Only two days of snow and already we have cabin fever. We got up around 7:30 this morning, after a restless night. I skipped my exercises in favor of dressing to go outside and shoot photos of the snow (see previous blogs). After trudging around our almost two acres of yard through seven inches of snow to get pictures both this morning and after lunch, I feel like I got my exercise for the day.
Before I went out this morning, Hubbie made a bare spot in the driveway by shoveling some snow away so Shih Tzu could more comfortably do her business. The snow is light and fluffy, so it wasn't hard to shovel. I could have done it myself, but Hubbie would hear none of it. He can be determined sometimes. Last night, I scraped a place for Shih Tzu by kicking it away with my shoes as I was holding her hefty self in my arms.
Shih Tzu isn't liking the whole thing, though, since she likes to range far and wide finding just the right spot for her business. But since she kept running into walls of snow as she navigated the small, cleared area, she finally gave in and squatted.
I didn't do much today other than shooting pictures and modifying them online.
For lunch, we had the rest of the potato soup, with slices of bread and peanut butter, and fresh fruit. I wasn't sure what I wanted to fix for supper. Our original plan was bagel pizzas, but since Mother couldn't come over today, I opted to save that meal for next week. So it was a toss-up between egg omelets and whole wheat pancakes. The pancakes won.
We were disappointed to learn last night that our favorite college basketball team would not be playing today due to the weather. The game, which would have been televised this afternoon, is postponed to 6 p.m. tomorrow evening, and will not be televised. So we'll have to listen to it on radio. Of course, we wouldn't have wanted either team traveling on ice and snow.
This evening we did the usual...watched TV. We didn't bother with a movie tonight. Just watched one-hour shows.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Bird Photos
Because of the cold and the snow, birds have been flocking to the feeders the past couple of days. These photos were shot through the sun room window, using a handheld camera with a long lens...not the ideal situation. But at least, the snapshots show a representation of some of the birds visiting the feeders. I'm most attracted to the colorful red cardinals, of course.
Snow Photos
As these photos show, our area got dumped on pretty good by yesterday's snowstorm. The ruler indicates seven inches fell. This afternoon, the sun is out, and melting has begun, as the second photo shows.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Friday, January 29
Woke up this morning to a winter storm. The ground was white, and snow was falling. It was 8:30 before we finally rolled out of bed, and then I kept to my usual routine of doing a treadmill session and weights exercises after breakfast.
Hubbie, in the meantime, was having a problem that caused him to sweat and become nauseated. He asked me to call his doctor. I tried, but got a message that his doctor's office was closed today (after being assured Wednesday that he'd be in his office on Thursday and Friday, if a problem arose). So I tried calling the ambulatory center at the hospital, and was told that number was no longer in service. I tried all the other hospital numbers, too, and got the same message. Finally, I tried calling his primary care doctor, and after being shunted from number to number, I got a receptionist. She said she would relay a message to the hospital on-call surgeon, who would call me back. A few minutes later, a nurse called. But by that time, Hubbie's problem resolved itself, thank goodness.
For a while, I dreaded that I might have to call an ambulance, and with the snow pile-up, I probably wouldn't be able to drive the van to the hospital. I wouldn't have wanted to leave Mother and Shih Tzu here alone, anyway, because Mother couldn't have waded the snow to our house to walk the dog. So I breathed a big sigh of relief that Hubbie was all right.
After I was ready for the day, I went outdoors to take pictures of the snow (see previous blogs). I didn't stay a long time, since my fingers started getting really cold really fast. After I uploaded the photos, I fixed lunch for us, and then went back outdoors to shoot some more pictures. The snow was continuing to fall, and kept on falling all afternoon. At 2 p.m., there was about 3 inches, and I estimate that another couple of inches fell after that.
When I came back in, I worked on recording birthdays, regular monthly meetings, and upcoming special events on a 2010 calendar. This is a chore that takes a while, and this afternoon I spent about an hour and a half on it.
It was 5 p.m. by the time I was done, so I sat down to watch the news before heating potato soup and slicing multi-grain bread for Hubbie's and my supper.
After that, we watched TV, of course.
Shih Tzu doesn't quite know what to make of all the snow. It's difficult for her to do her business in snow that comes up to her belly!
Mother stayed home today, of course, though I checked on her several times through the day.
Hubbie's getting cabin fever already, though he did go out to feed the cats and the birds, and get the mail. The doctor said he could resume normal activities today, as long he doesn't lift anything over 10 lbs. for five weeks. Of course, Shih Tzu weighs about 20 lbs., and because she is nearly blind and deaf, I have to carry her outdoors. I should acquire some new muscles after five weeks of that!
