This has felt like a weekend day to me for some reason. I have checked the calendar several times today to convince myself it really is Wednesday. One of the downsides of being retired is that most days are the same and they get hard to keep straight.
This has been a rest and recovery day for me. I am still in my pajamas. I got up around 8:00 and felt dizzy. It doesn’t help that in this house the floors are anything but flat and even. I staggered around a bit and after a bit decided to go back to bed. I had been up in the middle of the night for a couple hours and needed to make up the lost sleep. I felt much better when I got up again.
Did some research last night and discovered the steroid cream I have been using can cause rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure and vertigo. Check, check and check. Now why didn’t the doctors connect the dots? I had stopped taking it about a week ago but it took until the meds I got in the ED Sunday to bring it down. So far, it has stayed down – or at least to a high normal for me. I have gotten several notifications from my Apple Watch that my heart rate has dropped below 45. That is very normal for me and hasn’t happened for several months. I started using the steroid cream in early June.
The lady plumber did not say anything about the rash so thinking it must be gone. I’m sure he will check again when I have surgery. There is an alternate solution to the steroid cream and if it comes back I will ask for that.
I should have known it was a reaction to a drug. My body does weird things when given drugs and I usually have the rarest condition caused by the drug.
I made goulash for a late lunch today. I had laid out a pound of hamburger and was going to make meat loaf but goulash sounded better to me today. I will have plenty to eat on for the next couple of days. It is hard to make a small batch of goulash.
My chest is itching where the EKG patches were put on it during the ED visit and the heart stress test. I have little red patches of inflamed skin all over my chest. They used sandpaper on me during the stress test to make sure the patches stuck tight.
Still haven’t heard any results from the stress test. Know that I understand what caused the high blood pressure and rapid heartbeat I’m not sure a stress test was necessary. The X-ray showed my heart is enlarged so maybe this will either confirm that or find out it was a shadow.
We got a bit of rain this afternoon. I was able to turn off the A/C and open windows and let the fresh rain smell in. I have sneezed off and on all afternoon. I may need to put some socks on in a bit as my feet are cold. We are to stay in the 70’s for at least the next ten days. Hoping this doesn’t mean winter will put in an early appearance. Not sure which I dislike more – the extreme heat in the summer or the extreme cold in the winter.
Tomorrow I need to get up to the Detention Center and take them some stamps that have been donated. I also need to pick up a few things that came in that they can’t accept. I haven’t written my weekly update yet and will wait to do that until I have a conversation with either the Captain or the Sargent that is working with me. I really don’t have much to report this week but I like to update it as it keeps the project front and center in others awareness.
Other than checking in at the Detention Center tomorrow I don’t have any plans until next Monday. It is nice to have several empty-space days on my calendar.
There is a stillness and quiet that happens when it rains. We have gotten a very gentle, light rain and you can almost hear the flowers and grass drinking it. Everything smells fresh and clean – almost like Mother Nature is giving us all a second chance.
Feeling relieved I figured out what was behind the fast heart rate, high blood pressure and the vertigo. I am trusting that the Vertigo will not make another appearance since I stopped using the steroid cream. Wish I had connected the dots sooner when the blood pressure started rising as well as the heart rate. Better late than never – right?
Got two spam texts today. I worry that someone will do that to Kathy and she will respond in her normal kind way and not ignore them. Sure wish there was something someone could do to stop the scams. I block the number each time but they seem to have plenty more numbers to choose from. A lady called me the other day claiming I had called her. I’m sure it was a scam and someone used my phone number – the dirty dogs.
My soul feels tired today. I attempted to read some news and I couldn’t read for long. Everyday it feels like we are being pulled further and further away from love, peace and harmony and treating each other with love and respect. I know that what I read is not my truth and under all the chaos love is prevailing. Some days it is hard to remember that though. I do better when I don’t read the news.
Grateful for a morning nap, grateful to have figured out what caused my health problems, and grateful for a rest and pajama day.