Nothing to add. I am just posting the latest increment of the marathon.
Another Increment
Once More To The Pavement
Now that I know I’ve no blockages in my arteries, I felt confident enough to go for a plodding jog. I maintained a languid pace and never let my heart rate exceed 140. The average was 124. At no point did I push myself into labored breathing. Also, I didn’t feel “thickness” in my muscles. They felt relaxed and limber. In the past three years, I experienced, for lack of a better word, congestion of the muscles. It created a feeling of weight or resistance that bogged down my running.
Today, that wasn’t the case. I felt, again, for lack of a better word, release. There was no resistance in my steps or breathing. Let me stress – especially in my breathing. Even after the slowest of walks, my lungs would feel congested. Not today. Even my sinuses don’t feel as congested. Most important of all, there is no feeling of overwhelming exhaustion.
After the last three years of starting and restarting my exercise regime with disappointing results, I feel hopeful. I won’t make any wild claims of “halleluja! I’m cured!” but I am willing to say that I feel confident. I voiced hope things had changed in the past, but I didn’t feel hope. Today, I feel hopeful that things have changed.
No Blockage!
I have just arrived home following my angiogram—no blockages to report. The procedure usually lasts about an hour. Mine took 20 minutes. They spent more time prepping than performing the procedure. Plus, I had to wait 90 minutes to ensure my artery clotted afterward to ensure I didn’t squirt blood everywhere. Personally, I thought they were being party poopers. What’s wrong with little blood spatters on the hospital walls? It fits with the Gestalt, don’t you think?
However, they did find a small buildup of fluid. So, while I don’t have to take any statins, aspirin, or nitro, I am prescribed Lisinopril. And I’ve been told to reduce my intake of fluids. No more than eight cups of water per day. That’s cool. Most beautiful of all, I am now expected to exercise. I had stopped exercising due to the fear of arterial blockage and the possibility of a heart attack. But that is no longer a fear, and I can resume exercise.
While arterial blockages have been ruled out, there is a need to learn about the cause of the conductive block reducing heart productivity. So, more appointments. Fortunately, reasonable levels of exercise, i.e., keeping my heart rate below 140 during workouts, are called for in combating fluid retention. Oh, and I guess taking Lisinopril should help me lose weight. All in all, a better outcome than I feared.
I Guess I Have A Heart
Because two doctors have told me I had a heart attack. You can’t have a heart attack without a heart, right?
My primary was the first to suggest I had a “silent” heart attack. Since I have no memory of any symptoms, you know, tightness in the chest, pain in the left arm and shoulder, etc., I will take him at his word. All that has been happening is exhaustion with the occasional shortness of breath, which has been going on for about three years. And when I say occasional, what I mean is inconsistent. Sometimes, I must catch my breath when I go up the stairs—other times, no problem whatsoever. Also, I had been attempting to resume my exercise regime, but to no avail. Again, due to exhaustion which lasted up to three days.
Yet, I resumed working out recently, with no period of exhaustion. But, the stress test three weeks ago pushed me past any level I achieved during my workouts. I was exhausted for a week. And two problems were discovered. One is a block. Not an arterial blockage but a conductive block. Basically, it’s an electrical issue. The other was some damage to the chamber wall. However, the cause of both problems is in question. Did the block cause the damage? Or was the damage and conductive block cause an arterial blockage?
Today I saw a cardiologist. She also supported the “silent” heart attack prognosis and explained more about the conductive block. Further, she arranged for me to have a coronary angiogram to take pictures and measurements of my heart and its functioning, valves, and arteries. From what I can tell, I will be conscious during the procedure as they go from my left wrist and not my groin. I am very grateful for that. What is scary is her insistence on performing it as quickly as possible. Is there something concerning? She didn’t indicate anything specific, so I’ll chalk it up to my paranoia.
Ultimately, the goal is to repair and strengthen what I have joked didn’t exist; my heart. The cardiologist said I could resume “mild” exercise. By mild, it means still being able to converse while working out and so, walking instead of jogging. The problem – I enjoy jogging. The exhaustion I was experiencing, not so much. Finally, two medications were prescribed, a beta-blocker and nitro.
Almost Friends
It’s not often that Smokey and Loki calmly sit next to each other. Before Loki entered puberty, they were excellent friends. They snuggled, slept together, and generally got along wonderfully. However, during his change, Loki became a nuisance to Smokey, who reacted poorly. And, due to the Pandemic, we couldn’t get him neutered right away. So, we had quite the battle between the two for over a year. After getting him fixed in the Fall of 2021, he mellowed out, but Smokey wasn’t trusting or forgiving.
However, there appears to be a thawing of the tension as of late. Smokey and Loki can walk by each other without incident. They can sleep on the same bed, chair, or sofa without incident, though they have yet to resume snuggling. We have hope that we will all one day find them warmly and lovingly snuggling. But, for now, we will take whatever progress we can get.
And now, having written all this, they decided to resume mild hostility. Thankfully, not nearly as bad as in earlier days. There was little, if any, hissing. It presented more as play than an angry fight: no flying fur or loud thumps of bodies hitting the floor. Again, progress not perfection.
Handwriting vs Typing
It turns out there is an app that allows for writing into text boxes! In fact, I am writing by hand what you are reading. Well, I wrote what you are reading. It would be nice if I kept my tenses straight. In case you are wondering. It is just another keyboard. That is, it’s one selection out of several for keyboards. It provides an interface on my iPad that allows for writing with my Apple Pencil. It then converts the handwriting into text. I haven’t fully explored all of its functionality, but I’ve figured out enough so that I can write on my iPad like it is a piece of paper. It allows for spell checking on the fly, with a timer, so you have time to review. It gives each word a drop-down box to select the correct spelling and punctuation.
It has a learning curve, but I found it not too steep.
It works in conjunction with other apps. I have been able to write into word documents. And, of course, this was written into the WordPress interface. The app is called Handwriting which is available through the App Store.
Another Under the Belt
Well, tie string. My sweatpants have a tie string and not a belt. I mean, seriously? Anyway, stats to follow.
Outdoor Run
Keeping UP
After a day off, I hopped on the treadmill. I am not a fan of the treadmill, but running outdoors is not a safe option with the miserable weather.
Having caught up with my stats, I’m keeping up.
Incremental Marathon Catch-Up
I took a short break from running due to some severe back pain. Especially my lower back. A few chiropractic visits and discontinuing a particular medication appear to have done the trick. I am posting one run that occurred before the brief break and the two most recent runs. Also, note that I managed to get an outdoor run yesterday.