Shopping could be hazardous to my health

Today friend Kirsten took me shopping for some clothes for the Kentucky trip in August.  The plan was to go to Macy's ( I had lots of coupons, a gift card and they had a huge sale), next to The Nordstrom Rack for shoes, and then go to lunch.  My knee was still was acting up, but I was managing to walk fairly well.

Kirsten ran all over the store pulling outfits for me to try on. I was always about 20 feet behind her.  She knows me well and picked some neat things.  Then I tried them on and picked what I wanted to keep.  Trying on clothes takes a lot of energy.  I loved what we had found, paid for them and then we were off to the hat department.  My hats are really winter hats.  I need a lighter weight.

Well, the escalator and the elevator were out of order.  We had walked to hell and gone to get to the elevator and I was pooped.  Mother Hen, Kirsten cornered a clerk and explained the Disability Act to her.  The clerk took us through the back of the store and took us down on the freight elevator.  Then we walked twice as far to get out on the sales' floor.  I was wearing down fast.  Kirsten parked me in front of a mirror and brought me hats to try on.  I was getting light headed and nauseated.

We paid and headed to the door.  I was really having trouble, I was scared and pretty sure I was going to pass out.  Kirsten leaned me against the handicapped door and went for the car. I hung on to the wall until she pulled up.  She poured me into her car and took me home.  No lunch out. 

I haven't felt that shaky since an A-Fib attack in December.  But I wasn't in A-fib. I had just over done it.  Way too much walking that I had thought I could do.  I have rested, napped, and pretty much done nothing all afternoon.

A hard shopping trip.  But worth it, I look great in the outfits and new hats,  I will listen to my body sooner next shopping trip.  Yes, Kirsten another shopping trip.  We never got to the Rack.

Health updatae

Well, you may have noticed I have been silent for a while.  Last Saturday I was in the  infusion clinic for a treatment and all hell broke loose.  Lightheaded, blurred vision, weak, pounding heart, I was  rushed to ER.  At one point Marty said 7 doctors were working on me.  Heart rate was over 200, that is not a typo. 

From ER I was placed in the Intensive Care Unit.  Finally the A-Fib was stabilized.  But I had infections, and they didn't know what.  So everyone who came in my room had to gown, mask, and glove up.  By the second day they said only wear mask.  The third night I was moved to a regular room.  There I was in protective isolation.  Anyone who came in my room had to wear a mask.  When I was taken for tests, I wore a mask to protect  me from others' germs.

It took a while to identify my infections.  All are very treatable.  I was weak, barely able to turn myself in bed.  When they finally let me up to walk, I needed a walker and 100 feet was a long long walk.  Christmas night they said I was strong enough to go home.  I was terrified.  I could barely walk and they were turning me out.  Of course they were right.

Just the one day I have been home I am much stronger.  I walked lots further today and am doing exercises for swelling in my feet and legs. Marty's food is so much better than hospital food.  Today I have eaten more than I was.

I am now called a frail patient.  Many things wrong, some not fixable.  But I can keep working on getting stronger and have a pretty good life.

Now as for Kaiser . . .  again they saved my life.  They give incredible care.  The hospital did not have an empty bed.  They were overworked and running on holiday staff.  But as far as I felt, I was the only patient there.  Kind, gentle, caring staff.  Thank you Kaiser.

Drama and Friends

Saturday Marty and I had plans.  We were having the carpet cleaned.  Saturday morning we would have to move furniture, get breakables in a safe spot, move a lot of plants.  Not huge but stuff to do.  Friday night I went into A-Fib again.  It was close to bedtime and I went to bed thinking in the morning the heart would have settled down.  Nope, didn't happen.  Still vibrating and very dizzy.

Again the call to the Kaiser Advice Nurse and Doctor. Again they said to come in now.  No problem, except we were close to the window of the carpet cleaners arriving.  I told Marty to just drop me off and I would call when they released me.  He didn't go for that.  He came in, made sure I was going to be kept and not in danger, and then left.  I received the usual excellent care from the ED staff.  And had to have all the same tests run that had been run last week.  After several hours I was to be discharged. 

Now how to get home.  The carpet cleaners are at the house so Marty can't leave.  I am too tight to call a taxi for a 7 minute ride. Plus I needed to pick up prescriptions and I needed someone to help me.  I was too tired to handle anything.  So I called friend Kirsten. She had Facebooked me to call if we needed help.  She lives less than 10 minutes from me and maybe wasn't tied up with her son's activities.  She said she would be there as soon as possible.

