Ole joyful's thankful, these days

14 years ago

It was a year ago last Sunday that a pain awoke me early and I found that I could take a slight sip of air without pain, then there was a little pain as I breathed in a little more air, which increased until I couldn't stand it.

En route to the living room to lay plans ... first things, first, I visited the bathroom ... and found that as I stood or sat, there was no pain.

Called nurse on 800 number, who suggested (my choice) that I call 911, and when I demurred, recommended highly that I go to ER. They took blood, X-ray, etc., told me that they'd found something in my blood, gave me a shot, told me that if I cut myself I'd bleed more than normally.

Being a fiercely frugal fella, I'd parked in a shopping mall nearby, rather than by the hospital (expensive).

I'd arived at ER just before 11, had been shown to a cubicle about 2 and it was about 7 when I'd received the shot and been released.

I had some discomfort if I took more than shallow breaths, so was walking rather slowly and figured, that since I had a bit of travel ahead and no jacket, with it being a bit chilly in late September, that I was in for a rather slow, chilly progress.

About 300 feet from the door of the hospital, I took a slightly deeper breath and there was a bit of a click in my lung, then I could breathe more deeply and without discomfort.

I have had no trouble breathing since and have not found any reduction in the things that I can do from before I got that clot in the lung. If it's in the brain, they call it a stroke, and in the heart, a heart attack.

I gave myself shots for a few days and started on Warfarin (rat poison), which I've been continuing on the same level for several months, so I guess they have the dosage stabilized.

When I spoke of it here at the time, I said that I understood that if I were on it for under 5 years that I didn't start looking like a rat ... and one of the denizens of the KT reported that her Dad had been on it for many years ... and that she hadn't heard of any tail sprouting, as of that time (don't know about since).

Anyway - this old fart is a really happy and thankful man to have got through that scrape so unscathed.

Visited doc last week: everything seems fine (so far as I can recall ... but the memory isn't what it used to be). Blood pressure 110/70, so that pleases him ... and me, through him.

Doc said that he's to retire in 2013... and a few minutes later, in 2014 ... so I asked whether he was sure that he knew what he was about.

Next time I think that I'll have to ask which it is ... as I figure that I'd better plan on dying first. When he asks the reason for that, I'll tell him that he knows how hard it is to find a doc, these days ... and one wouldn't want to be without one (as millions of Canadians are).

Doing the happy dance, these days, I'm just ...

... ole joyfuelled

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Comments (13)

ivamae
14 years ago
Yes, you are very lucky and you have done very well, except you scared some of us plenty when we thought you were doing too much.

I'm on rat poison, too, and I think I have been on it for about five years or so. I'm still not walking on all fours.

Did the wide elastic help you at all for your other challenges??

all the best
minnie_tx
14 years ago
Doing the happy dance, these days, I'm just ...

... ole joyfuelled

We are lining up to do the Happy dance with you !!!
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Did you note the concern of the $3.50 parking fee when visiting a specialist? That was my only cost. In doing my friend's income tax, who was on income supplement, she had paid less than $60.00 for somewhere in the neighbourhood of a couple of dozen prescriptions, last year. ole joyful
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Actually, when you have to have a 4-year-licensed driver sitting beside you ... and can't drive on the freeway ... and not between midnight and 5 a.m. either ... ... somehow, one gets the feeling that one has arrived at one's second childhood! ole joyful
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Just spent part of the afternoon arranging with stockbroker to make a gift of stocks that have gone up in value to a major charity, to distribute to a number of others. When I cash the stock, put the proceeds in the bank and write cheques to the charities, come tax time I have to deduct the purchase price from the sale price and pay income tax at regular rate on half of the difference. But when I donate them to a charity, I avoid paying income tax on the capital gain. For the past couple of years I've been able to avoid federal income tax ... largely by gifts to charities, churches and making political contributions. We had both federal and provincial elections last year, so larger political contributions, and larger charitable contributions, helped avoid tax on an increase in income, last year. I like them apples better! ole joyful.
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Actually, I do have more than enough pairs for one to be available for each day of the week ... I think there may even be enough to have an unholy/unholey one for each day of the week. I was getting into a rather undesirable situation, as I like to keep a few pair on hand that don't need extra help to stay where they're supposed to, for times when I'm dressing in a hurry, and there were getting to be too few of them. Perhaps you're right - that I should have bought more, as they were a buck 99 each, if I recall correctly. By the way ... why is it that comparable clothing, and personal care services and products for women are so much more expensive? The lace in one of my shoes has been broken for a time and the current length is so short that it makes it rather tough to get it tied. They had dozens of shoelaces of every colour and length and of various styles, but most were two to a pack, and there were no 24", for 3/4 eyelet shoes, and I was able to find only one pair of the 27" ones, which the lady let me take out for 50 cents (99 cents for the two-pack) - plus tax, of course. So I should be able to function comfortably for a while. ole joyful
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sooey
14 years ago
Glad to read that you are feeling better. Keep up the good work and save some cheese for the rest of us...:)