Hubbie, in the meantime, was having a problem that caused him to sweat and become nauseated. He asked me to call his doctor. I tried, but got a message that his doctor's office was closed today (after being assured Wednesday that he'd be in his office on Thursday and Friday, if a problem arose). So I tried calling the ambulatory center at the hospital, and was told that number was no longer in service. I tried all the other hospital numbers, too, and got the same message. Finally, I tried calling his primary care doctor, and after being shunted from number to number, I got a receptionist. She said she would relay a message to the hospital on-call surgeon, who would call me back. A few minutes later, a nurse called. But by that time, Hubbie's problem resolved itself, thank goodness.
For a while, I dreaded that I might have to call an ambulance, and with the snow pile-up, I probably wouldn't be able to drive the van to the hospital. I wouldn't have wanted to leave Mother and Shih Tzu here alone, anyway, because Mother couldn't have waded the snow to our house to walk the dog. So I breathed a big sigh of relief that Hubbie was all right.
After I was ready for the day, I went outdoors to take pictures of the snow (see previous blogs). I didn't stay a long time, since my fingers started getting really cold really fast. After I uploaded the photos, I fixed lunch for us, and then went back outdoors to shoot some more pictures. The snow was continuing to fall, and kept on falling all afternoon. At 2 p.m., there was about 3 inches, and I estimate that another couple of inches fell after that.
When I came back in, I worked on recording birthdays, regular monthly meetings, and upcoming special events on a 2010 calendar. This is a chore that takes a while, and this afternoon I spent about an hour and a half on it.
It was 5 p.m. by the time I was done, so I sat down to watch the news before heating potato soup and slicing multi-grain bread for Hubbie's and my supper.
After that, we watched TV, of course.
Shih Tzu doesn't quite know what to make of all the snow. It's difficult for her to do her business in snow that comes up to her belly!
Mother stayed home today, of course, though I checked on her several times through the day.
Hubbie's getting cabin fever already, though he did go out to feed the cats and the birds, and get the mail. The doctor said he could resume normal activities today, as long he doesn't lift anything over 10 lbs. for five weeks. Of course, Shih Tzu weighs about 20 lbs., and because she is nearly blind and deaf, I have to carry her outdoors. I should acquire some new muscles after five weeks of that!
More Snow Photos
The top photo shows the snow accumulation so far today. I measured it at 2 p.m., just before I shot these pictures, and a ruler inserted into the snow indicated there was about three inches on the ground, and it was still snowing steadily. As you can see, there hasn't been a lot of traffic on the highway (the area just beyond the trees). The welcome sign and the planters in the bottom photo look a little forlorn. In the spring, the planters will contain a riot of colorful flowers.Cardinals and Other birds in the Snow
We are really getting a January 29th White Christmas today! I took these shots with a handheld long lens this morning, so of course they aren't sharp. But they do have a sort of painterly quality, I think.Thursday, January 28, 2010
Thursday, January 28
We slept a little later this morning, until 7 a.m. After breakfast, I did a treadmill session and resistance exercises. I was anxious to get back to exercising after missing two days of water aerobics and a couple of days on the treadmill these past four days.
Once I was ready for the day, I spruced the upstairs bedroom and bathroom, in anticipation of a visit from the pest control guy. We'd gotten a message on our land line yesterday that the service was to be here today, though no time was given. Luckily, I was able to finish my chores before the pest control guy arrived, but I really don't like not knowing what time service people are to come.
Later, Hubbie and I had a sandwich lunch before I took Mother for an ophthalmologist appointment to be fitted for new eyeglasses. Before we went to the ophthalmologist's office, we stopped by a grocery store to pick up a couple of cartons of cottage cheese.
About 2 p.m., we left the doctor's office and headed to the WDCS, so Mother could choose eyeglass frames. She found a pair that are very much like her old ones. I thought she might want an updated look, but she felt more comfortable in a pair like her old ones. The prescription lenses will be ready about next Thursday. Mother will be very glad to get her new glasses, so she can see to read and do close work.
While I was at the store, I picked up a set of fleece wear for Hubbie. Tuesday, the hospital staff asked that Hubbie wear either a fleece outfit or a wind suit, for comfort after his surgery. The only thing is, the fleece wear has been picked over at this time of the year, and there are limited sizes and colors. So we bought a brown pair of pants and a burgundy shirt Tuesday, and today I bought another pair of brown pants and a gray shirt...the only colors in Hubbie's size. Good thing he's only going to wear these around the house.