A tech wheeled me down to the pharmacy to get  my new prescriptions.  Kirsten was waiting there for me.  She went up to get my meds and they said, so sorry we don't have drug X.  (this is the drug Marty tried to pick up earlier this week and they didn't fill the correct drug.  I have since ordered it on line but it hasn't arrived yet.)  They could order it and I could come back in a couple of days. Or we could drive to Kaiser Oakland and maybe they would have the drug.  My powerful friend, Kirsten, explained to them I had to have the drug or I would have to stay in the hospital.  She said they needed to pull the drug from the supply the hospital staff  uses.  And they did.  Not a full prescription, but hopefully enough until the rest arrives by mail.  Then Kirsten drove me home.

We all have friends at different levels.  Some care about us, but we don't socialize much. Some are just party friends. Some we see rarely but they are close like family, some are there always when you need help.  Kirsten is one of my friends who is there for me always, emotionally and physically.  If she can't do it she will send her husband or a mutual friend.  She isn't my only friend I could have called, but she was the one I called Saturday.  She handled everything that I couldn't deal with.  She took me home, walked me up the stairs and handed me off to Marty.  Love you Kirsten!

Damn! I said that out loud.

You should never tempt fate.  I wrote I had been  "normal" for over two months.  And then like an idiot I said that out loud at my book group Tuesday night.  I didn't just tempt fate I waved a red flag.

When I got home that night I was in A-Fib, not bad,  no secondary things to scare us.  No reason to even call the Kaiser Advice Nurse.  We have gone through this over and over.  Nothing serious was going on.  Well, not until 2:00 in the  morning.

I drink a lot of water up until bedtime, so nature took its course.  I needed to use the bathroom.  Along with all my other annoying health issues I have vertigo.  So I always stand up slowly, be sure I am steady and then start walking, didn't work this time.  I just had cleared the bedpost and knew I was going down.  There was nothing to grab onto.  I bounced off the cedar chest, hit the table's pedestal leg with my head, and screamed bloody murder.   I hit hard enough I moved the cedar chest an inch (I found this out later from the marks on the rug) and moved the table a couple of inches. 

We called the Advice Nurse because I am on blood thinners and must be very careful with a head injury.  They wanted me in Emergency immediately. Thank goodness the new Kaiser is only 7 minutes from the house.  No more driving to another town.  Off we went, I was still in A-Fib, so knew they would keep me even if there were no head problems.

I checked out OK neurologically but the heart rate was too high and the blood pressure was way low.  After a couple of hours I sent Marty home to get some sleep.  I knew the blood work and the drip would be several more hours.  I was home before 9:00 that morning. 

I am sore and tired.  Marty had put an ice pack on my head, so no black eye.  We didn't ice my thigh and it is very colorful.  I was extremely lucky, no broken bones, no bad cuts or scrapes, no concussion.

So as I begin a new count of days not in the ER, I will not say them out loud.

It has been a year and a couple of days since the great drama began

A year ago I went in to Kaiser and stayed for 8 days.  The great drama of A- Fib, diabetes, high blood pressure, and blood clots.  It was a scary time, and it was a life and death time.  Marty and I had to make decisions on my life.  Did I want to live a good life, or be a ticking time bomb?

We chose a good life.  We changed diet, exercise, cut back on commitments, and went through hell for about 9 months.  Lots of ER visits, midnight calls to the advice nurse, scary tests, and meds that didn't work.  Or meds that worked too well and I was a zombie. 

Around July things started meshing. I was used to eating healthy, still want bacon grease and butter.  I exercise 7 days a weeks.  I feel it is a punishment, I don't understand people who love exercising.  My meds were working together and no midnight ER visits.  Not even calls to the advice nurse. 

I have lost 95 pounds and am pretty cute if I do say so myself. 

Before

 

After with Marty, Little Brother, and Ann.

 



I feel fairly good most days.  I have learned to rest before I am exhausted.  I'm blessed with a husband who loves to shop and cook.  So a lot of routine work is off me.  I still cook, but rarely shop for anything.  Yesterday Marty came home with jeans for me.  He saw some 10 short, and knew they are rare and hard to find.   So he bought 3 pairs in different colors.  Yes, Marty is a keeper.