Sooey
cynic
14 years ago
Joyful... or is it Oy-ful? Don't they validate there?

One difference I note, you can't leave a hospital here without someone else with you. They're too worried about liability releasing someone, especially on medication or something. You aren't even allowed to take a taxi, which I think is garbage... Oops, can't say that around here, well, I guess I think it's stupid. If the idea is you're not supposed to drive, I can understand that, especially if on medications. But no cabs? Get real.

Glad you're back on your foots OJ and glad you can lie down on occasion too.
joyfulguy
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks for the good wishes ...

... and the happy dancing, everyone.

Iva mae ...

... haven't made use of it, yet, but it looks promising. Hope to, prior to Sunday, so I can give you a report ... though I think that the prospect of a demonstration is rather doubtful.

ole joyful
Georgysmom
14 years ago
That visual of you doing the happy dance brings a smile.
socks
14 years ago
Wonderful, but the story of your leaving the hospital was a little scary. It was a long, horrible day at the hospital, wasn't it? But good thing you went and we're all dancin' to hear you're doing well.

Cynic, I agree about the taxi thing. Some people just don't have someone to take them and need to use a taxi.
roco0101
14 years ago
You are such an inspiraton. Just do what's right and what the doc's say. That does NOT include banging your head on a brick wall.

Hang in there and keep us posted.
petaloid
14 years ago
Happy you got through your health crisis and are continuing to do well.
Make sure you keep on with your checkups.
glenda_al
14 years ago
You are a special KT person!!!
User
14 years ago
OJ, you had a clot in your lung and they gave you a shot to release the clot? All this happened in one day?
jel48
14 years ago
Good for you, Ole Joyful! I can hardly believe it's been a year already. I'm glad to hear everything is going so well.
joyfulguy
Original Author
14 years ago
I'd picked some tomatoes, feeling that whatever didn't appear at the churches that day were totally shot, and dropped them off along with things that I'd made ready on Sat at the second just as the choir was ready to process up the aisle at 10:30.

Actually, I could have signed in at the ER and gone back, as it was nearly 2 when they got me into a cubicle, but I'd had little discomfort during the wait.

Had an interview, then took a blood test and had an X-ray later and I was having a comfortable time while these procedures were going on. The nurse came to say that they'd found something in my blood, were going to give me a shot, and that if I cut myself that night I'd bleed more than usual. Shortly after that, around 7:00, they released me and as I was walking I had a bit of discomfort if I took a deeper breath. I had a little under a quarter of a mile to walk to the car and the evening was rather chilly, so I thought that it would be a chilly process, as I hadn't brought a jacket ... but when I got about 300 feet from the door, I took a bit of a deper breath and there was a bit of a click or something in my chest, then I could take a deeper breath, so was able to walk to the car more easily and quickly than I'd expected.

From then, or just after that, I was able to carry on life mostly as before, though I was rather careful of what I did for some time, keeping watch for any difficulties. Still do, actually, though rather routinely so.

ole joyful

Ole joyful's thankful, these days

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ivamae

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