Stress Test

Monday started off with sleep from 2 am until 4 am. Not good. At 7:30 I got up to prepare to leave at 8:30 for a 9:30 am stress test. With no sleep and no food, I was not in a good space. I become hangry, anxious, fog brained, and not happy at all. I am a bit whiny and sad. Somehow, I have become accustomed to sleep and food. Going without either changes my personality.

Of course, Tommy drove me and managed not to frighten me too many times. The person who brought a wheelchair to me and pushed me in was a joy. She was not impatient with me. She locked the wheels without attitude and assisted me with the footrests. 

The placing of the little sticky things for some sort of lines to measure something...lol...were put on me. Why do things have to be so cold? 

Of course, the real problem for this trip was going to be getting a needle into a vein to inject the solution.  The crook of my arm is the only place that does not leave me in pain. He stuck me three times before getting a vein. And, that time was in the back of my hand, a place that hurts so I cannot bear it. 

Finally, he got the line into my hand. He got it into the vein. A miracle. Then, I needed a recovery room! Finally, it was time for the stress test. Of course, it was in a machine and very stressful. It was nice there was a "pillow" for my head. They finished attaching all the leads. Finally, I could not keep my hands on my stomach. They wanted my arms by my side. I could not do that for ten minutes and then seven more. So, I asked them to strap me down. 

The tech had been standing there, seemingly thinking. When I asked to be strapped down, she looked relieved and quickly strapped me with a wide strap already in place. They knew how nervous I was, so I imagine she did not know how to broach the subject of restraints...lol. 

My mask slipped so it was in my eye and she was very ugly about getting the mask adjusted! She threatened to take me out of the machine. Threats don't work with me! My eye still hurts from the corner of the mask in my eye.

It felt like someone was sitting on my chest. It was horrible. I felt as if I had walked a block very quickly. The guy told me they would give a Coke with sugar to help me recover. Really? Medical people want me to drink sugar and caffeine. Well, this joint is improving. 

When I was planning on what to take with me, I decided some chicken might be better for me than the crackers and drink I thought I would get. So, I stuck a chicken breast in a plastic bag and took it with me. When I got to the coke, I popped it and drank some and one cracker while Tommy was getting out my chicken. I ripped a piece off and encouraged him to eat, too. He just gnawed/bit his off. We still brought part of it home.

When the guy came back in, he mentioned crackers, I said chicken. He was puzzled, so I showed him a piece of broiled chicken breast in a napkin. He was surprised.

The guy told me there was nothing dangerous, so I would hear from the doctor in 3-5 days. So, now I wait. I have heard of people who went straight to the hospital for stints or bypass surgery. So, I am hoping for the best since there is no immediate danger. 

We stopped for a small McD cheeseburger, plain. I could have made it home, but this was for Tommy so he would not be dangerous on the road. 

At home, I went straight to the bathroom and then to bed. I said nothing more to Tommy. He understood as I have gone from car to bed before. After a short, short nap, I did not feel rested. 

Well, that might not be very interesting! It is over. No doctor will touch me until I get the heart in shape. For that care, I am grateful. 

There is more, but you are probably grateful that i am stopping. I am tired and stressed.

Have you ever had a chemical stress test? How did it go? 

Friday and Dressing

 Wednesday night, I received an email from my attorney that upset me so that I did not even mention it to Tommy as I wanted to sleep and go to Cullman on Thursday. I hoped by not discussing it endlessly, I would not disrupt my sleep. No luck. Plus, Tommy would have endless questions for which I did not know the answer. In the middle of the night, I emailed for him to call me.

Finally, about 6 am, my mind gave up and I slept until about 12:15. I carried my phone to the bathroom, everywhere, not wanting to miss the call. It made my day miserable. Still, I did not want to be more  upset, so I did not tell Tommy. 

About 4:30 I called the attorney. Well, he came to the phone immediately. I asked him if he got my email. He had tried to call me and got the message that my phone was not receiving calls. Since a doctor's office, a nurse, and various people tell me this happens, I suppose I have to approach the cell phone company to see what is the matter. 

As it turned out, the email was not a bad thing, just annoying. So, I explained to Tommy as I understood it and he did not have one question. I wasted a night's peace because of nothing. 

I am continuing with the Thanksgiving food made early. I got a box of SS, cornbread. I made it with the intention of freezing it if it were okay. It is not. The cornbread SS is way too salty and the herbs and spices are not to my liking. I suppose I tried it long ago and never bought it again. 

Maybe I will bake a pan of cornbread, crumble and freeze it to make later. We will see. But this box was a big fat fail. Other flavors of Stovetop Stuffing have always been fine. 

Going off DST had really played havoc with our schedules--when we can shop. About 2:30, I told Tommy I needed bananas. He wants to watch Jeopardy from 3-4 pm, so I asked if 4 pm was okay. It was. So, we just made a grocery list. I tell him what and he writes it. 

All I wanted was bananas, but it took him almost an hour and he came back with 2 packages of Ocean Spray whole cranberries from the produce section. I did not want two and not even one now. I always write down all I want and then look at the list and see which store is cheaper. He thought I definitely wanted two, when I was just writing the price. One will do and if it is cheaper in the next 6 weeks, I can buy more. It's okay. 

We then stopped at Walgreen's to get a prescription I need in the morning. There were only two people in the car line, but it took forever. Usually, there are at least six cars. 

We did not get home until almost pitch dark. There was the faintest bit of light at 5:30. This will only get worse until Dec 22. This depresses me greatly.

A story on the news reported that research showed that meditation/mindfulness is as good as medication for depression or almost as good. Well, that is what my swing was for. That is what sitting facing trees and flowers was for. That is what my chickens in the yard did for me. It was peaceful and green. Plus, birds in the trees and squirrels scampering helped meditation. I miss my swing. I miss my yard. And, for a long time, I have missed chickens. I have never been diagnosed with depression, but I suppose anyone can be depressed. 

Today, I staggered into the kitchen, put my scrambled eggs into the microwave, and opened the dishwasher to get a fork. I stood there, a little stunned and confused. Where could all the forks, all the other utensils have gone? Tommy had put them all in the drawer. I thanked him profusely. He had said he hated getting out one utensil, much less all of them. When I told him how the utensil holder would come out, he started emptying them. He is just now learning what most people have known for years. I never expect him to do any emptying of the dishwasher. 

We are expecting Friday to be a rainy day, so we will be inside, hopefully decluttering or something productive. How about you on Veteran's Day Friday? 

Do you have a proven de-stressor for your life?

Is the lack of sun playing havoc with your plans? 

Do you stuff the bird or make a pan of dressing? Do you make cornbread or loaf bread dressing?