We understand none of my heath issues are curable.  But they are very treatable.  We know I will have flare ups and bad hard days.  But we know most days will be pretty normal.  Of course all of this depends on me following diet restrictions and exercising.  Boo hiss.  But I will do it.  I like my life and want to continue groups I am in and to continue volunteering. 

Most importantly I have learned that prayers from around the world help comfort and help with healing.  My blog friends and Facebook friends are very important to me and to Marty.  You all really helped us through a tough time.  Thank you. 

Stay tuned.  I am a drama queen so you know I will do something dramatic in the near future. 

Weddings 0 A-Fib 1

Monday I was to be at the Marriage Factory.  I was looking forward to it.  I love doing weddings. But it was not to be.  Sunday evening and all through the night I was in A-Fib.  The alarm went off and I thought I can do this. I can go in and do weddings. Wrong.

The doctors have called A-Fib a nuisance disease, it won't kill me, just mess up plans.  And it did again.  I got up with the alarm and felt a little lightheaded.  I took a shower and totally ran out of energy.  I barely had the energy to dry off, let alone dress and go marry couples.    So I texted in sick.

I hate not showing up.  I feel guilty because staff counts on me to take the load off them.  I count on having an interesting day, meeting people, and performing ceremonies.  I did  not have an interesting day. 

I stretched out in the recliner, read, and slept most of the day.  I received a text from the Marriage Desk Clerk that they did 20 weddings yesterday.  It was one of those magic numbers' days 7/7/14. 

Damn I missed all the craziness. 

Weight loss, how did I do it?

I am asked all the time, how did you lose so much weight. And I tell them no Cheetos for breakfast.  They think I am kidding, but I'm not.  I gave up a lot of good tasting stuff:  Cheetos, sugar, ice cream, salt, caffeine, wine, Bourbon, and on and on.

Before all the drama, I made half hearted attempts to lose weight.  But I yo-yoed for years. Now I am serious.  Diabetes, A-fib, high blood pressure, bad knees and hip, blood clots; trust me that will give you religion.  I was terrified.  Kiss the bad eating good bye.

How about a before picture.  Not that I am proud of it, but I am proud it isn't me anymore. Yes, I knew I was big as the side of a barn, I just wasn't motivated.

81 pounds ago

In September when I came home from the hospital I was too weak to walk over a couple of minutes.  Every day I added another minute or two to my exercise time.  I would walk 5 minutes and rest 30.  I was one sick chicken.  But I got up to 30 minutes, and I was walking faster and taking longer strides.  Then I added in our 20+ stairs and jogged down them and ran up them.  I was working hard.  I exercised in some form every day for at least 30 minutes.

Now to my diet.  I am not allowed salt, sugar, or many carbs or fats, also I had to watch out for cholesterol.  We read labels anytime we bought processed food.  We found low salt food doesn't mean squat, no sugar doesn't mean low calorie, low calorie. . . compared to what.  You need a Master's degree to shop at Safeway.  Thankfully Marty took over and found/made good foods I could eat.  He made soups, broths, whatever I needed he found or made.  We ate a lot of chicken and pork chops.  I ate peanut butter on a half of piece of bread with almonds on the side.  I made tomato soup and sauces from the tomatoes I had put up.  No salt in them.  I watched Marty make fudge and bourbon balls and only ate one piece.

Small portions were key to losing weight, so we used smaller plates so it looked like more food.  If we ate out I ordered the best I could and skipped the fried food, sauces, bread and cheese.  I was careful, if I ate a rich meal I had really healthy meals for the rest of the week.  Also I never said never.  I allowed myself the right to eat anything I wanted.  I just rarely did.  Knowing I could have it let me wait out the cravings for lovely bad food.  Even my doctor said one meal won't kill you.  Just don't have too many one meals.

Wine and liquor can really mess with one of my medications.  Plus alcohol is empty calories.  So I rarely drink anything except water.  No caffeine or sugar eliminated most soft drinks and fruit juice.

  

November 2013

February 2014

April 2014

June 2014

This has been a difficult process.  No one loves rich food more than I do.  And Bourbon, mother's milk to a Southern Belle.  I have succeeded because of the support from friends and Marty.  His support is huge, cooking and shopping.  And he drives me to Kaiser Emergency often.  I am not scared of A-Fib anymore.  It disrupts our life, but we know it is treatable.  The other problems are scary but controlled most of the time.  