We got back home around 3:30 p.m. Mother went home, taking a helping of potato soup and multi-grain bread for her supper tomorrow night, since she doesn't expect to be able to leave her house following a predicted severe ice and snowstorm Friday.
About 4 p.m., I put baking potatoes in the oven for Hubbie's and my supper. It was 5:30 before they were done. We had these with pork barbecue on whole wheat hamburger buns, cole slaw, and leftover steamed veggies.
Later, Hubbie and I watched our favorite college basketball team play to a come-from-behind win. Yay!
Aggravation: at the WDCS, I spied a handicapped parking space, and was about to drive into it when two guys in a honking big truck whipped into it from the other direction. So I was forced to park several spaces away, causing Mother to have to walk farther to the store. Shame on those hulking, camouflage-clad, guys.
Once I was ready for the day, I spruced the upstairs bedroom and bathroom, in anticipation of a visit from the pest control guy. We'd gotten a message on our land line yesterday that the service was to be here today, though no time was given. Luckily, I was able to finish my chores before the pest control guy arrived, but I really don't like not knowing what time service people are to come.
Later, Hubbie and I had a sandwich lunch before I took Mother for an ophthalmologist appointment to be fitted for new eyeglasses. Before we went to the ophthalmologist's office, we stopped by a grocery store to pick up a couple of cartons of cottage cheese.
About 2 p.m., we left the doctor's office and headed to the WDCS, so Mother could choose eyeglass frames. She found a pair that are very much like her old ones. I thought she might want an updated look, but she felt more comfortable in a pair like her old ones. The prescription lenses will be ready about next Thursday. Mother will be very glad to get her new glasses, so she can see to read and do close work.
While I was at the store, I picked up a set of fleece wear for Hubbie. Tuesday, the hospital staff asked that Hubbie wear either a fleece outfit or a wind suit, for comfort after his surgery. The only thing is, the fleece wear has been picked over at this time of the year, and there are limited sizes and colors. So we bought a brown pair of pants and a burgundy shirt Tuesday, and today I bought another pair of brown pants and a gray shirt...the only colors in Hubbie's size. Good thing he's only going to wear these around the house.
We got back home around 3:30 p.m. Mother went home, taking a helping of potato soup and multi-grain bread for her supper tomorrow night, since she doesn't expect to be able to leave her house following a predicted severe ice and snowstorm Friday.
About 4 p.m., I put baking potatoes in the oven for Hubbie's and my supper. It was 5:30 before they were done. We had these with pork barbecue on whole wheat hamburger buns, cole slaw, and leftover steamed veggies.
Later, Hubbie and I watched our favorite college basketball team play to a come-from-behind win. Yay!
Aggravation: at the WDCS, I spied a handicapped parking space, and was about to drive into it when two guys in a honking big truck whipped into it from the other direction. So I was forced to park several spaces away, causing Mother to have to walk farther to the store. Shame on those hulking, camouflage-clad, guys.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Wednesday, January 27
5 a.m. rolled around mighty early this morning. But we had to be up and ready to go to the hospital by 6:15. Fortunately, when we arrived at the outpatient surgery facility, we didn't have to wait long before Hubbie was called back for surgery preps. In about 30 minutes, I was allowed to go sit with him until he was taken to surgery.
One thing I appreciated about Hubbie's nurse anesthestist was that he called me on my cell phone periodically to keep me updated on Hubbie's progress.
While he was in surgery, I stayed in the lobby waiting room, where I visited with folks I know, who were also there waiting for family members in surgery. Since the cardiac rehab room is adjacent to the waiting room, I also stepped in there and visited briefly with the therapists, who had worked with me during my rehab two years ago.
Around 9 a.m., Hubbie's surgery was done, and he spent about 30 minutes in recovery before I was allowed to go and sit with him again. He remained in recovery until around noon, and then he was dismissed, with instructions to walk as much as he can, not drive until Sunday or Monday, and not lift more than 10 lbs. for five weeks.
We stopped by the pharmacy before coming home to pick up a prescribed pain medication. At home, Mother had made a big pot of potato soup, and I was plenty ready for a steaming bowl of it, with slices of the multi-grain bread I bought yesterday. It had been about seven hours since I'd eaten breakfast, and my tummy was letting me know it. Hubbie rested a while before he ate lunch.
After lunch, Hubbie continued to rest, while Mother and I went down to the local college, about a mile away, to tour the art mobile, which is here this week from our capital city art museum. There were about 20 pieces of art in a variety of mediums....ink drawings, including one in India ink, pencil drawings, watercolors, and photography, plus one piece of sculpture.
