If a cat could have a favorite day of the year, Trick or treat day would be Toby's. I set my old rickety baby gate up in front of the storm door. That way when kids come, I can open the door to hand out candy, and the gate will prevent Toby from trying to sneak out the opening. Since he quickly figures out that he can't walk right out, he'll put his front paws on the top of the gate as if to stand tall to look over it. The kids immediately respond and want to pet him which he adores. It doesn't take him long to figure out how this trick or treat thing works. Kids come, get candy, pet cat, and off they go. Within the first ten minutes, Toby is meowing at the sight of kids walking up to the house; they don't have to ring the doorbell, he's already let me know someone has come.
After the first hour, Toby is struggling with a tough decision. To nap or not to nap.... As to all cats, nap time is extremely important but the thought of missing out on the curiosity of these kids coming to the door it too much to allow a nap. He decides not to nap but he can bearly keep his eyes open. He's a trooper though, he stayed at the door for almost the entire two hours. He finally pooped out 10 minutes before the end of the two-hour limit. He almost made it all the way through.
I bet he sleeps good tonight.
Jeff had angioplasty yesterday. It's been a tortuous time since last Wednesday. It all started when Jeff went to see his cardiologist. He told the doctor that he wasn't feeling the greatest. After the doctor's inquisition, he decided to schedule Jeff for a cardiac cath, angioplasty, and a probable stent to clear the blockage he's been living with for the last year. The news was somewhat surprising and yet a relief since the old blockage will finally be fixed.
After the cardiology visit, Jeff headed to the arrhythmia specialist for his yearly exam. The nurse was alarmed after a quick check of his heart. It turns out that Jeff also has atrial fibrillation. His heart is erratic which probably better explains his symptoms than the blockage. With a consultation between the two doctors, it was determined that Jeff will go to the hospital this Friday, he can't wait until next week.
We check in Friday morning and go through the usual pre-procedure check-up. It turns out that Jeff hasn't been off some of his medication long enough to do the procedure without real complication so it's rescheduled for Monday. Here he spent his time emotionally prepping for today and he has to wait. The disappointment is weighing heavily on both of us, moreso on him for sure. We tried to spend the day occupying our time with fun things but the weight of the situation wasn't making it easy.
Monday came and we were packed and ready to go. Hopefully there are no complications this time. We checked in to St. Luke's first thing in the morning and Jeff went through all the pre-procedure examinations including a heart ultrasound. By the time he actually headed out for the cath, it was after noon. Time went on extremely slowly which was OK since it was a sign that the doctors could actually perform the angioplasty. Last year when Jeff was catheterized the team couldn't get to the blockage so he was back from the procedure pretty quickly. The nurse came back to the cath lab to tell me that angioplasty was completed and a stent was placed in one of Jeff's arteries. This meant he wouldn't be returning to the lab, but instead he was admitted to a room somewhere else in the hospital. The nurse took me to his room around 4 pm.
Jeff was happy that it was all over and relieved that the blockage was corrected. All the monitors hooked up to him still proved out the atrial fibrillation, like a little black cloud hanging around. The nurses kicked me out at 6 so they could pull out the catheter lines that were still in his groin. This part of the cath requires constant pressure on the incision for half an hour until they are sure it stops bleeding. During this process his heart rate dropped to 36 beats per minute. Immediately, a team rushed in and atropine was administered. His heart rate raced up to 12o then settled to a regular rhythm. Unfortunately, the process of putting pressure on the wound cut off his blood circulation a little too much.
Jeff was exhausted after the whole incident. Jen and Matt were there as well so we hung out and chatted while Jeff slept. They left around 8 and I went home a little after 9. It was a tough day but it was over and things could only get better now.
I got to the hospital first thing this morning. He was excited at the news that he could go home. The cardiologist's new PA came in and decided he needed an ultrasound; she didn't like something she heard when listening at the wound site. Jeff was pretty antsy after that. We sat around for the next 4 hours still waiting for the ultrasound. His anticipation was turning into anger so he got to the point where he just told them forget it, he wants to go home, there will be no ultrasound. I'm certain I was no help; I told him that I had a dentist appointment at 3 so if we didn't go soon, he would have to wait until after 4 when I was done with the dentist.
So we left with a new batch of prescriptions and instructions in tow. I headed to the dentist then the pharmacy. There are so many medications, I can't keep up. I just hope he can. Hopefully this will be the beginning of recovery, although the atrial fibrillation is still an issue. In a few weeks we will be back to the arrhythmia specialist and hopefully things will be better.
