“Life is no straight and easy corridor along
which we travel free and unhampered,
but a maze of passages,
through which we must seek our way,
lost and confused, now and again
Checked in a blind alley.
But always, if we have faith,
a door will open for us,
not perhaps one that we ourselves
would ever have thought of,
but one that will ultimately
prove good for us.”
– A. J. Cronin
Well, the two-day stress test wrapped up on Friday, and I was really glad when it was over. The second part was pretty simple, and thankfully, there were no snags.
This time they used an IV to inject a small amount of that radioactive tracer, and then had me sit in a waiting room while the tracer made its way through my system. And since I had been fasting for the test, they gave me food to eat while I waited. That was a nice, and very welcome touch.
Finally, after an hour and a half in the waiting room, they took me back to the camera room, where I spent 15 minutes in the machine while Mr. Heart had his picture taken again. Once they checked the pictures to make sure they had everything they needed, I was free to go. In my mind, I was thinking “That’s a wrap”, and it was, well, almost.
You see, the chemicals used for the tests Thursday and Friday, Lexiscan and the radioactive tracer, have wreaked havoc on me since then. My blood sugars have been all over the place due to not being able to take my Metformin because of possible interactions for the chemicals. I’ve had a really nasty headache, and have felt really sluggish off and on since then. And even as I’m writing this, I’m still feeling like crap.
So yeah, the tests may have wrapped up, but the side effects sure haven’t. That really isn’t boding too well with my having to work the late shift tonight either. I guess it’s a good thing that Sundays are my lighter work days. I just hope that holds true tonight.
Wish me luck!
Today was the first day of Mr. Heart’s two day photo shoot.
Now, I know you must be thinking “Mr. Heart’s two day photo shoot? What the heck are you talking about?” Don’t worry, I’ve processed the negatives from the shoot, and I’ve developed a nice collage of details to help you understand the imagery a little better.
As Mr. Heart’s manager, caretaker, chauffeur, etc…, it was my job to make sure he arrived at the studio on time; the shoot was scheduled to begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. We got to the studio, which was designed to look like a cardiologist’s office, at 8:45 a.m., in order to give us plenty of time to get into the office, let the managers know we were there, and wait for a studio assistant to show us to the dressing room.
For some reason, it took more than 20 minutes for an assistant to greet Mr. Heart’s entourage, and escort us back to the dressing room, but Heart remained unusually calm, and didn’t get upset because of the wait. I was quite impressed with the way he handled the situation, and made a point to tell him so.
Upon entering the dressing room, we all noticed that it was designed to look like a Stress Test Lab, complete with a treadmill, EKG machines, heart monitors, you name it. Apparently, this was the only room available, so it would have to do. Again, Mr. Heart was surprisingly calm about the whole situation. It was as if he had been in this situation before, and had just learned to deal with it.
Once we were settled, the lab tech, er, I mean studio assistant came in to go over the details of the photo shoot, and help me, I mean Mr. Heart get dressed for the shoot.
As it turns out, Mr. Heart had signed a deal to model medical supplies and equipment for this shoot, including IVs, electrode patches and cables, blood pressure cuffs, and more. He had even agreed to taking a shot of Lexiscan to get him pumped up, and looking and acting like a badass for the photo shoot. And that was to be followed by a radioactive tracer that could be seen by the special cameras that the photographer was going to use.
Suddenly my mind was yelling, “Wait a minute; hold everything; this can’t be right!” There was no way Mr. Heart was going to be modeling the medical equipment and supplies. It just wasn’t physically possible. And a quick look at information sheet that the “studio” provided explained it all.
You see, that “studio” really was a cardiologists office, and that “dressing room” really was a stress test lab. And the name at the top of the information sheet wasn’t “Mr. Heart’s”. It was mine. I was there for the first part of a Stress Test.
Overall, the first part of the test went well, although there were a few snags. My cardiologist wasn’t in the office when I got there, so I had to wait for him to get there to start the test. The lab tech had setup an IV in my left arm, and had me wired up with the EKG and heart monitors, so when the doctor got there, we could start the test right away. Unfortunately, that didn’t go as planned because by the time the doctor got there, the IV had somehow popped out of the vein. So, the tech had to start a new IV in my right arm, and instead of waiting, the doctor went to see another patient. So, the process was delayed a little longer.