We particularly liked: a drawing of a flower arrangement etched into black paper; a pencil drawing of an elderly woman that showed every meticulously detailed line in her face and gray hair on her head; a whimsical picture of connected figures drawn as squares and triangles with circle heads and stick arms and legs, dressed in bow ties and floral dresses, and then connected by lines drawn from figure-to-figure, and group-to-group; and a large watercolor of a 19th century wife, shown in various poses on the widow's walk of her home , as she anxiously awaits the return of her sailor husband.
It didn't take long to view the exhibit, and we were back home within 30 minutes. Later, we had a supper of Spanish chicken, baked Parmesan potatoes, cole slaw, grape tomatoes with cottage cheese, and green beans.
Later, Hubbie and I watched the movie, "Snow Angels," a 2007 R-rated film starring Kate Beckinsale, and Sam Rockwell. The plot of the movie revolves around three couples with relationship problems. The husband of one of the couples is cheating on his wife. The woman he is cheating with is married to a distubed man. The teenage son of the third couple is working out his own awakening sexuality while his parent's marriage is crumbling.
"Well," Hubbie commented at the end of the show, "that sure was an uplifting movie."
He must have felt the same way I did about the movie, "Marley and Me," that we watched the night before my Monday morning nuclear stress test. We both needed cheerier movies.
After the movie, we watched President Obama's State of the Union address.
One thing I appreciated about Hubbie's nurse anesthestist was that he called me on my cell phone periodically to keep me updated on Hubbie's progress.
While he was in surgery, I stayed in the lobby waiting room, where I visited with folks I know, who were also there waiting for family members in surgery. Since the cardiac rehab room is adjacent to the waiting room, I also stepped in there and visited briefly with the therapists, who had worked with me during my rehab two years ago.
Around 9 a.m., Hubbie's surgery was done, and he spent about 30 minutes in recovery before I was allowed to go and sit with him again. He remained in recovery until around noon, and then he was dismissed, with instructions to walk as much as he can, not drive until Sunday or Monday, and not lift more than 10 lbs. for five weeks.
We stopped by the pharmacy before coming home to pick up a prescribed pain medication. At home, Mother had made a big pot of potato soup, and I was plenty ready for a steaming bowl of it, with slices of the multi-grain bread I bought yesterday. It had been about seven hours since I'd eaten breakfast, and my tummy was letting me know it. Hubbie rested a while before he ate lunch.
After lunch, Hubbie continued to rest, while Mother and I went down to the local college, about a mile away, to tour the art mobile, which is here this week from our capital city art museum. There were about 20 pieces of art in a variety of mediums....ink drawings, including one in India ink, pencil drawings, watercolors, and photography, plus one piece of sculpture.
We particularly liked: a drawing of a flower arrangement etched into black paper; a pencil drawing of an elderly woman that showed every meticulously detailed line in her face and gray hair on her head; a whimsical picture of connected figures drawn as squares and triangles with circle heads and stick arms and legs, dressed in bow ties and floral dresses, and then connected by lines drawn from figure-to-figure, and group-to-group; and a large watercolor of a 19th century wife, shown in various poses on the widow's walk of her home , as she anxiously awaits the return of her sailor husband.
It didn't take long to view the exhibit, and we were back home within 30 minutes. Later, we had a supper of Spanish chicken, baked Parmesan potatoes, cole slaw, grape tomatoes with cottage cheese, and green beans.
Later, Hubbie and I watched the movie, "Snow Angels," a 2007 R-rated film starring Kate Beckinsale, and Sam Rockwell. The plot of the movie revolves around three couples with relationship problems. The husband of one of the couples is cheating on his wife. The woman he is cheating with is married to a distubed man. The teenage son of the third couple is working out his own awakening sexuality while his parent's marriage is crumbling.
"Well," Hubbie commented at the end of the show, "that sure was an uplifting movie."
He must have felt the same way I did about the movie, "Marley and Me," that we watched the night before my Monday morning nuclear stress test. We both needed cheerier movies.
After the movie, we watched President Obama's State of the Union address.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Tuesday, January 26
It's been a day. We got up at 6:30, so we could be ready to go to an 8 a.m. meeting of home medical services and Caring Hands Hospice at the meeting room of a local bank.
We left the meeting around 9:15, to go to a surgeon's clinic, where Hubbie had an appointment. After an examination, the surgeon scheduled Hubbie for surgery at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning. The hernia is not at a critical stage, but Hubbie is just anxious to have it repaired so we can get on with other plans.
From the surgeon's clinic, we went to the hospital, where Hubbie had pre-op tests done. It was noon before the tests were completed.
