Just an update

Medical –

After six months on the new blood pressure med and tweaking and twitching I went to the Dr and we switched to a different one. The new one is Losartan. So far it is perfect. On a very low dose my BP is low, my feet swelling is minimal and the red spots the other one (the name has just disappeared from my brain) caused seem to be fading. Hopefully it will help my unhappy kidneys a bit more.

Social –

Still playing Mahjong 🀄️ on Mondays and enjoying it. 🙂 I want to buy some double racks but they are so pricey! Everything Mahjong is pricey. I will keep scoping out shopgoodwill.com and see if I get lucky.

I am still feeling hermitty. It just feels like too much effort to talk to people or leave the house. Time just keeps slipping away. I am lucky to share my particular loner traits with family & friends so everyone else is the same way. We keep minimal contact until the friendly social wave happens to hit more than one of us at the same time and then laughing and joy ensue.

Physical –

I feel good, almost too good….. know what I mean? Makes me nervous

I am at the highest muscle percentage I have been since I started knowing there was such a thing. That is pretty damn cool. I have been trying to up my endurance but the chemo every three weeks really puts a bend in that particular road. I feel like I start over after every infusion. But I will keep trying, until I don’t. I work out 5 or 6 days a week. Will be doing that after I finish writing this.

My TOS is really causing havoc the last few weeks and I cannot seem to get out of this particular flare. It is not terrible (curl up with an ice pack on my neck and whimper) but I feel like I am walking a fine line. I am doing all the PT stretches and added some weights to some but again, fine line. Too much and it flares, too little and it flares. Even the muscle relaxer is suddenly not helping. It just occurred to me that this all coincides with me cutting drastically back on my vodka intake! Thought provoking. Maybe I should start adding some to my daily greens.

Funny anecdote-

I am frequently questioned about my giant mason jar of strange drinks. I usually take one with me to Mahjong. Yesterday was the infamous green as algae drink. It looks foul. I was playing at the end with two women that I rarely play with and one of them was asking me about what it was. I explained there were a lot of greens and grasses in it.
As I was leaving, grabbing all my things, I picked up a large vase filled with schefflera cuttings that were rooting and someone was kind enough to bring me, and the woman from the table looked at me with abject terror and said – Are you going to drink those!!!‽ Caught me completely off guard and made me laugh.

Random Picture –


Comments

6 responses to “Just an update”

  1. itsmemb Avatar
    itsmemb

    I’m glad you’ve found a BP med that is working for you.

    I keep hearing about a lot of Covid out there so maybe it is a good time to be hermitty.

    1. I know! So many people with Covid right now. I went and checked to make sure I am up to date on vaccines. I really really really do not want to get it.

  2. Nina Brown Avatar
    Nina Brown

    Great update
    I’ve been on Losartin for 15 years. It works and it’s gentle (I hope),,, here I am in Ames Iowa doing puzzles, watching LA Law and living the life! Living in an apt is kinda weird as far as people are concerned. It’s an apartment on the main street in Old Town Ames…the Mecca of activity…shops and restaurants. Mostly grad students living here but there are 4 or 5 of us over 40. Perfect for me…youngin’s are friendly for the most part…riding in the elevator with us they are always courteous like they would be with grandparents. All,of a sudden I am witnessing Mr social which weirds me out after 45 years together. I’m sure he’s liked more than I am and for that I’m grateful!

    1. Oh that is good to hear about the Losartin. We were specifically looking for something that was helpful for kidneys which I am sure you understand.
      I think spending time even in little bursts with people that are not in your age group, whether older or younger is helpful for perspective. I am glad Mr. Social seems to be enjoying it!
      Also apartment living has HUGE perks!! NO LAWN maintenance being #1

  3. Susan Joos Avatar
    Susan Joos

    Started a comment, got a message, and the comment blew away!

    I need to get brave and change up my BP meds I think. Even dropping some pounds hasn’t made a dent in my BP, which is still high/normal (more on the high side most of the time). I see my doc in a couple of weeks. Maybe I should ask him about that one. If I put it in my phone…otherwise will never remember.

    That is amazing that you are in such good shape! I was slowly building back with Silver Sneakers but Covid wipes out my ability to restart at the same level, going by the last time, so slow it is!

    I go through phases with my ability to deal with people. I am glad that I can deal with peopling better on the whole, but it will always be an effort for me, even if I enjoy it. I need a lot of down time to have the batteries for it.

    Glad you enjoy the game! I get too intense about games for them to be enjoyable for me. I don’t like feeling so competitive, and I always eventually get there.

  4. It is so difficult to change BP meds! No one wants to feel their heart pounding out of their chest. But….if it is high you are doing damage to your arteries. Veins? Something.
    I am very good about being out among people and being friendly and talkative and chatty but I pay a price. I do not think I am really me when I do that. It is like putting on a performance, which is exhausting after awhile.
    I am borderline competitive I love to win, but I love to play, the strategy, the highs, even the lows are enjoyable to me. Mahjong is nice because it can be a very quiet intense game or it can be chatty.

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