Looks fantastic!
-Routine cardiology appointment last week. First time ever I did 9 minutes on the treadmill for my stress echo. Cardiologist said the pulmonary pressures were wonderful, totally in normal range and my ventricles are now beating much more in sync. (They were 'diskinetic', or out of sync before, which was believed to be permanent. Yeah for healthy heart muscle!) So I don't understand why I still get so tired and SOB with any exertion that gets my heart rate over 100.
-My cholesterol dropped with going back to being able to exercise: my 'bad' cholesterol, LDL was a horrid 210 last April (should be <160 and with risk factors should be <130) and I dropped mine to 179. Total cholesterol didn't drop so much. This, unfortunately, means that I need to start a statin, because diet and exercise alone will not get it down to 130. The only possible way would be to become a strict vegetarian or vegan, which there is no way I'm going to do, especially with gluten issues. Another drug doesn't upset me all that much, because there are many benefits to statins, including anecdotal evidence of increased bone density and decreased dementia, both of which are major issues for me. (My father and aunt both had multiple small strokes in their 70's which left them both totally disabled and suffering for years, they had the type that is affected by small blockages as nearly as I can tell without either having had an autopsy.)
-Tenant has been quiet and no problems. Yeah!
-Cats are all enjoying warm radiators. For some lame reason it just tickles me to see a cat stretched out on the radiator cover, lying on top of as many of the holes drilled in the top as possible. Often all four of them are on different radiators, basking in the warmth. Cat heaven!
-Miss my Audi terribly in the snow and ice. Once you've gotten used to all-wheel drive it's hard to go back. But another car isn't in the budget for the next several years.
-Mom doing well, her knee is still quiet swollen and she isn't making rapid progress as she was in the first month afterwards. She's upset by this, although I've been reassuring her it's normal. She's waiting until that completely heals, probably a full year, before deciding if she'll get the other one done.
-Have myself on a strict budget with the hope of replacing some of the savings that are now totally depleted. Especially with the first two surgeries I hated using my 'rainy day fund' until it occurred to me that I was in the middle of a continual hurricane. So no safety net now left. Obviously, this is understandable under the circumstances. But, being practical, there is no way of knowing when my health will deteriorate again: could be two months, two years, twenty years. And I've had a tendency to give into my whims a bit too much, figuring I deserve it after the last several years. But it's time to get back to practicality.
-My birthday is tomorrow, I turn 48. Boy, that didn't seem possible for a while there.
So that's the update on major things. Not much to feel philosophical about at this time, but the mood may strike at any moment!
Thanks for checking in, Laurie
-Worked a couple extra Fridays. Great for the checking account, absolutely exhausted me. Also had to do rounds in the hospital a few times, which also is very tiring even though only half a day. Going back to the hospital is necessary; doing on call has been harder since I'm no longer as familiar with hospital medicine and all the newer drugs.
-Dining room finally done! Windows are in there and the kitchen (technically done in December for tax purposes) and my wonderful handyman, Nelson, came over Saturday and painted, put trim back up, etc. For the first time I went out on a limb and painted a room a color--I've always stuck to off white before. Now it's a Wedgwood blue (bluish-gray) with white trim. Looks fantastic!
-Routine cardiology appointment last week. First time ever I did 9 minutes on the treadmill for my stress echo. Cardiologist said the pulmonary pressures were wonderful, totally in normal range and my ventricles are now beating much more in sync. (They were 'diskinetic', or out of sync before, which was believed to be permanent. Yeah for healthy heart muscle!) So I don't understand why I still get so tired and SOB with any exertion that gets my heart rate over 100.
-My cholesterol dropped with going back to being able to exercise: my 'bad' cholesterol, LDL was a horrid 210 last April (should be <160 and with risk factors should be <130) and I dropped mine to 179. Total cholesterol didn't drop so much. This, unfortunately, means that I need to start a statin, because diet and exercise alone will not get it down to 130. The only possible way would be to become a strict vegetarian or vegan, which there is no way I'm going to do, especially with gluten issues. Another drug doesn't upset me all that much, because there are many benefits to statins, including anecdotal evidence of increased bone density and decreased dementia, both of which are major issues for me. (My father and aunt both had multiple small strokes in their 70's which left them both totally disabled and suffering for years, they had the type that is affected by small blockages as nearly as I can tell without either having had an autopsy.)
-Tenant has been quiet and no problems. Yeah!
-Cats are all enjoying warm radiators. For some lame reason it just tickles me to see a cat stretched out on the radiator cover, lying on top of as many of the holes drilled in the top as possible. Often all four of them are on different radiators, basking in the warmth. Cat heaven!
-Miss my Audi terribly in the snow and ice. Once you've gotten used to all-wheel drive it's hard to go back. But another car isn't in the budget for the next several years.
-Mom doing well, her knee is still quiet swollen and she isn't making rapid progress as she was in the first month afterwards. She's upset by this, although I've been reassuring her it's normal. She's waiting until that completely heals, probably a full year, before deciding if she'll get the other one done.
-Have myself on a strict budget with the hope of replacing some of the savings that are now totally depleted. Especially with the first two surgeries I hated using my 'rainy day fund' until it occurred to me that I was in the middle of a continual hurricane. So no safety net now left. Obviously, this is understandable under the circumstances. But, being practical, there is no way of knowing when my health will deteriorate again: could be two months, two years, twenty years. And I've had a tendency to give into my whims a bit too much, figuring I deserve it after the last several years. But it's time to get back to practicality.
-My birthday is tomorrow, I turn 48. Boy, that didn't seem possible for a while there.
So that's the update on major things. Not much to feel philosophical about at this time, but the mood may strike at any moment!
Thanks for checking in, Laurie
posted by Laurie @ 8:30 PM
1 Comments:
At 9:28 AM,
Anonymous said…
Laurie,
Hey thanks for posting,,, great news for the testing,,,hopefully your fatgue will continue to less over time.
Hope the moms knee behaves soon for her! congrats on two rooms finished, thats a great way for the beginning of the year to start off
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