We got back home around 12:30. Mother had leftover chicken noodle soup and applesauce muffins ready for lunch.
After lunch, we ran errands...to the art gallery to pick up Styrofoam cups for the 11-bean soup we'll make and contribute to the gallery's "Souper Saturday" event. From there, we went to the pharmacy, where we stood in line forever to pick up prescriptions. Then, it was on to the health store to buy 8-grain cereal, to the dollar store to get more lotion and some baby shampoo, and to the WDCS for groceries and incidentals. Lastly, we stopped at the gas station to fill up the van.
We were back home about 4 p.m. Supper tonight was leftover steamed veggies, potatoes, and corn-on-the-cob, with slices of multi-grain bread that I found on sale at the WDCS. It has a distinctly rye taste and is very good.
At 6:30, Hubbie and I went to a town meeting at City Hall, where a group of master's degree students and their professors conducted a workshop to ascertain the community's needs and desires for recreational and cultural venues and events. A large crowd attended, and each of us had an opportunity to stand up and voice our opinions on the needs of the community.
The community theater president pressed for a permanent theater, so we can produce shows someplace besides the local college. I expressed a need for an arts center, since the art gallery is now housed in a storefront downtown. Others asked for an indoor swimming pool, which I also champion. But most of those present are strongly in favor of better recreational facilities.
We left the meeting at the break, because Hubbie needed to get home, relax, and prepare for his surgery in the morning. We are to be at the hospital by 6:15 a.m.
Since I'll miss water aerobics again tomorrow, I called our leader to let her know. But she herself is sick with bronchitis, so she didn't attend Monday, either, and won't attend tomorrow. So I called the alternate. The ladies worry when one of us doesn't show up for several days, and I wanted to let them know I'm fine.
I expect we might have a nasty winter storm by Friday and none of us will attend water aerobics. Predictions are for both ice and snow, but it's the ice that disturbs us most, since it tends to knock out power to thousands of homes. We escaped last year, and our power was off only four hours. If it does go out for any length of time, though, we'll take up residence in the camper. In anticipation of that possibility, Hubbie put the cage in the camper for Mother's cat, so I won't have to try to wrangle it in there.
Explanation for why I bought baby shampoo: at our scrapbook meeting last Thursday, the other member who attended said her ophthalmologist recommended washing her eyes with the shampoo to alleviate itching from allergies and winter dryness. I tried it tonight, and it did make my eyes feel good. I put some shampoo on a wash cloth and washed my eyelids and under my eyes, then rinsed. Of course, since it's baby shampoo, it didn't sting.
Funny: at the home medical service meeting, one of the staff members gave a progress report. On a handout was this statement: "% of patients who are SOB less often." Since "SOB" can have a derogatory meaning, one of the board members asked what the acronym stands for. It means "short of breath."
We left the meeting around 9:15, to go to a surgeon's clinic, where Hubbie had an appointment. After an examination, the surgeon scheduled Hubbie for surgery at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning. The hernia is not at a critical stage, but Hubbie is just anxious to have it repaired so we can get on with other plans.
From the surgeon's clinic, we went to the hospital, where Hubbie had pre-op tests done. It was noon before the tests were completed.
We got back home around 12:30. Mother had leftover chicken noodle soup and applesauce muffins ready for lunch.
After lunch, we ran errands...to the art gallery to pick up Styrofoam cups for the 11-bean soup we'll make and contribute to the gallery's "Souper Saturday" event. From there, we went to the pharmacy, where we stood in line forever to pick up prescriptions. Then, it was on to the health store to buy 8-grain cereal, to the dollar store to get more lotion and some baby shampoo, and to the WDCS for groceries and incidentals. Lastly, we stopped at the gas station to fill up the van.
We were back home about 4 p.m. Supper tonight was leftover steamed veggies, potatoes, and corn-on-the-cob, with slices of multi-grain bread that I found on sale at the WDCS. It has a distinctly rye taste and is very good.
At 6:30, Hubbie and I went to a town meeting at City Hall, where a group of master's degree students and their professors conducted a workshop to ascertain the community's needs and desires for recreational and cultural venues and events. A large crowd attended, and each of us had an opportunity to stand up and voice our opinions on the needs of the community.
The community theater president pressed for a permanent theater, so we can produce shows someplace besides the local college. I expressed a need for an arts center, since the art gallery is now housed in a storefront downtown. Others asked for an indoor swimming pool, which I also champion. But most of those present are strongly in favor of better recreational facilities.
We left the meeting at the break, because Hubbie needed to get home, relax, and prepare for his surgery in the morning. We are to be at the hospital by 6:15 a.m.
