Friday's Cardiologist Visit

That will be fun! Do they live far away?

@AmbiePam That is about how far my oldest daughter is away. It's hard and not good to try to do in one day. No time to visit and very tiring! And it is just far enough to not be able to do very often with work and a family or other obligations! Enjoy your visit!!

@kareng Three hours away.

Yes! That is the first time since I had my stroke in 2017 that it has been normal for some time.

@LadyDuck He reduced the one I take that can also cause some swelling, which is much better than taking a diuretic!! I'm happy with that decision for sure!

@kareng I understand how much important it is for you to keep it monitored, as you already suffered a stroke.

I just put up a little review on Texas Roadhouse. I think I may have stated the wrong restaurant above. Going to check on that!!

@kareng ......Did you do that on Yelp or ?

@kareng ......Okay.

@wolfgirl569 It does! My old PA used to tell me to always walk as much as you can. I miss that lady. She was a good friend also. Then she retired and a year or so later my doctor retired also.

That's good!! I know mine will get better as activity is much higher in the summer also!

@kareng I do think the walking has helped a lot

Oh yay, you get your charm bracelet today! My husband had one in 2015 and I had one in 2017 after the big flood in Louisiana and I discovered that my only brother had been stealing money from our mother and lying about all kinds of things. He pretty much ruined her and went through all the money my father had saved up for her to live on for the rest of her life. We have both had a good recovery, although I took that as my sign to retire from my work life. I had worked full time since I was 21 in State Government and within the retirement timeline so I took it so that I would be free to help with grandchildren when needed.

@1creekgirl I think I also had 27 years! What a coincidence!! I loved my job until they moved us all to brand new building and housed all the institutes in one building. It didn't work out the way they thought it would, as the professors were all competing for same grant money and it wasn't the big family they thought it would be. My mother passed away in 2021. She came to live with me in 2019 when she was released from the hospital. I got a phone call to please come and pick her up because my brother was not answering his phone. My brother and his girlfriend had done their best to turn my mother against me and she had no cholce but to come home with me. She had basically wigged out while staying with my brother and he had to call EMS to come and get her. He said she was trying to climb off a balcony and was fighting him. She ended up being diagnosed many months later after she came to my house and numerous doctor appoints with ALZ with psycosis. It was very hard dealing with her as she imagined things and thought they were real. She often thought there was a man in the woods that was drowning in the pond. This is land that is behind us and leased to deer hunters. It is not an area to go waling around in. I can't count the times I had to restrain her and get her back in the house because she had to go help the man. She would fight me, get mad because I wouldn't go help, etc. It was all a nightmare. Then Covid hit and I had to take her to ER for possible UTI infection and evaluation. They admitted her because her blood pressure was high. The doctor called me the next day and asked me how did I take care of her alone at my house. I told her it wasn't easy and that I was worn out; but you do what you have to do! Apparently, she had kept the hospital staff pretty busy all night long. It was recommended that she go to a nursing home for awhile for rehab for her to try to regain some strength, but she had no interest in trying. And of course, no choice in what nursing home to go to during Covid and the one she got sent to was horrible. Sorry for the ramble.

@kareng You can ramble all you want! I know that was a rough and stressful two years. You were laying up treasures in heaven.

@arunima25 They really are!!

His whole family is great and have wonderful personalities.

@kareng Nice to know . Sounds like a great family.

Yes, it is like going from abnormal to normal. Blood pressure has never been this good since I have my stroke in 2017.

I was also surprised he didn't freak out with my swollen ankles. He said they were not bad at all. My primary doctor makes a bid deal out of it.

@kaylachan I don't like taking diuretics and so far have been able to avoid that. Yesterday, he told me that one of my blood pressure pills will cause swelling and he adjusted that medication to 1 x a day instead of 2. I think that will certainly help! The primary harps on me taking fluid pill. Nope, not gonna happen.

@kareng My doctors pick the most random things to focus on, too.

You are right on that! And not many doctors have those traits anymore either.

My husband made a comment last night that he didn't get many comments from him. I told him because ya'll went back and forth talking about boats and other stuff!! His blood pressure was high, but that is normal for him. The cardiologist is the only doctor my husband sees that knows this is his normal. He is on a LOT of blood pressure medicine, and got a new one swapped out last year that has helped keep it level better. His top number gets close to 200 every now and then and was over 200 when he had his stroke. So all other doctors freak out when his blood pressure is 164/76.

@kareng Lol! Men do get excited talking about boats and other stuff with their friends. Glad he’s doing better!

@DianneN At one point, I was thinking, "Hey, I'm the friend of the family here, not you!!"

I knew that I would use him if I ever needed a Cardiologist when his mother told me one day that he missed Thanksgiving dinner with the family because a patient of his had a heart attack and he rushed to the hospital. You don't find too many that dedicated anymore!

@kareng It seems more about the money nowadays.

@JudyEv You nailed it!!

That is always nice to get paid!! Enjoy your weekend!

@Deepizzaguy Good deal!!!

@kareng I will do my best to enjoy my weekend.

Yes, much better than taking as much as I was taking! I still have to take 3 different blood pressure pills but we are going to half the dosage.

I'm so glad that you will get to visit him this week! And that you are finally feeling better! It's been about 3 weeks now since you have gotten to visit him?

@LindaOHio Only two more days!

@kareng Yes, it will be 2-1/2 weeks since I saw him last!!!

I know you will enjoy that cold air this summer!

We pretty much had to get something as my hubby's blood sugar was low after eating breakfast and a small hamburger on the way to the doctor's office. I will be glad when he gets adjusted to his new insulin.

Yes, so nice for a change!!

Yes it is. I was very happy to get off of some of this medicine!