I spent all of last week working out
in the yard, six days in a row. Would have worked the seventh,
Wednesday, but I had my follow-up with the cardiac RNP and then yoga
class at 5:15. It was such a beautiful first day of spring that we
had class outside. Wednesday evenings class is held at the local
elementary school so we spread out on the lawn.
I got most of the wild mexican
petunias dug up.
before
after
This is going to be a constant battle because they
spread to the other side of the chainlink fence and filled the space
between it and the turtle pond which is crammed into the corner with
an althea and a rose bush and I can't get back there unless I empty
and move the turtle pond, something that ain't gonna happen.
Some of the denizens of the flower
beds.
I also got the front flower bed weeded and half the long day lily bed which took two days. The other half should only take a day as
it is more filled with stuff I want. Probably won't get to that til
Friday as we went to the movie today to see Captain Marvel which, I imagine, if you are a Marvel fan you've already seen it so no preview.
The field behind us continues to fill
out with the flowers creeping almost to us
and the wisteria over at the shop is coming into bloom.
The iris are not the tri-color I
thought but white,
and the white fragrant climbing
jasmine at the shop.
More poppies
and I finally made it over to the
Hungerford Co-op for tomatoes, the only thing I'm planting this
spring.
So, as mentioned above I had my next
appointment with the cardiac RNP. Halfway through the last month I
took it upon myself to double my dose of the beta blocker, keeping a
close eye on my blood pressure and pulse, since I was seeing no
improvement the previous two weeks even though I had three days in a row
of no episodes but then I was having two a day and a couple of days
off and on all day. I also quit having my evening cocktail and
reduced my meager two cups of coffee to one cup a day in an effort to
identify any triggers midway through the month but alas, still having
an episode a day at varied times of day with an occasional day free.
So I went to my appointment with my calendar of episodes and my list
of dates with blood pressure and pulse notations and my list of
questions and she didn't blink when I told her I had doubled my dose
and that while it hadn't stopped the episodes of rapid and irregular
heartbeat the last two weeks seemed less frequent and less severe. We
talked about triggers and her opinion was, considering all the
evidence, that I didn't have any triggers (yay! I can go back to my
evil ways!), just a rogue spot in my heart that sends out these
signals whenever it jolly well feels like it. So the next month, keep
on the higher dose and I can take half a pill when I'm having an
episode as long as I keep an eye on my blood pressure and pulse and I
go in next week for the 24 hour monitor. If there is still no
improvement by the next appointment, we will talk about other
medications, possibly adding another. Not sure I want to pile up the
meds so maybe the catheter ablation is in my future. Turns out I
don't need to be having an episode for them to do it as they can
stimulate me into one oh goody and she has a doctor in mind to
refer me to since I was not interested in having some unknown through
the emergency room do it. I want to know who the doctor is, want to
meet with said doctor, want to know how experienced said doctor is in
the technique, how many times said doctor has had unsatisfactory
results, etc. She also said I may need to see an electrocardiologist
which is a cardiologist that specializes in heart rhythms.
So with all this weighing on my mind I
had the weirdest dream last night where I finally agreed to have the
procedure but she wanted to admit me the next day but I told her I
couldn't have it the next day because we were going to the movie and
we had already bought our tickets but she could go ahead and admit me
though I would leave for the movie but come back and then some other
weird shit happened and I woke up.
Well, since alcohol does not seem to
be a trigger, I'm going to go fix my evening cocktail.
How frustrating - and unnerving! - to have unpredictable things stuttering around in your insides.
ReplyDeleteAt least the cocktails and coffee can return to soothe your soul.
You are an excellent advocate for your own health and diligent and curious and intelligent in how you are dealing with this problem. Which is exactly how I would imagine you'd be.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you & your doctor are a good team, which is not really all that common, so good for you! I also had a superhero dream last night - Daredevil. Very weird :)
ReplyDeleteWell thank goodness you don't have to give up your cocktail! I would HATE that. I'm impressed that you have the courage to adjust your own medication. I love your poppies -- I hope the poppy seeds I have grow into such impressive flowers.