Since I'll miss water aerobics again tomorrow, I called our leader to let her know. But she herself is sick with bronchitis, so she didn't attend Monday, either, and won't attend tomorrow. So I called the alternate. The ladies worry when one of us doesn't show up for several days, and I wanted to let them know I'm fine.
I expect we might have a nasty winter storm by Friday and none of us will attend water aerobics. Predictions are for both ice and snow, but it's the ice that disturbs us most, since it tends to knock out power to thousands of homes. We escaped last year, and our power was off only four hours. If it does go out for any length of time, though, we'll take up residence in the camper. In anticipation of that possibility, Hubbie put the cage in the camper for Mother's cat, so I won't have to try to wrangle it in there.
Explanation for why I bought baby shampoo: at our scrapbook meeting last Thursday, the other member who attended said her ophthalmologist recommended washing her eyes with the shampoo to alleviate itching from allergies and winter dryness. I tried it tonight, and it did make my eyes feel good. I put some shampoo on a wash cloth and washed my eyelids and under my eyes, then rinsed. Of course, since it's baby shampoo, it didn't sting.
Funny: at the home medical service meeting, one of the staff members gave a progress report. On a handout was this statement: "% of patients who are SOB less often." Since "SOB" can have a derogatory meaning, one of the board members asked what the acronym stands for. It means "short of breath."
Monday, January 25, 2010
Monday, January 25
I slept well last night, despite being anxious about a nuclear stress test at my cardiologist's office this morning. I prepared for it as instructed...skipping one of my blood pressure meds yesterday and this morning, not drinking anything caffeinated or decaffeinated, and eating and drinking nothing this morning but half a piece of toast and some water so I could take the rest of my meds.
I was pretty stressed out by the time I got to the cardiologist's office, since I expected I'd be made sick from a chemical injection. Others that I know and have talked with told stories of how sick they were following the test...splitting headaches, chest pain, etc.
But when I arrived, the clinic techs assured me that nothing I would experience would make me sick. And they were right. The tech inserted a small injections tube in my arm and escorted me to a waiting room, where I drank a bottle of water. Then I waited 20 or 30 minutes, before being ushered into a room with a big chair near some sort of scanner. I sat in the chair and placed my arms shoulder high on an arm rest. A wide wrap was placed around my upper torso. For twenty minutes, the chair gradually turned, while the computer registered images of my heart.
After that, I was taken to another room to do a treadmill test. A nurse checked my blood pressure...which was not nearly as high as I expected, considering being highly stressed, and not taking three doses of my BP med. My BP registered 144/80. I was given a saline solution, followed by an injection of a radioactive substance.
Then I walked a few minutes on an inclined treadmill, until I reached my target heart rate. Piece of cake. Then the nurse offered me a clear soda and a package of peanut butter and crackers. Of course, I couldn't eat the peanut butter and crackers, because they contain yellow dye.
In a few minutes, I was taken back to be scanned. This time, I was in the chair only 15 minutes. That completed the test, and I was dismissed. The worst parts of the whole experience were fear of the unknown, expecting to come home sick from the tests, a day of anxiety and stress yesterday, shivering in that frigid clinic (helped along by wearing lightweight capris, and a t-shirt, because I thought I'd have to tread till I sweated), and not getting breakfast until 11 a.m.
I learned that the test I'd been dreading was actually a chemical stress test, which does cause reactions in some folks. This one is administered if the patient cannot walk on a treadmill...another reason I'm so glad I've kept up with my exercises.
The lab tech sure is an upbeat person, whistling and singing all the time, maybe to help calm patients, I reasoned? However, singing refrains of "When the Saints Come Marching In," was something less than comforting! As I was traveling around in the scanner chair, though, I overheard the tech and nurses in the hall discussing the NFL Super Bowl Sunday teams of the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints, which explained the song...obviously, the tech is pulling for the Saints.
There's something about being in one's golden years that prompts younger folks to treat you like you've also entered your second childhood. So the tech, in his early 40s, opted against addressing me as either Mrs. Last Name, or First Name, and instead kept calling me "Sweetie." I wonder how long it'll be before I become "cute?"
Poor Hubbie nearly froze in the main waiting room during my two-hour test. Had I known the test wouldn't adversely affect me, I'd have gone to the clinic alone. He complained about the cold, and I explained that the clinic is trying to inhibit the growth of bacteria, particularly during these days of flu season.
