Monday, April 15, 2019

berries and frogs and heartbeats


Well, no thunderstorm, no rain materialized but it did bring us a hellacious wind that left the ground littered with leaves, twigs, and small to medium branches and cooler temperatures and so half the day it seems was spent watering the yard yesterday. The other half sitting out in the nice weather in the shade with my book which I can read in the bright natural light without my glasses. And then the first pick of the ripe dewberries. 


I didn't think we would get many this year as while they bloomed profusely, we haven't had much rain since and the developing berries were small and looked shriveled and this may be all we get even though since the flood the vines have grown monstrously and are taking over around the shop and the fence along with poison ivy and thornless greenbrier and virginia creeper and wild grape vines and dotted with volunteer hackberry and pecan trees. It doesn't help that the guy who mows mows further and further away from the fence every time he mows. I fluctuate between determination to clean it all out and despair, the despair usually sets in after about 10 minutes of trying to clean out one small section. It won't be long before the shop yard is completely surrounded by its own growing wild space.

I have a bromeliad that currently sits outside next to the back door. This morning when I went out a green frog was perched out on the end of a leaf? frond? 


Looking closer, it also harbored a lizard deep in the recess. 


And the little green and brown frog from the post before last was nestled deep in the ginger.


An update on my heartbeat song...


I'd been having two afib episodes a day most days in the week after my last cardiac RNP appointment and prior to getting wired up with the monitor and the day I returned it only one and only one the next day and then 3 days of none and then the next day two. That day she called to give me the results of the monitor reporting the two episodes of 'flutters' (which I took to mean a less severe form of afib which in itself is an improvement) and she wanted to add another med to see if we could get it stopped altogether. OK, I said and went to pick it up later in the day but did not start it because I was not really thrilled about adding another medication. That would make four...one for thyroid that I have taken for years, the blood thinner (doesn't actually thin the blood but slows the clotting function), the beta blocker, and now digoxin which she picked over increasing the dose of the beta blocker because the digoxin doesn't affect blood pressure (she's very concerned that my blood pressure will drop to a dangerous level). Also, can't take this new one with high fiber and it interacts in a moderately negative fashion with the thyroid med so can't take those together and the next day I had no episodes, the next day one, the next five days in a row none. Yay, I thought, the beta blocker is finally doing it's job and I don't need this new drug. Then the next three days in a row, one episode a day and then yesterday two episodes that between the two of them took up most of my waking hours. Totally discouraged me and so I started the new drug last night with dinner and so far today the heart is steady freddy. So we'll see. Still not thrilled with 4 meds but if things work I should be able to quit the blood thinner, because, as I told the RNP, if I'm not having afib episodes, the blood isn't pooling in the upper chamber of my heart and so not creating clots and so I shouldn't need the blood thinner, right? 

Theoretically, she replied.




16 comments:

  1. Never tried a dewberry but they look close to a raspberry. Had blackberries for breakfast in some oatmeal

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    1. dewberry is what we call our native wild blackberry.

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  2. I don't even want to talk about medications. No. Let's don't. Except that I will say that it sounds like what you're taking is working and that is why you should take them!
    I'm trying to clean up the fence line in my front yard today. Pulling up all the stuff that isn't supposed to be there so that the stuff I've planted has half a chance. Also need to prune the palms. And then rake and dump leaves on the garden. We shall see how far I get with all of that. But, our temperature is cooler too and it is so pleasant outside.

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  3. Sorry to hear about the meds and the confusion they present, BUT Atrial Fib is not to be trifled with- as you know. Dennis has had AF for years and years, ended up in ER a couple of times, but has not had even a heart shiver for a few years...yay, drugs!, That little frog has stolen my regular beating heart! Your garden is divine!

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  4. I love those little green lizards. They are everywhere in my garden, great little bug eaters. I hate when doctors say, theoretically and then say nothing else. I have stopped my Mycophenolate because my heart flutters might have been caused by it. My rheumatologist was not happy with my choice. To bad, it sucks to be him. I'm looking into another test which will either confirm or deny my lupus. I still don't think it's lupus. Otherwise, Wednesday is my stress test and then Thursday I go for my monitor. Two weeks later I have my cardiologist meeting to talk about afib and or drugs I might have to take. I also hate adding more drugs to my daily intake. I just dropped two and now I may have to add more. It sucks getting old.

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  5. I hope these meds do the trick. It's got to be frustrating having to try this and that to strike the right balance. LOVE the frog -- it's SO green -- and your other critters!

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  6. What a beautiful frog! Who needs David Attenborough when we have you to supply us with these pictures! I cannot believe you are picking berries already. Wonderful.

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  7. Sounds like she's got it headed in a better directions, albeit a bumpy ride. Fingers crossed this is the ticket.
    Dewberrie/blackberries are my favorite, you lucky girl. And your little visitors, gorgeous.

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  8. Your chart is looking more and more hopeful! In spite of understanding what every one of my five (gasp) meds are about, I only worried about the synthroid, for my thyroid that crapped out years ago. I was always saying, "You know this, that and the other one interfere with synthroid. Finally my GP said, in exasperation, Do you get up in the middle of the night to pee? Take the synthroid then. Easy peasy, for a long time.

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  9. Yum, dewberries! I'm not sure where I can find some around here, but I do know where there's a huge patch, and I may give it a go this weekend. I still have blueberries and peaches in the freezer from last year, though, and I need to clear those out pronto, before this year's crop comes in. Let's hear it for cobbler!

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  10. Oh, what a sweet green frog that is. We have plenty of frogs up here that sing every night (better than a song bird) but none as beautiful looking as the ones in your garden. You have Kermit’s relatives to entertain you.

    I hate this better living through chemistry, but there is no alternative.

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  11. Yes, four meds may sound a lot but you are taking stuff that's been around and tested for very many years with endless expert reviews and control trials as well as excellent outcomes, so this is as safe as it gets. But I would be just as annoyed/concerned and I am down to five by now (and count myself lucky).
    So keeping fingers crossed that this combo will work for you.

    I love your wildlife in the bromeliad and ginger!

    As for dewberries, I think these are relatives of what we call loganberries. We are at least a month from any ripe berry here but are busily using up what's left in the freezer from last year.

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    1. with the exception of the Eliquis (blood thinner), they are old tried and true. the eliquis is expensive and right now the RNP is giving me her samples so it's not costing me anything but eventually she'll give me a prescription and I'll pay it since the alternative is getting a blood test every week to monitor the effect of the old cheap drug.

      I had never heard of loganberries so I looked it up. yes, probably but dewberry is what we call our native wild blackberry.

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  12. Doctors sure can be cagey. I love those lovely green frogs! So beautiful. I am with you - I do not take any medication daily, only a multi-vitamin with minerals. But, heck. If it works, it's worth it.

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  13. You have a lovely assortment of lizards and frogs in your yard.

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  14. My husband takes four meds every morning too, heart stuff, and things seems normal. It's not a lot of meds if it works and the side effects are negligible or at least tolerable. It sounds as if you've found the right combo now. steady freddy is good.

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I opened my big mouth, now it's your turn.