I wrote this because Marty asked me too.  He said it might help others with similar health issues. I hope it will help others.  

Update on me

Life has been wacko since Wednesday March 19.  I had chest pains and we made another run to Kaiser ER.  I did not have a heart attack.  They changed my meds, and told me to have a stress test.  That Friday I started the stress test, a 20 minute test, I lasted 4 minutes.  No pain, no shortness of breath, but elevated pulse and blood pressure.  An angiogram was scheduled for April 1.  Yes, quite a joke on me.

To have the procedure I had to be weaned off Warfarin a long term drug.  I started Lovenox shots, which are 12 hour blood thinners.  Yes, sticking myself in the stomach again. This takes 10 days. During that time I had limited activity and the only time I could leave the apartment was to go to Kaiser.  Finally I am off all blood thinners and have the angiogram.  Great results no blockage, no build up of plaque, the heart is fine.  Again another week of no activity and homebound. 

During the night after the angiogram I went into A-Fib.  Weak, fainty, pounding heart, also very low blood pressure.   Back to Kaiser to see my primary care physician, Dr. J.   He cut out some meds, and said I was anemic probably from the loss of blood during the angiogram.  An appointment was made for next Monday with a cardiologist.  Dr. J also told me to stop losing weight.  I needed richer foods at this time.  First time in my life a doctor said not to diet. He wants me to maintain and rest.

After 2 days my heart has calmed down and I am feeling much better.  Monday maybe we will find out why chest pains, why I suddenly started having elevated pulse and blood pressure with exercise.

Stay tuned.

Bragging

Just wanted to give an update to my health.  After the ER visit in February, the doctors and I have struggled to keep my blood pressure down and my heart beat up.  Yeah, the A-Fib lady has been running a pulse of 40 - 43.  I guess that is better than 190, but still not safe.

They have tweaked the meds several times and finally the last 4 days I have been in a safe range for pulse and blood pressure. 

Bigger news today, I have lost 70 pounds!  I am getting close to my goal, at least another 15 pounds to go.  We will see how droopy my skin will be, and how gaunt I look.  Vanity will decide what I lose from now on.

I am shopping at a Cancer Society thrift shop.  No point in spending big bucks on clothes I won't wear very long.  Yesterday I bought 2 pairs of jeans one pair brand new and the other gently used for less than $7.00.  They have pretty stuff, great brands.  Even after I hit my goal weight I will continue to shop there.  Pretty stuff is the main thing, not where it was bought.

I thank all of you for the support, love, and prayers.

What can I say, I am a Drama Queen

Valentine's Day I married couples all day.  Marty and I then went out for a drink and appetizers.  Later that evening I did not feel normal.  I could feel my heart beating, and it was getting faster.  I felt as if my whole body was vibrating.  We checked my pulse and blood pressure, not good.  With the blood pressure sky high and the pulse in crazy land, the Advice Nurse at Kaiser said go to an ER now.

We arrived around midnight and Triage did their thing.  I was put in a room and treatment began.  First gallons of blood drawn.  IVs started.  After multiple doses of an IV heart medication, I was back in the normal range.   They watched me for a while and decided it was safe to go home.  I was discharged at 7:30.   When we got home, we took long naps.  Both of us were exhausted.

We had realized we were in for a long night, so we posted on Facebook for friends and family to know what was going on.  We were going to call/text family and thought why wake up people.  They can't do anything and we had nothing to tell them.  We knew family all checked Facebook and it was the best and easiest for us to get out info. 

I have done a lot of resting since Saturday.  I have done some slow walking.  I found I have lost strength and zip.  Today I had a follow up visit with my primary care doctor.  He cut dosage on one medication, it is working too well, blood pressure and pulse dropping too low.  Right this doesn't make sense with the ER visit.  But in my normal life it does.  I do not need  to go to see him for 6 months. 

In spite of this set back, I am really doing well.  I have lost a ton of weight and will continue to work on that.   I am eating healthy.  And my vitals are 99% of the time in a safe range.  It is that 1% when the A-Fib kicks in that causes the excitement.

I was brave today

Many who know me are aware I am the coward of the county.  I am afraid of more things than you can shake a stick at.  But I try to hide fear and go on with life.  I am a diagnosed agoraphobic.  That means I fear I will have a panic attack. And I have panic attacks over things that are new, flying, driving someplace the first time, the dark, storms, and on and on.  I have had group counseling and handle things better and understand I am not the only crazy person out there.  They told me they might not be able to cure me, but they could teach me how to handle my fears. (Living with me is another reason Marty is up for sainthood.) 