When we got back home, I was starving. So I fixed myself a cheese omelet and toast. When I saw Hubbie yearnng after it, I asked if he wanted one, too. He did, so I fixed one for him. Mother opted for a bowl of Ramen noodle soup. This served as our lunch, since it was 11 a.m. by this time.
We didn't do much during the afternoon. Mother worked puzzles. Hubbie watched TV westerns. And I uploaded swan photos to the one-hour service, checked my emails, read the daily newspaper, and did other unexciting stuff.
Supper tonight was chicken noodle soup, with some delicious applesauce muffins that Mother made this morning.
Later, Hubbie and I watched the movie, "The Secret Life of Bees," a 2008 PG-13 film starring Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys and Sophie Okonedo. A young girl (Dakota Fanning) loses her mother, who is shot when the girl is four years old. Though it doesn't show it, viewers assume the little girl picked up a revolver that had been dropped by her mother in an argument with her father, and accidentally shoots her mother. In her teens, she is abused by her father and leaves home with her black housekeeper in tow. The two find asylum at the home of three sister (Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, and Sophie Okonedo). The story takes place in 1964, right after the Civil Rights Act was signed into law. Race relations are explored, and life lessons are learned. Good movie.
I was pretty stressed out by the time I got to the cardiologist's office, since I expected I'd be made sick from a chemical injection. Others that I know and have talked with told stories of how sick they were following the test...splitting headaches, chest pain, etc.
But when I arrived, the clinic techs assured me that nothing I would experience would make me sick. And they were right. The tech inserted a small injections tube in my arm and escorted me to a waiting room, where I drank a bottle of water. Then I waited 20 or 30 minutes, before being ushered into a room with a big chair near some sort of scanner. I sat in the chair and placed my arms shoulder high on an arm rest. A wide wrap was placed around my upper torso. For twenty minutes, the chair gradually turned, while the computer registered images of my heart.
After that, I was taken to another room to do a treadmill test. A nurse checked my blood pressure...which was not nearly as high as I expected, considering being highly stressed, and not taking three doses of my BP med. My BP registered 144/80. I was given a saline solution, followed by an injection of a radioactive substance.
Then I walked a few minutes on an inclined treadmill, until I reached my target heart rate. Piece of cake. Then the nurse offered me a clear soda and a package of peanut butter and crackers. Of course, I couldn't eat the peanut butter and crackers, because they contain yellow dye.
In a few minutes, I was taken back to be scanned. This time, I was in the chair only 15 minutes. That completed the test, and I was dismissed. The worst parts of the whole experience were fear of the unknown, expecting to come home sick from the tests, a day of anxiety and stress yesterday, shivering in that frigid clinic (helped along by wearing lightweight capris, and a t-shirt, because I thought I'd have to tread till I sweated), and not getting breakfast until 11 a.m.
I learned that the test I'd been dreading was actually a chemical stress test, which does cause reactions in some folks. This one is administered if the patient cannot walk on a treadmill...another reason I'm so glad I've kept up with my exercises.
The lab tech sure is an upbeat person, whistling and singing all the time, maybe to help calm patients, I reasoned? However, singing refrains of "When the Saints Come Marching In," was something less than comforting! As I was traveling around in the scanner chair, though, I overheard the tech and nurses in the hall discussing the NFL Super Bowl Sunday teams of the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints, which explained the song...obviously, the tech is pulling for the Saints.
There's something about being in one's golden years that prompts younger folks to treat you like you've also entered your second childhood. So the tech, in his early 40s, opted against addressing me as either Mrs. Last Name, or First Name, and instead kept calling me "Sweetie." I wonder how long it'll be before I become "cute?"
Poor Hubbie nearly froze in the main waiting room during my two-hour test. Had I known the test wouldn't adversely affect me, I'd have gone to the clinic alone. He complained about the cold, and I explained that the clinic is trying to inhibit the growth of bacteria, particularly during these days of flu season.
When we got back home, I was starving. So I fixed myself a cheese omelet and toast. When I saw Hubbie yearnng after it, I asked if he wanted one, too. He did, so I fixed one for him. Mother opted for a bowl of Ramen noodle soup. This served as our lunch, since it was 11 a.m. by this time.
We didn't do much during the afternoon. Mother worked puzzles. Hubbie watched TV westerns. And I uploaded swan photos to the one-hour service, checked my emails, read the daily newspaper, and did other unexciting stuff.
Supper tonight was chicken noodle soup, with some delicious applesauce muffins that Mother made this morning.