Things finally came together and the test was started. They put the Lexiscan into the IV, and followed that with the radioactive tracer. The doctor watched the EKG and heart monitors, and also checked my blood pressure a few times. When the test was over, I was unhooked, given some food, and shown to a waiting room to wait an hour for the tracer to make its way through my system. When the hour was up, I was taken to a lab where I was placed in the camera machine. 15 minutes later, I was out of the machine, and within another 15 minutes I was out of the “studio” and on my way to better places.
So there you have it. The first part of the test is over, and I’m not too bad off. I am a bit upset with Mr. Heart though.
I’m the one who bore the discomfort and pain, but he’s the one who got the credit and had his picture taken.
So, I realize this post is now almost 2 weeks late, as we are now 13 days into the year 2010. I had plans of posting this before New Years, and even started writing a few days before then, but I ended up getting sick and had other things that got in the way. So, now that the dust has settled, here I am with my long overdue Resolution Review for 2009/2010.
Now, I should tell you that my list of resolutions for 2009 and 2010 are one in the same. I see no need to make new resolutions when I still have things to work on with the old ones. Before getting back to work on them, I thought I’d take a few minutes to review how I’ve done with my Big 3.
Resolution 1: Eat better
Now this is one resolution in which having diabetes and congestive heart failure have actually helped me. Due to those conditions, I was placed on a 1,500 calorie diet, and have had to be careful about the things that I consume on a daily basis. Now, I wish I could say that I’ve stuck to it to the letter, and that I didn’t cheat from time to time, but I’d be lying if I did. I’m not perfect, nor do I know anyone else who is.
For the most part, though, I have been good. I’ve been eating more salads, veggies, etc… and have cut out most of the junk foods that I used to eat. Notice that I said most of the junk foods. I’ve switched to drinking diet soft drinks, which is something that I thought I’d never be able to do. I grew up drinking real Coca Cola, and hated the taste of diet. Thank god for Coke Zero, which is a diet soft drink, but lacks that sucky after taste.
And, I can turn down chocolate, candy, and other sweets with the greatest of ease now. You can even eat the stuff in front of me, I really don’t mind. Just don’t start teasing me with it, and please don’t tell me how sorry you are that I can’t have any. It’s annoying, and could have hazardous consequences.
So, overall, I’d say I’ve done fairly well with this resolution. There are some aspects of it that could be worked on, though, so it will be on the list for 2010.
Resolution 2: Exercise.
I’d have to say that I’ve had mixed results with this resolution over the last year, and it’s definitely one that I will continue to work on in 2010.
When I made this resolution at the beginning of 2009, I had just been diagnosed with diabetes and congestive heart failure. I was reeling from that news, and knew that increased physical activity and exercise would play a big role in my treatment and recovery efforts. I also knew that because of the weak condition of my heart, I would be limited in the types and amounts of exercise that I would be able to do. So, started with the simplest form of exercise, walking.
I started walking at the mall on weekend, parked my car a little farther away from the entrances of grocery stores, and even took to playing putt putt golf on a regular basis. You might not think so, but you can get a good , low impact workout from a couple of rounds of putt putt golf. I wrote about that fact in a previous post, My Exercise of Choice: Putt Putt Golf! Check it out if you’d like.
I spent the majority of 2009 doing those light forms of exercise, and they helped quite a bit. It made me feel good to be more active. However, I started feeling like it wasn’t enough, so I got my cardiologist to clear me to join a gym .
At first, I was going to the gym at least 3 times a week, and spending a lot of time on treadmills, recumbent bikes, and other cardio equipment. I had developed a pretty good routine, and things were going great. Unfortunately, I managed to hurt my ankle a month or so into the routine and, well, things went down hill from there.
So yeah, this resolution will definitely remain on the list for 2010. Wish me luck.
Resolution 3: Lose weight.
Out of all the resolutions I made for 2009, the results of this one have excited me the most. Within the first 4 months of the year, I lost about 40 pounds. And, I’ve managed to keep the majority of it off, give or take about 5 pounds.
My weight loss achievements were the results of changes in diet and exercise, among other things. While I’ve already lost a good deal of weight, I’m not finished yet. I’m working to lose a whole lot more.
All that said, this resolution will also be repeated on the 2010 list. Again, wish me luck.
So, that concludes my Resolution Review for 2009/2010. I made good progress last year, and have things to work on during the next year. For those of you who have made New Year’s resolutions for 2010, I wish you the best of luck in accomplishing them. I’m rooting for you, we’re all in this fight together.
