Thursday, February 12, 2009

Catching up

Well...my last post was "Later Tuesday"....I should have done another one, "Even Later"....as the excitement happened just before I went to bed.

Sandy went upstairs to get ready for bed. I was watching the dog show...and got up to start shutting things down. Bubbles was on the recliner so I didn't want to disturb her...so I got up off the end of the recliner, instead of putting the foot section down.

I do this all the time, so I really didn't think much about it. However, I did feel funny when I stood up...and I broke out in a sweat over my entire body. I turned down the thermostat and went into the kitchen, (noting that I was getting "tunnel vision") and got another bottle of G2 out of the fridge to take upstairs. I shut off the stove light and thought, "I'm not going to make it to set the alarm system."

I made it to a chair and started hollering "Help!" to Sandy...it took her three times of hearing me say "Sandy, HELP!" before it dawned on her that I needed help. She came and got me up and into the bathroom, immediately diagnosing that my blood pressure had dropped and I was having a vagal response....good thing she got me onto the toilet. She put a cold, wet cloth on my neck and kept my head down. This worked almost immediately...avoiding a total black0ut.

After that she helped me upstairs....I was VERY WOOZY and as soon as I got into bed I felt SO much better! When I had to get up in the middle of the night, I dutifully remembered to sit on the edge of the bed and count to 10 and then stand up and count to 10...worked like a charm!

I was thinking it was overkill for Sandy to call out FMLA to stay home with me Tuesday night...I didn't feel the same after this incident! Good thing Jean wasn't with me....she's no good in situations like this!

Avastin causes blood pressure problems...and my blood pressure has been up for awhile now...as if I needed further proof that I'm getting the avastin. I guess now it's dropping instead of staying up. So, I just have to be careful.

Sandy took me to get my bloodwork done in the AM. I was still shaky but did okay. Afterwards we went to Wendy's and I got a single meal...I didn't eat the whole thing, but felt sick by the time we got home. I went back up to bed and slept for all afternoon. That was after being up for only about 3 hours...just to show you how tired I am!

Lynne called in the afternoon and we had a nice chat. She and David are flying to Mexico this weekend and will be back next Saturday.....I'm envious of them being in a warm clime....but I wouldn't have the energy to sit on the plane right now!

Jean came up last night to stay with me and brought some of her fabulous mashed potatoes and some nice pieces of haddock, which Sandy baked up with bread crumbs and seasoning. We added fresh spinach and VOILA! a great meal...which I will have again tonight as leftovers. YUM!

Watched the Huskies (both teams) last night, shuttling back and forth between the channels. I am so upset that the BIG EAST scheduled the men's and women's teams to play at (or close to) the same time at least three times this year! CPTV hates it too...they don't get the same number of callers as they do when the games are on different days....times.

So, both teams did it...the men were great against Syracuse, a team that is one of their great rivals. The women had a bit of a tough time against St. John's, who are really improving year after year.

I made it up and out of the recliner last night, uneventfully....I even made it up the stairs by myself!

My neti pot arrived yesterday. It's a sinus lavage kit that my doctor recommended for my bloody noses...and it arrived not a moment too soon! This AM the bloody nose started again. So, I got out the neti pot, stirred in the salt and the solution and tried it. You are supposed to stick the pot up your nose, getting a firm seal....tilt your head and pour the solution into your nose...letting it drain out the other nostril. Of course, this doesn't work for MY nose....which, due to being broken and cracked so many times is not very straight, despite the surgery I had years ago for this. So, I can't get a tight seal...the solution went in, and came out, the same side on the left....and on the right, it seemed like it went to some cavity located right behind my right eye...and collected there!

Now it feels better that I did the lavage...but it took a lot of blowing solution and other stuff out of my nose! YUCK! But I guess that means it worked to some degree....it will take a lot of nerve for me to try it again....

So, today I can eat a bit more than bland....my bowels are behaving better. I'm still tired, so I can already predict an afternoon nap is in the offing....

I just hope all this is behind me by Saturday...Sandy and I are going to Essex in the early AM for the annual bald eagle count on the CT River. I have been doing this for about four years now and don't want to miss it...especially since Heidi is in Florida with her mother who is in the hospital...so Heidi won't be making it.

Dawn is going to meet us down there, as she does every year and after the count we will be getting something to eat....probably at that place we like near the bridge at the Opera House. I will have to wear my mask as I will be in that stage again, so we'll probably end up lunching in the car.

I hope we see lots of eagles! Last month they had no sightings....lately there have been a bunch of birds out there.

Just a note, the governor wants everyone who has hit 55 and is in Tier 1 to retire by March 31st...which means a lot of my pals may be joining me in retirement! Maybe we can get some golfing in....or kayaking, or both! I feel for my buddies who AREN'T 55 yet and who will miss out on this opportunity...one they have been anticipating for so long! I was very lucky...being able to go when I did...at the age that I did....it's all been wonderful for me...and I hope for the same for them!

Okay...I'm caught up....no more excitement...just naps and good, healthy food.

I'll start with a couple of squares of that Newman's Own Dark Chocolate I have stashed in the pantry!

2 comments:

Marieps said...

Oh my lord! Soooo glad that Sandy is there with you! Boy, you started out doing not too bad with the chemo but now it's really kicking your butt!

Well, hope you feel better for the eagle watch. And I hear we'll miss you for AC's party.

Go Huskies!

Ann Miller said...

Maria,

I'm not going to AC's party because I will be at the UConn Notre Dame game with Jack and the Camp Husky gang...including Marie and Don!

We're going out for dinner and to the game...Ann Marie is going to pick me up and take me there.