Later, Hubbie and I watched the movie, "The Secret Life of Bees," a 2008 PG-13 film starring Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys and Sophie Okonedo. A young girl (Dakota Fanning) loses her mother, who is shot when the girl is four years old. Though it doesn't show it, viewers assume the little girl picked up a revolver that had been dropped by her mother in an argument with her father, and accidentally shoots her mother. In her teens, she is abused by her father and leaves home with her black housekeeper in tow. The two find asylum at the home of three sister (Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, and Sophie Okonedo). The story takes place in 1964, right after the Civil Rights Act was signed into law. Race relations are explored, and life lessons are learned. Good movie.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Sunday, January 24
Today is Hubbie's and my anniversary. Happy Anniversary to us.
Got up late this morning, and skipped my exercises. Otherwise, spent the day as usual for a Sunday...programming the DVR for the week's movies and shows, washing a load or two of clothes, and reading the newspaper.
Lunch was steamed vegetables...a combination of yellow and zucchini squashes with onions, and red potatoes, plus corn-on-the-cob, all cooked without salt or other seasonings. At the table, we added salt-free seasoning and pepper to individual portions.
Mother went home after lunch, and Hubbie and I watched a 2007 movie..."Into the Wild." It stars Emile Hirsh, Vince Vaughn, Catherine Veener, Marsha Gay Harden, and William Hurt, and is R-rated for some nudity and language. Based on a true story, it's about a young man in the 1990s, who chucks it all after college graduation to go tramping around the country, on his way to the Alaskan wilderness. His ideals and survival skills are severely tested in his isolation in the Alaskan bush.
Later, I was pleased to get a phone call from my friend, who lives in our capital city. She is the one who fell and broke her neck. Although I've written to her, I've hesitated to call her for fear she'd move her head the wrong way and injure herself further. Her niece had warned by e-mail, when she contacted me, that if Friend moved her head too much, she could become paralyzed or even die. At the very least, she might have had to be fitted with a halo brace. It has been five weeks since the accident, and Friend seems to be mending fine, though she said it will take six months to completely mend. Right now, she is wearing a neck collar to keep her from turning her head.
This 78-year-old lady has had all sorts of medical problems, including a bad heart attack, a broken leg, and two knee replacements. She's tough. In fact, she has survived the rest of her immediate family, having lost her remaining sister last September.
After I'd finished talking with my friend, Hubbie and I resumed watching TV. The second movie we saw was "Marley and Me," a 2008, PG film, starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson. This is a movie that is mostly comical as it follows the destructive antics of a family's yellow lab dog, but of course it ends sadly, in the manner of "Old Yeller," and "My Dog Skip." Since I already knew how it ended, I really wasn't in the mood for this movie tonight, but Hubbie seemed interested in seeing it.
Got up late this morning, and skipped my exercises. Otherwise, spent the day as usual for a Sunday...programming the DVR for the week's movies and shows, washing a load or two of clothes, and reading the newspaper.
Lunch was steamed vegetables...a combination of yellow and zucchini squashes with onions, and red potatoes, plus corn-on-the-cob, all cooked without salt or other seasonings. At the table, we added salt-free seasoning and pepper to individual portions.
Mother went home after lunch, and Hubbie and I watched a 2007 movie..."Into the Wild." It stars Emile Hirsh, Vince Vaughn, Catherine Veener, Marsha Gay Harden, and William Hurt, and is R-rated for some nudity and language. Based on a true story, it's about a young man in the 1990s, who chucks it all after college graduation to go tramping around the country, on his way to the Alaskan wilderness. His ideals and survival skills are severely tested in his isolation in the Alaskan bush.
Later, I was pleased to get a phone call from my friend, who lives in our capital city. She is the one who fell and broke her neck. Although I've written to her, I've hesitated to call her for fear she'd move her head the wrong way and injure herself further. Her niece had warned by e-mail, when she contacted me, that if Friend moved her head too much, she could become paralyzed or even die. At the very least, she might have had to be fitted with a halo brace. It has been five weeks since the accident, and Friend seems to be mending fine, though she said it will take six months to completely mend. Right now, she is wearing a neck collar to keep her from turning her head.
This 78-year-old lady has had all sorts of medical problems, including a bad heart attack, a broken leg, and two knee replacements. She's tough. In fact, she has survived the rest of her immediate family, having lost her remaining sister last September.
After I'd finished talking with my friend, Hubbie and I resumed watching TV. The second movie we saw was "Marley and Me," a 2008, PG film, starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson. This is a movie that is mostly comical as it follows the destructive antics of a family's yellow lab dog, but of course it ends sadly, in the manner of "Old Yeller," and "My Dog Skip." Since I already knew how it ended, I really wasn't in the mood for this movie tonight, but Hubbie seemed interested in seeing it.
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