You know how athletes are superstitious when they're on a winning streak, and wear the same socks or underwear without washing them? Or maybe that's just how they smell. But anyhoo...Val knows how they feel. Not stinky, of course. But she's pickin' up what they're layin' down. You don't want to change anything when a particular facet of your life is going well. Not that athletes know what a facet is. Are you kidding? They don't even know what a faucet is! Have you smelled some of those guys? But seriously...
The first full week of school just about put a nail in Val's coffin. It was all I could do to drag myself through the day. Not to mention the week. I think it's my medicine. The one I'm supposed to be on until May. We'll see about that. On Monday, I was so achy in the knees that I could hardly walk. My stomach hurt. I was nauseous, weak, exhausted, and in tears on the way to school and on the way home. That is not Val's style. Believe it or not, I really do like my job. Sure, maybe you could see why I might cry about coming home to Hick's shenanigans...but that's totally not me. I had to lie down for a half hour to regain my strength before I could go about my household duties.
So I did what any sensible person who dodged death by pulmonary embolisms would do, and quit taking my blood-thinner. Not forever. I stopped for three days. The doctors tell you that, you know. To stop if you're going to the dentist, or having surgery. "Oh, no. It won't hurt you. You'll be fine!" Yeah. So I stopped for three days. And I was fine. And I could walk normally, and my head was clear, and I was no more tired than a normal work day after a summer off. It was glorious. But Friday I went back on that thinner. Saturday and Sunday were miserable again, joints aching, unable to sleep without turning often, neck pain, unsteadiness. And this morning, this MONDAY morning...I felt kind of okay.
I don't know what's going on here. I'm planning to see my regular doctor so he can check with my lung doctor to see if there's a lower dose, or if I can simply switch to aspirin as promised, way back on my hospital bed, after three months on the blood-thinner.
Since today was kind of okay, I am trying to be a thin-blooded athlete and not vary my routine from yesterday. Maybe I can keep feeling all right for a while. I'll admit, I stopped short of walking through Walmart for forty-five minutes like I did yesterday. But I'm trying to eat the same things, spend the same amount of time sitting at the computer, sitting in the recliner, standing in the kitchen, etc. I also stopped short at counting the number of black olive slices I put on my super nachos. That would just be silly. I don't know how many I had on there last night.
Now I must prepare to fast-forward through my recording of the Cardinals game, eat a few Twizzler bites, fall asleep in the basement recliner from 10:10 until 1:00, and sleep in my bed from 1:15 until 4:50.
Stand back. I'm on a roll. But I'm not smelly yet.
So, you're playing a doctor now, huh?
ReplyDeleteAre you smoking a pipe? And sporting a chic scarf? How about a wool sport coat?
I think you see the doctor sooner rather than later. A lower dose may well be in order
ReplyDeleteDr. Cranky
I'm glad today was okay. I'm hoping you're on the mend. At least your sense of humor is still intact. Take care.
ReplyDeleteHuh, interesting. I'd check with the Pulmonologist quite quickly on this. Your symptoms may or may not be related to capillary bleeds causing the pain. I'd be quick about this, especially if you've thrown pulmonary clots in the past.
ReplyDeleteAs to the former, rituals associated with winning streaks, you know the saying "don't screw with a winning streak". Goes for health also, if something is working, pay attention....same with losing: pay attention.
Good luck.
Have you tried propping your feet at work? When you're not kicking butt, of course. Sounds like your meds are messing with you. I think you should not wait to see your doctor, call at once.
ReplyDeleteYou need to see the doctor ...... but you knew that, didn't you? Maybe you should not have been released to work a full schedule yet. At any rate, your health is more important than anything. Call for an appointment!
ReplyDeleteSioux,
ReplyDeleteYes. No need to make it sound so tawdry, Madam! I am not smoking a pipe, sporting a chic scarf, nor wearing a wool sport coat. I am not, after all, attending a party at the Playboy Mansion in 1970. But maybe I have on a white coat, a headband with a shiny silver saucer thingy on my forehead, and employ a sidekick named Consuelo.
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joeh,
Thank you, Dr. Cranky. I hope you're in your uniform of pipe/scarf/sport coat. Otherwise, I will not take your advice, because a real doctor wears his uniform.
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Stephen,
I will have my sense of humor until they pry it from my cold dead lungs. Today was not quite as good as yesterday, but almost.
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Fish More,
The pulmonologist is hard to reach. I figure my doctor will run interference, since he gets reports from my pulmonologist anyway. Besides, he kind of had his nose out of joint when his very own ER sent me to the city, where I met my pulmonologist. "I treat things like that all the time," he said. I thought he was going to weep into his chic scarf there for a moment. That's a retired Army doctor for you!
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Linda,
No comfortable way to prop. If I had some of those tiny chairs you pre-schoolmarms manage to wedge your butts onto, I might be in business. But propping on my hard blue plastic teenage-size chairs will bend my knees backwards. Yes, I am going to make an appointment. Not waiting until December for the one that's scheduled.
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Kathy,
Yes, I know. I felt pretty good lolling around the house all summer. Who knew that teaching could be so strenuous? Not ditch-diggers and lumberjacks, that's for sure. I think this medicine gets to a point where it's kind of toxic for me, what with no clots to dissolve anymore.