After the cardiology visit, Jeff headed to the arrhythmia specialist for his yearly exam. The nurse was alarmed after a quick check of his heart. It turns out that Jeff also has atrial fibrillation. His heart is erratic which probably better explains his symptoms than the blockage. With a consultation between the two doctors, it was determined that Jeff will go to the hospital this Friday, he can't wait until next week.
We check in Friday morning and go through the usual pre-procedure check-up. It turns out that Jeff hasn't been off some of his medication long enough to do the procedure without real complication so it's rescheduled for Monday. Here he spent his time emotionally prepping for today and he has to wait. The disappointment is weighing heavily on both of us, moreso on him for sure. We tried to spend the day occupying our time with fun things but the weight of the situation wasn't making it easy.
Monday came and we were packed and ready to go. Hopefully there are no complications this time. We checked in to St. Luke's first thing in the morning and Jeff went through all the pre-procedure examinations including a heart ultrasound. By the time he actually headed out for the cath, it was after noon. Time went on extremely slowly which was OK since it was a sign that the doctors could actually perform the angioplasty. Last year when Jeff was catheterized the team couldn't get to the blockage so he was back from the procedure pretty quickly. The nurse came back to the cath lab to tell me that angioplasty was completed and a stent was placed in one of Jeff's arteries. This meant he wouldn't be returning to the lab, but instead he was admitted to a room somewhere else in the hospital. The nurse took me to his room around 4 pm.
Jeff was happy that it was all over and relieved that the blockage was corrected. All the monitors hooked up to him still proved out the atrial fibrillation, like a little black cloud hanging around. The nurses kicked me out at 6 so they could pull out the catheter lines that were still in his groin. This part of the cath requires constant pressure on the incision for half an hour until they are sure it stops bleeding. During this process his heart rate dropped to 36 beats per minute. Immediately, a team rushed in and atropine was administered. His heart rate raced up to 12o then settled to a regular rhythm. Unfortunately, the process of putting pressure on the wound cut off his blood circulation a little too much.
Jeff was exhausted after the whole incident. Jen and Matt were there as well so we hung out and chatted while Jeff slept. They left around 8 and I went home a little after 9. It was a tough day but it was over and things could only get better now.
I got to the hospital first thing this morning. He was excited at the news that he could go home. The cardiologist's new PA came in and decided he needed an ultrasound; she didn't like something she heard when listening at the wound site. Jeff was pretty antsy after that. We sat around for the next 4 hours still waiting for the ultrasound. His anticipation was turning into anger so he got to the point where he just told them forget it, he wants to go home, there will be no ultrasound. I'm certain I was no help; I told him that I had a dentist appointment at 3 so if we didn't go soon, he would have to wait until after 4 when I was done with the dentist.
So we left with a new batch of prescriptions and instructions in tow. I headed to the dentist then the pharmacy. There are so many medications, I can't keep up. I just hope he can. Hopefully this will be the beginning of recovery, although the atrial fibrillation is still an issue. In a few weeks we will be back to the arrhythmia specialist and hopefully things will be better.
Yesterday Jeff went to the cardiologist and the arrhythmia specialist. I decided not to go this time. Sometimes I think I interfere with the visits. The docs will ask pointed questions and I will chime in when he doesn't answer as honestly as I think he should. He wanted me to attend but I made an appointment to donate blood around the same time and I didn't have the energy to totally re-arrange my day to acommodate him. Besides, it was just his quarterly follow-up so it should be uneventful, maybe a prescription dosage change or two. With the many medications he takes, I don't really keep up with it all anyway so there was no need for me to go with him.
Then he calls just as I am heading down to my donor appointment. His cardiologist decided that it was time for him to have angioplasty. A year ago when this 70% blockage was found, the doctors determined that it was in a place where the vein was too delicate to chance blowing it out with a stent placement. Besides that, his veins were twisted and turned to where getting to it was troublesome. The plan was to treat him with medication. The strange coincidence is that this blockage is where his original heart attack occurred so that part of the heart is damaged and doesn't work well so the blockage isn't creating great stress on the heart. Apparently two wrongs can make a right. So we have a trip to the cath lab in store for us sometime next week.
It seems that my absence from the visit was a good thing. Jeff told him how tired he's been and that he hasn't been feeling well. He even told the doc he's been having shortness of breath, which he never told me. He's never been so forthright with the doctors in the past when I go along. I wonder if he was trying to protect me from his problems. It wouldn't surprise me if that's what he was doing since he is constantly apologizing to me for being so much trouble. From now on I think I will stay out of the doctor's office.
