another follow-up of the heart and the gorgeousness of this time of year

Another follow-up with the cardiac RNP yesterday. I've been on the additional med for 9 days and am still having episodes mostly every day. They are mild as these things go and mostly last only an hour or two but Sunday I had one that lasted about 7 hours and then after it quit it started up again 3 hours later. So, disappointing. Overall, the condition has improved a lot from when I first went in after 3 months or so of one or two mild to severe episodes a day lasting hours but it hasn't stopped completely. The meds are not doing the complete job and she has put me on what she can and is willing to prescribe. There is another med, flecainide, that could be prescribed but as an RNP she doesn't have the authority and I get the impression that she isn't a big fan of it though, as she says, she's been on it herself. Anyway, she wants to put me on a long term monitor (3 weeks) in preparation for referring me to either one of the cardiologists there in the office or a cardiac electrophysiologist, a specialist in diagnosing and treating irregular heartbeats or arrhythmias (and the doctor that would do an ablation if that becomes the only thing that will put an end to it). My choice. I questioned the value of seeing one of the two cardiologists in the office as a possible waste of time since I was happy with the care I was getting from her and “I assume you bounce all this off them anyway” to which she nodded, just to then be referred to the electrophysiologist later who could, if deemed appropriate, put me on the flecainide and her choice would be to 'level up' as the gamers say. So that's the next step. She's getting the go-ahead from my insurance and ordering the long term monitor prior to setting up an appointment with the electrophysiologist so he'll have all the data when I do go see him. And maybe in another 3 or 4 weeks the meds will finish the job and it will all be moot anyway. 

This is really getting tiresome.

Overcast and drippy yesterday, overcast and humid today. The poppies are nearly done now, going to seed. They have been magnificent with their four petals in red, orange-red, deep red, or scarlet, though now and then a variation pops up...

red with smaller multiple petals,

or with striations in the petals

or sort of maroon

or streaky pink with no black spots

or just blotchy.

The little violas and pansies are also nearly done, all leggy with few flowers but the rocket larkspur and love-in-a-mist are in full bloom,

the clasping leaved coneflowers are too

and while I don't have any queen anne's lace in the yard it's in full bloom all around me.

I saw the resident coral snake yesterday about noon laying out in full sight on a cleared area of ground and I wondered if it was dead. Went in to get my camera and by the time I got back out it was moving under the rim of the small pond so, not dead. Everything I read about coral snakes says they are nocturnal and yet here it is at mid-day.

The green frog that's been hanging out on the bromeliad has moved though judging by the sound when it chirrups, it hasn't moved far. I guess it got tired of me taking its picture.

The anoles really like the heron sculpture and most days it has one or two hanging about on it.

There's still work to do outside...use the trimmer to take out the rest of the hay grass seed stalks in the front, trim the little backyard, redo one of the flower beds inside the fence, take out the flower bed around one of the tallow trees along the driveway that has been a constant battle with weeds, fire ants, and fall asters, dig up the rest of the wild petunias but I'm not feeling very energetic today whether from the afib or the weather who knows. It's also a yoga class day so I don't want to get involved in a large endeavor. But then, if I was involved in some endeavor I wouldn't be seeing the two hummingbirds so busy chasing each other off the feeder that neither one of them is getting to eat.