Medical Day

 I had two appointments today but managed to sneak in a blood draw between them, so I feel like I've hung out at the hospital and PT clinic all day.

I wasn't looking forward to the visit to the cardiologist, because I'm afraid of making a wrong decision or overlooking something that could make my life better.  I always enjoy PT, but I never actually look forward to it.  

On the way into the back door of Swedish after I found the last parking place in town, it seems, and parked diagonally in the space, I was greeted by this fellow on the walkway.  I startled him when I bent down to take his picture, and he tried hopping away, only to land on his back with his legs all going in different directions.  He only flailed around for a second before he was gone.

Dr. Muni, the cardiologist, is just so sweet.  He came in and immediately started talking about where we were two months ago.  He was reading from my chart and remembering things, and then he looked up and said, "I think I've about talked myself out of recommending any procedures or surgeries right now."  Even my mask couldn't hide the big grin when I heard that.  He said it was pretty obvious that I've had this arrhythmia for awhile, and it was just brought up after my fall.  He said it looks like my heart rejected the cardioversion and has just reached its natural rhythm, one that is working right now.  He can't promise it's always going to work or if I'll feel the best I can, but he thinks with continuing the medications I'm on now, we can avoid surgeries, ablations, more cardioversions - all the things that scare me.  I'll see him in 6 months, and we'll see if we think I need something done.  I told him I would do my best to step up the walking and work on my anxiety.  The first time he saw me was about two weeks after my accident, and I was in a lot of pain, freezing, and very stressed out. Compared to that day, I probably seem like a much different person - doing well with my own personal heart rhythm.

I then went and had blood work that was ordered by my primary care physician several months ago.  He had said to get it by July, so I made it, but it's been so hard to get over here and have it done.  I went ahead and warned the sweet girl about to stick me that she might want to go straight to my hands instead of digging around in the arm.  She briefly poked both arms but did end up in my hand with minimal discomfort.  When she found out I was going to PT after that, she said, "Proliance?  I just LOVE Proliance.  Best place ever."  I told her I was glad to hear that because my daughter was the clinic director.  She said, "I know her.  I love her too.  What's her name.  Tall girl.  Oh, Emily.  Yeah, she worked on my feet and gave me some inserts for my shoes that changed my life."  Orthotics?  "I had so much fun there.  It's a happy place."  

I went right on over to the happy place after that and had my PT session.  Even I thought I did well today.  It was probably the best I've felt about things.  I do need more strength, but the pain is better, and I was able to do all the repetitions without getting the shakes.  Can't believe I have only three more sessions.  I'll sure miss Laura and our crazy conversations.

I got this picture from Emily just now.

I'm not sure where this lake is, but it's not too far from Sioux Falls.  The creature seems to be a walleye.  Emily was embarrassed that I asked if it were a catfish. Graysen looks thrilled.

Luckily, it's rained part of every day, so I haven't had to water the garden and just the flower pots on Steller once.  Luna has been fed and watered and petted and the garbage cans and mail brought in.

Some pictures from my exciting visit.

The girls put this together for their birdie friends.  I'm sure this one has a name, but I don't know it.  Their favorite hummingbirds are Emerald and Ruby.

Emily's Mother's Day gifts from the girls.  The pink one was blooming today.

Ryan has built a cat litter room for Luna, and she is not complaining.  It's genius.  The hinged top is a little porch that opens from the mudroom to the garage and can be reached by a cat door.

She enters from the side where there's a scooper and holder, clean litter, and plastic bags for the used litter.  She's a little short-legged cat, and it seems just the right size for her.

This is how it looks from the top when you lift the hinged top.  So easy to clean.

Meanwhile, back at home...

I'm trying to get two boxes a day packed, at least, but it's been a fun cleaning out and organizing week so far.  I sleep until I'm ready to get up, take naps when I want to, eat when I want to, and go to bed when I want - which usually means 2:00 or 3:00.

I read (listened to) The Push by Ashley Audrain almost nonstop over two days.  Here's a review.  I had to start over and re-listen a couple of times because I kept mixing up the mother-daughter combinations in the flashbacks.  

I'm also listening to Unfit, a documentary about the personality traits that made Trump such a terrifying person to have as the leader of our country.  And still is terrifying, as there are people who think it's funny for him to demean and punish people who don't worship him, to lie about anything and everything, and to destroy careers at random.   Those are the ones who will fight to let him get his dangerous claws back into politics and finish the division among our people.  We're so lucky to have gotten him out before he destroyed our constitution and our country.  I'm so tired of him, but I'm drawn to the personality traits that make him the way he is - the cult leader with no empathy, no sense of responsibility, complete quest for power, complete lack of interest in the truth.

I wish there was just a little bit of thunder to go along with the rain tonight. 

I just noticed this funny view on my chest.  When I first got home from surgery, Emily moved my TV into my bedroom, thinking we would watch some movies together at Christmas.  We watched one, and then it's only been used for Octonauts and a couple of movies for the girls.  As dusk came, I glanced up at the screensaver picture and thought I saw a sheep with a dog watching it.

On closer look, it's actually an old vase of Mama's that I found and am wondering what to do with.

Life can't get much more exciting than this!