I went to donate the pint of blood and hung out with some of my co-workers afterward. When I got back to my desk, Jeff's message was frantic. I called him back immediately; the arrhythmia visit didn't go so well, Jeff has atrial fibrillation which means he could easily end up with blood clots so the doctor wants him on coumadin as soon as possible. The angioplasty is moved up to the day after tomorrow because he can't start on the drug until after the procedure. With little time to digest all the information from earlier this morning, this news is a little much to bear.
From now on I will go to the doctor's visits anyway.
Then he calls just as I am heading down to my donor appointment. His cardiologist decided that it was time for him to have angioplasty. A year ago when this 70% blockage was found, the doctors determined that it was in a place where the vein was too delicate to chance blowing it out with a stent placement. Besides that, his veins were twisted and turned to where getting to it was troublesome. The plan was to treat him with medication. The strange coincidence is that this blockage is where his original heart attack occurred so that part of the heart is damaged and doesn't work well so the blockage isn't creating great stress on the heart. Apparently two wrongs can make a right. So we have a trip to the cath lab in store for us sometime next week.
It seems that my absence from the visit was a good thing. Jeff told him how tired he's been and that he hasn't been feeling well. He even told the doc he's been having shortness of breath, which he never told me. He's never been so forthright with the doctors in the past when I go along. I wonder if he was trying to protect me from his problems. It wouldn't surprise me if that's what he was doing since he is constantly apologizing to me for being so much trouble. From now on I think I will stay out of the doctor's office.
I went to donate the pint of blood and hung out with some of my co-workers afterward. When I got back to my desk, Jeff's message was frantic. I called him back immediately; the arrhythmia visit didn't go so well, Jeff has atrial fibrillation which means he could easily end up with blood clots so the doctor wants him on coumadin as soon as possible. The angioplasty is moved up to the day after tomorrow because he can't start on the drug until after the procedure. With little time to digest all the information from earlier this morning, this news is a little much to bear.
From now on I will go to the doctor's visits anyway.
The to-do list got one shorter today. BJ and I did the Pewaukee Triathlon. I've been training for a long time and through the experience I learned alot about how I really should have trained. I took the swimming for granted. I did go to the pool and swim laps, lots of laps thinking that I was ready since I could swim in the pool twice as far as the race required. I did not anticipate how different it would be in a lake. The waves and the other swimmers were two major factors. All I worked on was the endurance. For a moment, I thought I was going to drown before I would get to the end. The resistance of the waves made a quarter-mile lake swim tougher than a three-quarter mile pool swim. Lesson learned.
Changing out of my swimsuit was a little challenging since there were no changing rooms. So I just stood in the middle of the parking lot wrapped in a towel and removed my suit. I needed to be comfortable to finish this race and I was not going to do it in a wet swimsuit.
The biking was easy for the most part, I've never had a problem with it except that I don't like doing it. I headed out on my bike while eating a granola bar, easing my way down the road. As soon as I turned the corner out of the chute, I hit a big hill. Right off the bat, I started to feel tired. I actually thought 'forget this-just turn around and quit'. But once the granola bar was gone and I could concentrate on my riding and it was going well. The countryside was pretty and the area was hilly but nothing really major, just at the beginning. That is, until mile 13 when my chain decided to jump off the sprocket making it extremely difficult to climb the next hill. And the next hill was a doozy. I heard some people discussing it before the triathlon started, the comments were to pace yourself to be ready for the big hill at mile 14. So amazingly, I climbed it stuck in a low gear thinking how glad I was that I never had to leave my clips through the whole ride.
Running is my thing. I am not fast, I like a nice and easy pace. So I completed the run without mental or physical anguish. I did feel a tightness in my calves from biking, but I stretched my calves while running on the hills.
I'm not certain of my time, but I hope I was close to the 2 hour 15 minute mark. My goal was originally under 2 hours, but the swim really did me in. This was definitely a fantastic experience but I'm not so sure I would do it again. So for now, I'll just stratch the triathlon of my life time achievement list.
Changing out of my swimsuit was a little challenging since there were no changing rooms. So I just stood in the middle of the parking lot wrapped in a towel and removed my suit. I needed to be comfortable to finish this race and I was not going to do it in a wet swimsuit.
The biking was easy for the most part, I've never had a problem with it except that I don't like doing it. I headed out on my bike while eating a granola bar, easing my way down the road. As soon as I turned the corner out of the chute, I hit a big hill. Right off the bat, I started to feel tired. I actually thought 'forget this-just turn around and quit'. But once the granola bar was gone and I could concentrate on my riding and it was going well. The countryside was pretty and the area was hilly but nothing really major, just at the beginning. That is, until mile 13 when my chain decided to jump off the sprocket making it extremely difficult to climb the next hill. And the next hill was a doozy. I heard some people discussing it before the triathlon started, the comments were to pace yourself to be ready for the big hill at mile 14. So amazingly, I climbed it stuck in a low gear thinking how glad I was that I never had to leave my clips through the whole ride.