Many things are still very hard to do.  One reason I volunteer is I have to leave the house.  I am not going to be housebound.  I have responsibilities so I have to show up. And I do even on days I can't find that safe spot in my head.

The new health issues ( diabetes, A-Fib, blood clots) created a whole new set of fears.  What if, is the big thing a phobic does.  We write scenes in our heads of what can go wrong.  I say we are prepared, others say we are borrowing  trouble. So I have worried what if my blood pressure goes shy high ,that one happened, call 911 and ride in the ambulance.  What if my prescription refill doesn't come in the mail?  That one I handled yesterday. What if I start feeling dizzy?   What if I am alone and pass out? What if I can't find healthy food in the restaurant?  What if my pulse is too low to take my medicine, that happens a couple times a week. What if I crack and sneak a piece of candy?  And on and on. I am a walking fear machine.

To get/stay healthy I must walk every day.  I have walked in the apartment ever since I came home from the hospital.  I have gone from zero to 30 minutes of quick walking and doing the stairs several times.  BUT I would not walk outside of the apartment.  I am terrified something would go wrong.  I could be out in the neighborhood and I wouldn't be able to get home.  A couple of friends, one a doctor, asked me if I carried my phone.  Yes, of course.  The doctor said if you are in trouble at home you would call 911. If you are out, they will still come find you sitting on the curb.

So today I faced the fear and walked outside.  Marty was still home, so he would know when to start worrying.  I set my timer for 15 minutes, so I would know I was halfway and should turn around.  I put Pandora on shuffle and took off.  I did it!  Nothing bad happened, no panic attack, I was brave!

I don't do anything the easy way.

Monday Marty took me to a close by Kaiser to have lab work.  This was the test to see if my blood was too thick, too thin, or just right.  The test came back in the just right range.  They need two tests before setting up the next 4 days levels of Warfarin.  I was to be tested on Wednesday when I had a follow up doctor's visit.

Tuesday night BP was in a low safe range.  I was excited.  Maybe I could start driving, go places other than Kaiser, start living a normal life.  Wednesday at the doctor's office, high BP, and a-fib acting up again.   All settled down  and I was to do lab work and then go home. 

Last night I took my BP and it was so very high.  We called the advice nurse and he conferred with a doctor.  I had taken my meds to start the drop hopefully.  They asked us to take BP again, still climbing.  They sent us to Oakland ED around 11:00. 

Oakland Kaiser care is close to Walnut Creek.  Lots of calming, meds given, doctors in and out.  Nurses constantly checking and calming me.  At 2:30 they said all looked good, a-fib gone, and discharged me. 

We slept in this morning, we both were worn out.  I took my BP at 10:00 and all was normal.  I took meds, Marty put the new patch on me, it is to give a more consistent dosage of BP med. 

I really wish this was a funny post, a happy post, a anything but medical post.  But this is my life right now.   Maybe my neighbors will do something dumb and I can write about that.

In a heartbeat

Last post, life was slow, nothing happening.  Well that has all changed in a heart beat, pun intended.  I was in my Kaiser Doctor's office for a check up to refill a cough medication. He took my pulse and all hell broke loose.  My heart was pounding in an irregular pattern, yet I couldn't feel the pounding.  He ordered the EKG cart to the room.  The EKG confirmed what he felt with my pulse.  It was atrial fibrillation.  In under 5 minutes I was in an ER room being worked on.

I was there for 4 hours and then I was admitted to the cardiac monitoring unit. That was Thursday today is Saturday and I am still in the hospital.  They are still trying to get the beat and rate back to normal.  Just to keep the drama going, my blood pressure is bonkers too.  A gazillion tests have been done, buckets of blood drawn, and every medicine you can think, pill and drip, and still I'm not stable.

There is no pain, just tired.  Kaiser has taken great care of me.  The medical staff is excellent in physical and emotional care for the patient.  They also have made sure Marty has eaten.  One nurse found out he hadn't had supper last night and she got him a tray of food. 

Because of the above I will not be marrying couples or working with first graders this coming week.  Joe our guest blogger has sent me a couple of blogs and I will post one tomorrow.