Yes, it’s me! I’m still here kicking the can down the road. I’m still alive. Hooray! Go me! This month has been filled with a lot of doctor appointments. K drives me everywhere now. So much has changed for us because of my health. K carries a heavy load of responsibility to care for the both of us and he does A GREAT JOB!
Years ago we discovered that my ascending aorta was slightly dilated. It’s been a “wait and watch” sort of medical issue. That was back in 2010, give or take a few years. Now, it’s gotten to the point where I had to see a specialist cardiologist who deals with surgical interventions of Aorta Aneurysms. We knew what the doctor was going to say before we even went to the appointment. However, knowing what the doctor will say and actually “hearing” it, puts the fact of knowing that I’m not a surgical candidate and there’s nothing they can do for the aneurysm, has a finality to it. But you know what? I’ve heard that before about a lot of my health issues. No big deal. I can deal with this. Sure, my heart skips a lot and I have an aneurysm… that kinda sound bad, right?… my primary cardiologist feels that my cardiac problems are NOT life-threatening. A big WHEW! I’ll take that answer.
I’ve slowed way down and that’s ok! I can still make dinner and clean the kitchen most nights. So, *thumbs UP* I’m up to 8LPM of oxygen 24/7 and still use my Bipap when I sleep or if I need to power up during the daytime. In fact, I’ll be going to my pulmonologist next and then to a “special” pulmonologist after that. K and I are going to see if I would benefit more using a Trilogy machine instead of just the basic Bipap. (NOTE: if you own one of these machines, there has been a recall for certain ones. Find out more here.) A Trilogy machine is basically one step under a ventilator but one step above a Bipap machine.
Our long vacations are over. I just use too much oxygen and my health is too precarious to risk a long vacation. Our vacations were usually about 10 days which also allowed me time to rest when we got where we were going. It is just too much for me now. However!!!! K surprised me the other day and told me he was secretly arranging a trip up to see my family! I’m so excited! It’s a 3 hour drive and I’m pretty sure I can handle that. We’ll be taking my pups with us.
Unfortunately, I won’t be able to get my 2nd covid booster shot before we go. I’m a little nervous about that but my family have all received their shots. So, I’ll be as safe as I can be while there.
It’s getting really stinkin’ hot here. I think we totally bypassed Spring and jumped right into Summer. We’ve already hit 99 degrees. So, let’s stay safe out there. Carry water with you if you have to go outside. Be well! =o)
Living On O2 for Life 