I have been quite content sitting here at Mist Cottage, enjoying reading my books, researching my book, writing my book, baking, purging unused household items, looking out the windows at the weather, setting up the new refurbished iMac, the list goes on!
Perhaps I have become just a little too comfortable here at home.
Yesterday I had an appointment for my EHCO heart test, in the nearby city. Parking was my concern, and I spent the whole day worrying about it. Of course, I could set aside that worry, but it was there, sour and tangy, at the back of my mind, no matter what I distracted myself with. I called the Clinic, and they advised me that I best use the metered parking spaces in the nearby neighbourhood. I checked Google Earth and made sure I knew how to navigate around the area. But still, worry nagged at me. Then I realized that I had but one loonie, and one toonie. If a meter ate my change, I would not have enough money to pay for the needed parking. Things can go wrong with parking meters, past experience tells me. So I decided to get myself dressed, and visit the local convenience store to obtain more coinage. I purchased garbage stickers, which we would probably buy there anyway, and asked for loonies in change. She couldn’t manage many, just two, and a toonie. I had my fingers crossed that I had enough change get me through the parking situation. Even with the area researched, and now funded, I found myself s to driving myself to the city, parking, and attending my appointment.
I set off for my appointment as a gentle snow began to fall. Environment Canada stated that the Road Conditions for the route were dry and bare. Ha! A wet road, with muddy brown accumulations of snow obscuring the centre line and the edges of the road, blowing snow and the odd ice patch were waiting for me, but at least there was daylight. I was lucky enough to arrive near the clinic just after my appointed time, and actually find a metered parking spot that was relatively easy to get into. Parallel parking with bifocals is a nightmare. The sidewalks were slushy and slippery for the one block walk back to the Clinic, the wind was bitter cold. I was only slightly late. The drive home in the dark after the ECHO was even worse, with blinding headlights obscuring what little of the lane boundaries that were still visible below the snow driven across the road by a strong wind. Three times I found myself with my passenger side tires biting the gravel on the side of the pavement. People were not slowing down due to the weather conditions, and several vehicles impatiently passed me, as I was travelling at the speed limit, which was scary enough. I was glad to arrive home safely, and Attila was very glad to see me.
My blood pressure was high when the technician read it at the Clinic, just after my arrival. I wasn’t surprised!
I guess I have become somewhat housebound. It isn’t cabin fever, that is an unpleasantness of a constant kind. This experience is just a mild, temporary dread of going to the city for a medical appointment. Perhaps the first experience of using street parking and meters, in that city, will allow the situation to feel more familiar, and thus more comfortable. My next appointment, later this week, is in the morning, no night driving. Future appointments in the city will be scheduled for daytime travelling!
We are getting quite the winter storm at the moment, I do not envy Attila’s commute home today! I will be waiting for him, with a nice hot dinner.
I am totally resistant to going out for walk in the storm!
Worldly Distractions
Weather
WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT
WIND WARNING IN EFFECT
-4°C
Date: 7:00 AM EST Tuesday 10 January 2017
Condition: Mostly Cloudy
Pressure: 102.9 kPa
Tendency: Falling
Temperature: -3.6°C
Dew point: -8.7°C
Humidity: 68%
Wind: S 29 gust 41 km/h
Wind Chill: -11
Visibility: 24 km
Quote
“Household tasks are easier and quicker when they are done by somebody else.”
James Thorpe
1888 – 1953
Sounds like you did very well, especially given the weather and being on your own.
With all the tests I was going through, I don’t know what I would have done without DH helping me. Sometimes it felt like my head would explode with having so many appointments. There’s no doubt I prefer a much simpler life!
The weather is frightful here today. We gained some 4-6 inches of snow overnight but now it’s raining on top of that.
Sending best wishes for your test results.
I have become completely housebound now. Just navigating from the house down to the post box is a big challenge with my wonky legs/back/hips so whenever possible, I get the big-guy to pick up our mail. Going out into the world is a non-starter for me. Do you remember that time when Paul took me to The Fort for a walk around that lovely place, and it took me forever to accomplish it? That was the last time I was off this hill. Sounds pretty pathetic but I actually don’t mind at all. The world is so scary lately that I feel much safer here at CC than anywhere else! I remember doing those doctors’ visits, one after the other, and I do not miss those one little bit!
Teri, I don’t envy you all those appointments! Particularly if you weren’t feeling 100%. I hope your life returns to good health and peace very soon.
I expect good test results, mostly because the nuclear stress test came back OK. Fingers crossed.
The weather here is frightful! The only saving grace to the high winds and driving snow is that the temperature is not all that low, so it isnt robbing all the heat out of the house. Attila says the winds will gust to 90 km/hr tonight, yikes!
Bex, being housebound is quite a comfortable experience, I don’t wonder you are content in your beautiful home with your loving fella and furry companion! I have to admit I am less and less likely to venture forth alone these days, but since Attila can’t take time off to accompany during office hours, I have to take myself. I have my fingers crossed that we get a Family Doctor in town at some point, so that I don’t have drive to the city for every single appointment. I don’t think they will be doing these tests again any time soon, or at least I hope not!
P.S. IF you wanted to go for an outing with Paul, a wheelchair could be a comfortable option. When I was pregnant with Terra I couldn’t stand for any length of time, and was told by the doctors to use a wheelchair, I think I could get used to that, as long as there was someone around willing to push it where I wanted to go!
That’s the best thing, no more real tests for me now. I did the ECHO cardiogram that you did because my bundle branch block stopped the doctors from seeing what my heart was doing. So they did the ECHO to see at what points in the bundle markings my heart was doing what function.
And then there was the ultrasound and CT scans for clots. Which I ended up having 2. So taking blood thinners for that, especially before surgery. And they put a filter in to catch any clots that might let loose during surgery. I *hope* to get the filter out next week. Fingers crossed they can remove it because I don’t like having it there.
But once that is (hopefully) out, then everything is almost over. Maybe just a few more weeks of blood thinners and I can go back to normal – maybe with blood thinners as pills so I don’t have anymore clot problems.
Wow Teri, you have been through it! Blood clots are scary, glad to hear the doctors are on top of it. You will really appreciate you health when it gets back on track!
I too find myself stressing at the thought of upcoming appointments of any kind in the city. If I could get away without ever going to a city again, I think I would!
Maggie, I’ve been tussling with quite the Pandora’s Box the last month or two, but I’m determined to wrestle that lid closed and finally get back to a normal life.
Kate, I feel the same way! I think I wouldn’t mind too much if I had a chauffeur, nothing like a bit of company to take the edge off a visit to the city. I loved Toronto when I lived there, and might still, but that love was based on a familiar enighbourhood, with an accepting and nurturing social network surrounding me. The cities I now visit are just large places with lots of shopping, and health care facilities, both full of strangers.
Teri, may your road to recovery be smooth and brief!
Thanks, Maggie!