Another Health Update

 

So what I thought was going to be a routine visit with my Cardiologist turned into me leaving with an attached heart monitor and the diagnosis of Atrial Fibrillation or Afib for short. I was surprised until I learned that I had all of the symptoms of Afib I experienced all Spring and Summer long were not from a long bout of bronchitis my GP prescribed antibiotics for which did not do much for the condition.

These are the Symptoms and Yes I have them all, (except for the chest pain which just began about 2 weeks ago, not as pain but as a nagging ache or a pinching twinge) just about every day since May.

Feelings of a fast, fluttering or pounding heartbeat, called palpitations. Which I thought was just the short of breath that usually comes with bronchitis.

• Chest pain.

• Dizziness.

• Fatigue.

• Lightheadedness.

• Reduced ability to exercise.

• Shortness of breath.

• Weakness.

So now I am prescribed another high dollar medication to deal with the problem and to prevent blood clots and possible Stroke. Give me a break $753.95 for a 30 day supply of medication is criminal. Fortunately the Pharmacist was able to get a coupon so my first 30 days doesn’t cost me anything. I will speak to my cardiologist on the 1th when I get the results of the monitor and request an affordable blood thinner from few he named, at least one under $500.00. On the up side I can stop taking the low dose aspirin (I am laughing here cause I pay about 10 bucks for 1000 of those).

I have to admit when my GP prescribed the antibiotics over the phone rather than have me come into the office, I took them thinking it will help, after all I come down with long bouts of bronchitis just about every year.

As a Cardiac patient when the symptoms still bothered me weeks after the antibiotics were finished I should have called my cardiologist to check things out. Funny thing is today I was going to ask him about all those symptoms to see if they may be heart related. He already had the answer.

I’m a bit relieved and quite irritated with myself for ignoring what was so obvious. I did get a list of GP’s that I will call to establish as a new patient.

For the next 2 weeks I will be attached to this little heart monitor to gather information on just how things are going.

With the Gyn appointment and biopsies yesterday and this today do I dare ask what else can go wrong?

Health Update

 I walked through these doors this morning to have 2 biopsy procedures, I knew my blood pressure would be elevated but this morning it wasn't too bad, in fact fairly normal for me.

Arriving in this room where the magic happens. The procedures were quick and relatively painless.

While walking back out through those doors about 40 minutes later I realized it's going to seem like eons waiting for the results.

Somehow I knew that all those years suffering/battling with Endometriosis it would one day bite me in the butt again, after 10 years in menopause I was right. Gosh it's sometimes sucks to be right. Other than that Life is Good.

I don't know what it is about the end of August but I always seem to have some kind of medical problem at this time. In August 2022 it was off to the ER because I lost vision in my left eye and before I knew it they had me list as a stroke alert.

In August 2021 I begin my time in cardiac rehab after having 2 more stents put in the heart arteries.

As for 2020 from March through the rest of the year in was in and out of the hospital for abdominal pain which was finally diagnosed in mid 2021. I haven't felt 100% since that dreaded time in 2020 when my health rapidly declined yet each day I work to recover my health. Dealing with the spine and leg issues are coming along without surgery so far, not all days are good and this summer the heat has kept me from my daily walks most days, but on those mornings when the humidity isn't choking me I do walk and I don't feel exhausted when I get back.

Tomorrow I have my cardiologist appointment and I'm hoping all is still going well. I will need to inform him the gyn will be contacting him for clearance for upcoming procedures depending on the biopsy results because I take blood thinners. This shouldn't be a problem I had to stop the blood thinners for a week before I had the spinal injections last autumn.

Welcome August and the First Sunday Slow Stitch!

 

Wow what happened to July?  Is it just me or is the summer flying by, I noticed a few days ago the days are growing shorter.  I feel like I blinked my eyes and summer is nearly over.   It was a very hot and humid July this year with quite a few record high temps.  I am actually looking forward to the end of summer which will be upon us in a flash.

I actually stitched the August blocked for the Kathy Schmitz Woven Wreaths SAL. This little smiling sun took quite awhile to stitch.  

My pieces for the K3n.clothtales for weeks   Week 31 which is a Shisha style piece. I used a foil covered circle of cardboard for the Shisha mirror. I love the weekly prompts of this SAL, I am learning so many interesting ways to stitch.

Zokin was week 28, Traditionally Zokin cloths are used for dusting or cleaning in Japanese households.

Stitched leaves was week 27 I chose to do fabric leaves instead of real leaves because with the humidity here in Florida leaves tend to get moldy when drying.

Week 30 was folded fabric where we stitched bits of fabric while making folds while stitching. 

Week 29 was to stitch a mandala, instead of making a traditional mandala with bits of fabric scraps I decided to make a mandala of wool oak leaves adding an acorn button in the center.  As Katharine always says "You do you." and the oak leaves mandala is me doing me.  I will link to Kathy's Quilts here https://kathysquilts.blogspot.com/2024/08/slow-sunday-stitching-olympics.html

The end of July brought some Happy Mail, the 1st thing is the Ingrid's Wildflowers hand embroidery kit order from Missouri Star QuiltCo . https://www.missouriquiltco.com/  

The kit includes 20 stick and stitch wildflower motifs, full size balls of perle cotton, needles, needle threader, scissors and needle minder and the instructions to make a quilt all packed in a lovely tin box.

The kit contains everything you need to stitch the 20 blocks using the 20 stick and stitch patterns 

The included stitch book has the color guide and stitch guide for each motif.  A bonus motif was available making a total of 21 motifs to stitch and an added surprise was a download for each motif in 3 sizes 3, 4 and 5 inches.

The 2nd piece of Happy Mail is the DMC Eco Vita boxed set of natural dyed organic wool floss which is stranded so you can separate it just like the cotton floss.   Included was the DMC needle minders

Here are the colors close up, there are 30 colors in the boxed set.

Inside the booklet are 2 patterns and number/color card.  When I received the email alerting me the kit was back in stock I immediately ordered it, a few days later it was delivered.

One piece of mail that arrived was not happy mail at all, it was a ruined issue of Somerset Studio magazine, apparently either the mail sorter or the mail carrier spilled coffee, tea of a soft drink on the issue which was in a plastic bag.  I don't know how long it sat but half the issues pages were stuck together.  I was livid.

It took 5 days for the pages to dry completely, I was able to separate the pages except the last 5 in the back, about a quarter of the front of the magazine pages are fine, the rest of the pages are stained light brown and warped.  Sadly this isn't an isolated incident where magazines were delivered with coffee spills and cup rings on the pages. The cup rings stopped when the magazines I get started arriving in plastic bags which are compostable.  Complaints to the post office doesn't help. A replacement copy is on the way.