Today's walk was along the corniche where it was just under 100 degrees at 8:22 a.m.
I was accompanied by some of the kitties that live along this stretch of the seafront. They are cared for by volunteers, fed daily, and many of them have been spade/neutered.
The humidity thankfully isn't as bad in the morning as it is late afternoon.
Part of the reason I really want to get back to walking as much as I can is because there's been way too much staying home and sitting since the pandemic began. I got my second dose of Oxford on Tuesday so am glad to finally be done with that.
The other reason is that on August 18th, I started having a very strange feeling in my chest which took me by surprise. With heart disease on my dad's side of the family, I've always hoped my lifestyle changes have kept me from having the same heart issues as him and my aunts and uncles The arrhythmia was very unsettling so my husband contacted his childhood friend who is a doctor and he suggested an ECG and blood test to check my thyroid function. After results from one of the government hospitals didn't show anything out of the ordinary, I was referred to a cardiologist who requested more specific blood tests, another ECG, a 24-hour holter monitor and a stress test.
Ultimately, it was determined that I should manage my stress (in my case, that means not watching the news) and limit my caffeine (I gave up coffee for 10 days and now have switched to decaf). He also said no smoking but that's easy since I don't smoke. :)
The doctor said I should not think about it. He feels that the erratic heartbeats will stop with time. I have noticed some improvement since they first started, but the irregular pounding is still there.
I'm trying not to think about it.
Slow down and enjoy the simple things in life.
Take time to be still and breathe.
6 comments:
Dearest Tammy,
So glad that you walked early morning.
For us here it now remains under 33°C, so that helps when biking.
Glad that some of the kitties have been spayed and neutered; a MUST for avoiding more suffering in the future for many litters.
Yes, staying away from the news is crucial nowadays with the massive brainwashing going on. Too much negativity and it has resulted already in way too many suicides. Those responsible for this kind of mainstream media, have blood on their hands.
But there are far more kind people that perform good things; never in the news though.
Therefore, citizen journalism like your blog also is, is even more crucial now than ever before.
As for our heart health, it is also very important to leave all negativity 'alone'... that also includes toxic people. Took me years to abandon all that and to focus on a smaller but more important personal circle.
Coffee I've abandoned except one demitasse for breakfast and that's it for the entire day. It made me way too hyper and kept me awake till 4:00 AM. So that really works. If the Decaf is good; I doubt it. There are others that claim it is even worse than regular.
Sure, genetics cannot completely be suppressed by lifestyle, but it sure helps.
I'll never forget that when Pieter went to see his heart surgeon for his checkup. The surgeon told Pieter that he probably was the ONLY patient that actually followed up on his advice by changing lifestyle, diet and stress related things. Pieter never ever has been obese but we both did eat different before that time.
Pieter bikes almost daily and even loves to run errands by bike. He just left by car as the items today would be way too heavy for stuffing inside his two pannier bags on the bike, containing each 9 liter capacity.
I'm mighty proud of him for being so determined and my Pieter also shuts the TV off by 8:30 PM and reads an interesting book on his Nook reader.
We only can pray for a better world and try to do the very best in our immediate circle.
Hugs,
Mariette
Bless their little hearts! I'm so glad that volunteers care for them.
I get my second dose of the Oxford Astra-Zeneca in early October. Can't wait!
I do hope your heart issue resolves. You are doing everything right. You will have more visits with the Cardiologist as a follow up?
Yes, the news can certainly get me worked up too so I rarely watch it anymore. I get upset enough when I see stuff on Social Media. I once gave up coffee for 6 years and drank a lot of green tea as it's full of antioxidants. Somehow, I ended up back on the coffee and would consider myself a coffee addict. I know I drink too much of it. With heart issues on my Dad's side, it may be time for me to consider easing way back on the coffee too.
As always, I love your pics!
Take care and be safe,
Serena xx
It looks so hot there. I know you'll be glad to see winter come your way.
Glad to hear your heart tests turned out OK and that it's "just" stress. A friend of mine went through the same thing last year with the same results. It's scary though. I never watch the news on TV, but I see top news stories on my phone; sometimes I read it, sometimes I don't. I can't handle much bad news (anxiety!), so I avoid it as much as possible. As for coffee, unfortunately I had to give it up recently, too. Not only does it sometimes make my heart race, but it now goes right through me. My mom and her sister can't drink it anymore either for the same reasons. I hate decaf coffee, so I don't even bother. I drink tea now; just one small glass of cold green tea on these hot summer mornings. Whenever we go out to eat for lunch, sometimes I'll have a glass of black iced tea. In the colder months, I'll switch to hot tea.
The early walk was a good idea--the photo of the shade under the arched walk (I don't know what to call it) is a beautiful shot--good choice! I'm glad you went to the dr--stress does some crazy things to you. I have to limit my news exposure, too. Offering fear and hopelessness is their forte and it is not good for us! My dr prescribed it last year for me and it helps a lot! Take care!
Such wonderful blessings the volunteers are to those sweet kitties. My heart would break seeing so many abandoned. I'm very happy you're walking again. Good for you! I know I should too but not only are the hills a major deterent when the temperature is so high, our neighborhood is not the best. Our three little streets are wonderful with people who have lived here 35+ years, but overall the area is very gang-infested. It's such a shock after the beautiful area we lived in in Washington. But, we needed to be close to Mom so here we are. Maybe we'll be able to make a difference. Who knows?
I'm sorry to hear about your heart issues but very, very happy they didn't find anything serious. It's amazing the things that anxiety can do to your body. I'm a major worrier and over the last year I've thanked God many times for leading the neurologist to prescribe what he did for my back. Not only did it help my back, but it made my anxiety all but disappear and with all of the horrible events recently, I've been very, very thankful. God is so good.
Take care my deaar friend and I will be keeping you in my prayers. I'm so glad you have your vaccination. It give so much peace of mind doesn't it? With the Delta virus, we're back to avoiding going out much but since I'm a homebody, that's okay with me.
Blessings,
Betsy
Oh my goodness, Tammy. Heart arrhythmia is nothing to mess with, so I am glad you are taking your doctor's advice. The physical things (watching news, drinking coffee) - those are easy to change. Changing how your mind works and what it thinks about is a much longer journey. Thinking of you and wishing you the best!
Post a Comment