Happy New Year to Everyone. Rock on!
** If you managed to accomplish your resolutions for 2009, I’d love to hear what they were and how you accomplished them. And if you’ve made resolutions for 2010, I’d like to hear about them as well. You can leave your comments on this post, or send an e-mail to resolutions@mydiabeticheart.com. **
“Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it.” – Bill Cosby.
Today and tomorrow, December 29th and 30th, mark 1 year since I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and Congestive Heart Failure. And my god, what a year it has been. What a difference a year can make.
As I reflect upon the events of the last year, I can’t help but feel thankful to still be alive today. I may still be in pretty bad shape, but nevertheless, I am still very much ALIVE! That is something to celebrate!
Today is a day to celebrate the many accomplishments of my first year LIVING with diabetes and congestive heart failure. I’m celebrating the fact that:
I’m thankful for the gift of life, for good friends and family, and for the prayers and support that I’ve received from so many people. I can’t tell you how much that means to me.
I’ve learned a lot over the last year, and have gained a whole new perspective on life. When you’re faced with life threatening health problems, you’ve got two choices. You can get busy living, or get busy dying. I chose to LIVE.
Keep Fighting It, and Rock On!
Mike.
On November 27, please donate $1 (Yes, just $1!!) and help make this holiday season special for families adversely affected by diabetes. www.fight-it.org
Today is World Diabetes Day. Spread the word!
<!–//<![CDATA[
var m3_u = (location.protocol=='https:'?'https://adserv.idf-bxl.org/www/delivery/ajs.php':'http://adserv.idf-bxl.org/www/delivery/ajs.php');
var m3_r = Math.floor(Math.random()*99999999999);
if (!document.MAX_used) document.MAX_used = ',';
document.write ("”);
//]]>–>
It’s certainly been a while since I’ve written a substantial post, and it’s not for a lack of wanting to write. I’ve just had a whole bunch of things going on, and well, I just haven’t had time. Here’s a recap of a couple of things that have gone on during the last month.
The Move
After 3 years of living in an apartment without a washer/dryer, and having to hull all of my stuff to the laundry mat, or to the girlfriend’s house, I was finally presented with the opportunity to move into another apartment in my complex that has a washer/dryer in the unit. I had been on a waiting list for a while, and waited and waited, but nothing ever became available. At least not at a time that was convenient for me. Well, when I saw that the guy next door was moving out the first Sunday of October, the wheels in my mind just started spinning.
So, on Monday, October 5th, I spoke to the manager of the apartment complex about the apartment being available. When she confirmed what I already knew, the apartment having the washer/dryer in it, I told her I wanted it.
So, that began a 3 week marathon getting things ready to move into the new apartment around November 1st. Thankfully, I was able to take vacation and personal time off from work during the last week of October in order to get the packing, moving, and cleaning completed. It took a great deal of effort on the part of my girlfriend, my sister, and myself, but we managed to get everything moved into the new apartment by late night on Sunday, November 1st.
And except for a little bit of cleaning, I can thankfully say that the move is over, and I’m filled with a great feeling of relief now that it is all over. The move was definitely been a big test of my strength and endurance; I used muscles that I hadn’t used in 10 months.
Tests for the Cardiologist
As if I didn’t have enough to deal with during the week I was moving, my cardiologist scheduled a couple of tests for 8:00 A.M. on Thursday, Oct. 29th.
When I was in his office a few weeks earlier, I talked to the doctor again about some dizziness problems that I have been having for a while now. Then when he was checking the circulation in my legs and feet, he discovered that things didn’t seem to be flowing as they should have been. So, he ordered what amounted to an ultra sound of the carotid arteries in my neck, and various parts of my legs, to check for blockages, etc…
I haven’t received the results from those tests yet, but expect to hear something in the next couple of days. I will, of course, post on update when I know something.
So yeah, I’ve been pretty busy the last month, and I’m really looking forward to things settling down a bit, and being able to devote time to writing and other important causes.
Until next time … Keep Fighting It, and Rock On!
Mike.
Here’s another great article written by Lisa Copen, in which she talks about how we sometimes have to put on our best “gameface” in order to keep going in spite of our chronic illnesses. Enjoy.
Can You Manage Chronic Pain By Pretending It Is Okay?
by Lisa Copen
My Diabetic Heart 