ReplyDeletenot so courageous. the max dose is 200mg a day and she had me on 25mg a day. I just boosted it up to 50mg a day which is what my sister takes and since we share the same genetics I figured I could take it.
DeleteI can see you delivering a resounding smack to Mr. Heart. "You stop that now"! Or "Don't make me stop pulling weeds"! Or "You want to go to the movies? Knock it off"!
ReplyDeleteThe Abbot Grounds are looking good.
I tell it that all the time...not doing this today. it doesn't always listen.
DeleteIt must be quite frightening. Not having a trigger doesn’t allow you to make adjustments. I know more or less what sets me off.
ReplyDeleteI love your gardening, I wish we were as far advanced here. I’ve been out on a couple of beautiful days, mainly pruning and cutting back.
it's more annoying than frightening since I am taking a drug that protects me from stroke. it doesn't really prevent me from doing anything unless it's a fairly severe episode.
DeleteGood luck with the tests. Your flowers are always so nice and liked the critters
ReplyDeleteAll of your flowers are beautiful! We had a fabulous Wisteria growing over an arbor. It was loaded with buds several years when we got a latish frost. Broke my heart. Then we moved and I'll not be having another. You have some lovely dirt! Soldier on with the health issues; I agree with Ms Moon. I've never seen such a green frog, lovely.
ReplyDeleteSo wonderful to see your garden!
ReplyDeleteAs for the coffee: When I was in the ICU with the AF, I was actually encouraged to drink coffee - in moderation - and there was even an information leaflet next to the free coffee dispenser explaining why coffee can be beneficial for cardiovascular health.
This here is a link to a medical study (meta analysis) done reviewing medical data from over 175000 people with AF. Quote:
"The incidence of AF is not increased by coffee consumption. In fact, we found a lower incidence of AF when caffeine consumption exceeded 436 mg/day. Therefore, based on available evidence there is no association between caffeine intake and AF risk."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29966128
Thanks Sabine. I've gone back to my two cups.
DeleteThey cut my coffee down to one cup. I could happily consume an entire 12 cup pot, but I find that when I overindulge with any form of caffeine it triggers an episode. No pain, just that breathless feeling that has me sitting down and counting heart beats. when I am skipping two beats at a time feels almost like a butterfly fluttering in my chest. I am on the lowest dose, as well. I have been known to alter my dosage on most of my medications. I was dismayed to learn that the nurse practitioner I was seeing has moved and I now have to establish a relationship with a new one. I like it when I am not treated like I have no business questioning treatments. I find the nurse practitioners to be more willing to listen to what I have to say.
ReplyDeleteit would be so much easier if I had a trigger, then I could avoid it. I feel it in my throat mostly, just above the collar bone. and I've checked my pulse so often I think I have a bruise on my wrist! and I agree about nurse practitioners. she is the first one I've gone to but the reason I chose her was because of the three cardiologists in the med center, she was the only woman and I find that women doctors are also better at listening and treating you like an educated human being.
DeleteThose reptiles are gorgeous. I am not one of those people who doesn't like them, in fact I find them curiously fascinating. I'd be delighted with those white irises, although it can be disconcerting when you expect another colour. How terrific to have that carpet of wild flowers so near your home!
ReplyDeleteI'm happy with the white iris. I didn't plant these, came with the house and I think this is the first time they've bloomed so it was a surprise. and this is the first year that the field has bloomed so near our end. I guess the flood brought all the seeds our way.
DeleteThe flowers are gorgeous. Wisteria! Hopefully the heart thing will get ironed out and hurray for cocktails!
ReplyDeleteI hate that you're still dealing with this, but I'm glad to hear that you can go back to those little joys of life: caffeine and cocktails. Is that yellow and black bug that looks like a lady bug actually a lady bug? It's darned cute. I've never seen one before. And I agree with you about women doctors being more responsive, although I've been lucky to have a male eye doctor for twenty years or more whom I adore. He and his staff are so competent, and besides that, you never have to wait more than five or ten minutes. They're running a tight ship, those people -- but you get all the time you want with the doctor himself.
ReplyDelete