Blog Post

 Updates and Further Thoughts

  

  First of all, it is gratifying to hear from some of you that my book recommendations have brought new reads to your attention, many of which you enjoyed immensely. 

     Thanks for giving me the feedback!

     Second, a couple of personal updates:

It was my intention to get my first loaf of bread via new bread maker out by now but it hasn't happened. Life has gotten in the way. 😏 Since it is supposed to be very cold over the weekend here with possible precipitation, that will be the perfect time to do it. 

One month has passed since my coronary hiccup. The recovery period has not always gone smoothly either, but compared to what individuals who were hospitalized with a heart attack faced not so very long ago, the experience is much less horrific, especially if the patient hasn't had to deal with open heart surgery, which is another matter entirely. And it certainly would have been nice Not to slip on some ice 2 weeks after hospital discharge and take a fall. My back muscles reacted negatively to that....

 And on that subject...

     As said in the previous blog post about my heart attack, my care in the local emergency room and at the hospital where I was transferred to was very good. While in the midst of a crisis, that means so very much. Like the morning laboratory technician realizing you have 3 different morning lab tests ordered that are scheduled 30 minutes apart, and combining them so there is only one poke, one blood draw. 

A caring nurse is always a treasure, and I had several. 

     But yesterday was the exception. It was my first visit to a cardiologist since the hospitalization. I had questions and was anticipating the same friendliness and care received by the previous doctors. 

     This was not the case. It was a disaster from start to finish, the only positive thing coming out of our encounter being a change in my medication due to a troubling side effect. We did get that much accomplished. 

     I choose not to go into all of the details of the experience here. After leaving the office it took a number of hours, the shoulders of two very caring health professional friends plus my husband, and a few sleepless hours last night to sort it all out.

But I've done that, and come to some important conclusions and decisions. 

     First of all, put on my big girl panties and deal with the fallout. Take care of the medication, postpone cardiac rehabilitation for a few days, and make a decision about my continued care with a cardiologist. And just as important, make another decision on how to handle what happened at the office yesterday.

     Secondly, life is full of choices. I choose not to fixate on the bad experience too long. There have been so many good experiences and so many positives to focus on since the first week of January.  It seems to be human nature to dwell upon the thing that jars our sense of serenity and forget how many things have turned out right, how many messes have been cleaned up satisfactorily.It is one thing to chant, "when life hands you some lemons made lemonade." It is another to live it.

     Let me finish this by paying special tribute to those who have overcome such tendencies. The chronically ill who always have a smile or as a dear lady who is usually in pain I'm privileged to know will reply when you inquire after her health: "Not bad for an old lady!" 

     The family dealing with huge financial losses, a child deep in the throes of drug addiction, a friend who has just discovered she didn't get the job she set her heart on. After a period of absorbing the situation will they become bitter? Give up? Or not?