4 posts tagged “health”

MomH just called about DadH's heart catheterization. No blockage, no nothin' in DadH's heart and surrounding tubage. Only some age-related stuff.

There was much rejoicing!

DadH asked the doc what else is making him feel so bad in the mornings. Possibly arthritis, but nothing major. At this point at this moment. Who knows what will get DadH next. After all, the man is always in the worst pain he's ever been in. At least he has been since I've been aware of his existence, that is.(I harrass because I love.)

It's a good thing he complained to a non-family member about his recent chest and arm pain. We're so used to his moaning and groaning that we don't hear what he says anymore. If he really gets to complaining, there's a test. Ask him if he's so bad off, maybe he should go to the doctor. He'll either shut up for a while or say, "Yeah, that would probably be a good idea." If it's the latter, get in the car and head to the doctor.

For now, though, it's happy news. Now MomH can finally get excited about our trip. Huzzah!

I've been practicing my Deutsch to get ready for my upcoming Eastern European trip. MomH was going to ask my SIL's Polish stepfather for some practical words - hello, thank you and all that. Then I realized I can ask for 'one beer, please' and toast to your health in Czech, but not hello or thank you. Priorities, my friends, priorities.

So much to do around here. I'm almost done with my Leadership Institute application. I spent most of the weekend on it but I need to tweak it a bit before turning it in on Friday. Writing about how great I am is harder than you would think. Ha. :-P

I also need to get on my road bike to prep for the triathlon relay I talked my friends into doing with me in July. I'm hanging up the running shoes (my hip joints are thanking me already) and getting back up on two wheels. I rode my mountain bike to the library and around the 'hood this weekend to get reacquainted with my cycling muscles - and with the feeling of being attached to the machinery. I tend to crash a lot on my road bike because of the wicked clips. When I'm underway, it's fine (except shifting gears - they are old-style on the frame) but stopping is a bitch. The last triathlon I did saw me skidding, bike and all, into the transition area. Luckily (or not?) I was fine enough to do the run. I just need to make friends with the equipment again and figure out how not to get myself killed.

The race is also at 9,000 feet elevation, so those 26 (24?) miles are going to suck. Suck wind. Gah. Why do I keep signing up for these things? Because otherwise I would be a lazy slug. I need the motivation.

DadH goes in for cardiac catheterization tomorrow. Fun stuff. He was pretty upset about it last week ("I was sputtering all the way home from the doctor") to being depressed and resigned to it as of yesterday. He comes from a family with bad tickers and isn't known for a preventative health lifestyle. But as MomH told him, it's better to get everything checked out before it's an emergency at midnight. They live out in the sticks so emergency medical care isn't exactly close by. FamilyH heart/health problems are another motivation to stay in shape.

Other than that, all is well in H-ville. Elvis is doing better than he has in a long time. Feely spunky and being silly like the good kitty he is. The concert outside at the Tempe Town Lake was fantastic. Other than airplanes overhead and trains rolling by, it was a perfect setting. One of the city council members asked our director if we should have a band shell for next year. Um, yeah! So hopefully that will be in the works. Even a temporary shell would be fantastic.

As for the resolution challenge, it's all about the application and getting ready for my trip. It seemed so far away and here we are, two weeks out. Yipes.

Have a good one, peeps!

I'm limited on time this week, with two board meetings back to back tomorrow night, band rehearsal on Wednesday and an FBS (Food, Booze & Schmooze) on Thursday. On Sunday I'm hitting a matinee theatre production and then that night there's a big party following the big marathon. I'm not running, obvy, but one of my Vacation Boyfriends will be in town for it - along with a bunch of his Orange County firefighting pals. Oh yeah, baby...

1. Send Guatemala Vacation Boyfriend note re: this weekend He's not coming out after all. Rats.
2. Move Shakespeare tix from 1/19 (due to scheduling of January Birthday Month revelry)
3. Schedule new fridge for delivery on 1/22 (only day charity pickup for old fridge was available).
4. Clean old fridge
5. Finish office cleaning (AGAIN!) Or - as organized as it's getting for now. This will have to be a semi-annual event.
6. 5-mile run
7. New watch batteries for DadH watches

I'm trying to pound some stuff out here since I have to take off early and pick up Elvis from the vet. I usually feel all worried and paranoid about him being there all scared. Now I think it's for his own good so he had better just suck it up.

I believe he's bearing the brunt of my spending a week with DadH over the holidays. My father isn't in great health but he could be in better health if he would just do something about it. But he won't. He never has and I don't see that changing anytime soon. I was going to slap my pedometer on him to see if he could even make it to 200 steps. From the easy chair to the four-wheeler to the tractor and back. That's it. Then he complains that his legs hurt. Well of course they do - they are wasting away from disuse.

But he loves to complain. It's a hobby of his. I already told MomH that she can't go first. That would be a nightmare. Then I said my second nightmare is something will happen to Dad and he'll be an invalid.

MomH: "It wouldn't be too different from what I have now, except if he can't speak he'd complain a lot less."

This was said in humor, as this is how we talk in the H house. But there is truth in humor.

The men in the audience may want to just pass on reading this and go back to doing something non-feminine-health related.

A few weeks ago I went to get my first mammogram. I'm a few years early if you go by the 'wait until you are 40' standard, but my insurance was covering exams for free for women over 35. I'm a sucker for free stuff. If it's free, it's for me.

Anyway, it was a quick and painless procedure. Not nearly as horrofic as I've heard it to be. In and out in ten minutes, including the paperwork. My doc's office just called and said everything was normal. No big surprise there but it's nice to know.

Then I asked about my repeat pap from December 3. I hadn't heard and didn't want to call before Christmas. The last thing I wanted to think about is yet another bad report and facing another copol (copolscopy is it?). If you don't know what a copol is, it's when the doctor finds pre-cancerous lesions on your cervix and cuts them out.

BEEP! TMI WARNING! BEEP!

Dearlordinheaventhathurtslikeamofo. I've had it done twice in the last three years and the second time was just agonizing. When my doc was finished (after an eternity), I couldn't even stand up. Eventually I could get dressed but walking was a challenge. Internal pain like that is something else entirely. I took a horse pill ibuprofin before the procedure but that was useless.

BACK TO MY STORY HERE!

So the nurse checks my chart and says cheerfully, "Nope, that was normal! We'll see you in sixth months for your annual!" Actually, the paps themselves have been a twice a year occurance for a while. The hope is, once you do the copol the cervix will heal up on its own without further procedures. It looks like it finally worked! Huzzah!

It's gonna be a great year.

Now let's hope Elvis' second glucose curve on Monday shows an improvement!