Bears Number eighty-one to eighty-fourIt is always a bit difficult to pick up where one left off; this goes for everything from relationships, to dreams, to blogs. I could just pretend that nothing important happened since my last entry, but that would mean ignoring a major milestone.
So, here it is, the worldview from my computer desk aka knitting station aka http://purlingantonia.blogspot.com/: “I went from zero to ten in a week.” This is the sentence I repeated most often during the last three weeks. Let me explain: Listening to Tim Russert’s doctor on CNN on Monday, June 16, I wondered about the slight chest pains I’ve had recently. One during a two-mile walk with minor elevations. One while the fires were burning out of control in the mountains and it was hard to breathe outdoors. One on the way home from lunch and knitting in the park. As I pondered my situation the cable guy was crawling around under my house, installing another outlet and I found myself experiencing another one of those minor pains. When I got up I felt dizzy. I called the advice nurse at my medical facility. Long story short – medics sent the cable guy home; an ambulance took me to the hospital; I spent 24 hours being tested in emergency, was admitted, had angioplasty and a stent placed into my clogged right coronary artery, was released on Thursday and sent home with a bit of anxiety about the future. The following Monday I told my well-wishing friends that, “I went from zero to ten in a week.” I had, indeed, not taken any medication up ‘til then and was suddenly dependent on a bunch of pills twice a day. I also had to learn to keep nitro glycerin with me at all times.
I suffered a couple of anxiety attacks, probably due to my inexperience with personal medical uncertainties. On top of that I was unsure about the cruise to Alaska that was to begin ten days after angioplasty.
The cardiologist gave me great advice: “If you are the kind of person who wants to take care of the health issues close to home and the hospital, without interference from anything else, you should not go. If you are the kind of person who feels ‘it’s now or never’ then you should go.”
I went. It was the best antidote. Had I stayed home I would probably have touched my hand to my chest at every turn and would have read every minor hiccup as “symptom.” Besides, the air in Alaska was certainly better than in California. I had a wonderful time. Walked a little more every day. Ate cautiously; after all I have restrictions now - less fat, less salt. And I was around people; no fear of having a heart attack all by myself.
I even knitted. Not three Bears as planned. Only one. I named him Hubbard because he was begun while I cruised the Inside Passage toward Hubbard Glacier. During the last few days I have stuffed and sewn the ones I had planned to finish before the trip, numbers eighty-one to eighty-four, and have finished number eighty-five, Hubbard. I think I’m back in business. I am knitting number eighty-six, between walking, calorie counting, taking my blood pressure, and thanking Tim Russert’s doctor for putting the seeds of concern into my head.
So, here it is, the worldview from my computer desk aka knitting station aka http://purlingantonia.blogspot.com/: “I went from zero to ten in a week.” This is the sentence I repeated most often during the last three weeks. Let me explain: Listening to Tim Russert’s doctor on CNN on Monday, June 16, I wondered about the slight chest pains I’ve had recently. One during a two-mile walk with minor elevations. One while the fires were burning out of control in the mountains and it was hard to breathe outdoors. One on the way home from lunch and knitting in the park. As I pondered my situation the cable guy was crawling around under my house, installing another outlet and I found myself experiencing another one of those minor pains. When I got up I felt dizzy. I called the advice nurse at my medical facility. Long story short – medics sent the cable guy home; an ambulance took me to the hospital; I spent 24 hours being tested in emergency, was admitted, had angioplasty and a stent placed into my clogged right coronary artery, was released on Thursday and sent home with a bit of anxiety about the future. The following Monday I told my well-wishing friends that, “I went from zero to ten in a week.” I had, indeed, not taken any medication up ‘til then and was suddenly dependent on a bunch of pills twice a day. I also had to learn to keep nitro glycerin with me at all times.
I suffered a couple of anxiety attacks, probably due to my inexperience with personal medical uncertainties. On top of that I was unsure about the cruise to Alaska that was to begin ten days after angioplasty.
The cardiologist gave me great advice: “If you are the kind of person who wants to take care of the health issues close to home and the hospital, without interference from anything else, you should not go. If you are the kind of person who feels ‘it’s now or never’ then you should go.”
I went. It was the best antidote. Had I stayed home I would probably have touched my hand to my chest at every turn and would have read every minor hiccup as “symptom.” Besides, the air in Alaska was certainly better than in California. I had a wonderful time. Walked a little more every day. Ate cautiously; after all I have restrictions now - less fat, less salt. And I was around people; no fear of having a heart attack all by myself.
I even knitted. Not three Bears as planned. Only one. I named him Hubbard because he was begun while I cruised the Inside Passage toward Hubbard Glacier. During the last few days I have stuffed and sewn the ones I had planned to finish before the trip, numbers eighty-one to eighty-four, and have finished number eighty-five, Hubbard. I think I’m back in business. I am knitting number eighty-six, between walking, calorie counting, taking my blood pressure, and thanking Tim Russert’s doctor for putting the seeds of concern into my head.
1 comment:
I've been so worried about you as we hadn't had an entry on your blog since mid-June. I am glad this Mother Bear has had her tune up and is back in business. Please continue to take care of yourself, heal, and blog. Your blog is a regular part of my life, and I enjoy reading about your adventures. I expect you have helped others by fessing up to your symptoms and sharing your experience. Take care, Diane
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