Running is my thing. I am not fast, I like a nice and easy pace. So I completed the run without mental or physical anguish. I did feel a tightness in my calves from biking, but I stretched my calves while running on the hills.
I'm not certain of my time, but I hope I was close to the 2 hour 15 minute mark. My goal was originally under 2 hours, but the swim really did me in. This was definitely a fantastic experience but I'm not so sure I would do it again. So for now, I'll just stratch the triathlon of my life time achievement list.
Having off yesterday for the 4th of July holiday and for the rest of the week, my usual run is interrupted. I really like running the lakefront downtown, but when I'm off work I'm not driving downtown just for that. So my path goes around my neighborhood and through an industrial park just on the other side of the main street that separates my subdivision from the factories. The benefits of the industrial park include a flat, well-paved road, little traffic, and the knowledge of exactly the number of miles from one end to the other.
I headed out this morning in my usual way, iPod in check, sweatband to hold back the short ends of my hair, and that's about it. I got through the neighborhood uninterrupted since it was 7AM. The only traffic I had to deal with were the employees heading into the parking lots of the factories, but since it was a little after 7, that was rare. There were a few semi-trucks heading out which seemed to suck the air out of my path as they passed by. The sun was getting hot and I was glad I got out of the house to get this done early.
I had run a half mile through the neighborhood and had a mile and a half done through the industrial park when I came across this tiny little pile of fur. I've run past road-kill before and even though it is difficult to look at, I usually view the dead creature and say a little prayer for the animal (yes, I believe that even the vermin road-kill do not deserve to die at the hands of man in this way). This time was so different. I looked down at the little pile of fur and it moved! By this point, I was one step passed the fur-ball so I had to stop in my tracks and look back. These sad little green eyes were staring up at me. I bent down to get a good look and this tiny little kitten was covered in grass clippings, leaning against the curb for support. It could barely walk from what I could tell.
I stood there in disbelief. What do I do? I had nothing with me to handle a little creature. I instantly thought to myself just leave it there and go get help. I memorized the spot in the road where I left the little critter and headed home. I never ran a mile so fast and never has a mile been so long in my entire running career. I whimpered all the way home, mind racing, I had it all planned out by the time I got to my front door. I ran into the house, grabbed Toby's kitty carrier, an old beach towel from the laundry room, and the car keys. In tears, I only stopped long enough to tell Jeff I had to go back and get an abandoned kitten.
I drove back to the spot where I found the kitty praying that it was still there and that no one had run over it. I grabbed the beach towel and walked towards the kitten. As soon as I bent down it tried to run. Weakly it only took three steps before it stopped. I threw the towel over it and pick it up wrapping it in the towel. The little thing squealed and showed me it's claws. It was a fighter. I gently put the towel and kitten the the cat carrier and headed home. By this time I was bawling uncontrollably. I tried to compose myself before I got into the house. I thought Jeff and his sister would think I was crazy.
The moment I left Jeff thought we were keeping another cat. What he didn't know until he saw it was that this little guy was too small to keep; it needed the kind of care I knew I couldn't give it. (Not that I didn't think about keeping it.) I know a few people who work for the Humane Society so I didn't have any qualms about calling them for help. I knew this little creature would be in good hands there. The woman who answered the phone explained that all animals in this situation must go through animal control. She could sense the stress in my voice and she explained that after they take it in, they will give it the care it needs then send it to the shelter for adoption. I felt relieved and called animal control. They explained the same thing to me and gave me three options for turning the little guy in. They could send a truck (I could picture the little thing riding in a truck all day), I could take it to my local police department (same thing, I envisioned it sitting there all day till someone got to it), or I could drive it over to 38th & Burnham and drop it off. I chose the latter of the three.
I put the kitten in the car but not before taking his picture. When I got to animal control I felt instant relief. The place looked new, clean, and inviting. The pleasant woman behind the counter said that she would come around and take a look. She reached into the cat carrier and took out the little kitten by the scruff of the neck. She inspected it, lifted its tail and announced that it was a little girl. I instantly had this crazy thought that I wanted to name her Abby (like some sort of shortened version of abandoned). Like I said, crazy. The woman placed the kitten in one of her cages and proceeded to ask me questions to complete her paperwork. My name, address for verification that I'm a Milwaukee County resident, and the location where I found the kitten. As I told my story of how I found her I started with the sobbing again. Uncontrollably, I just balled as I tried to say 'How could someone do something this terrible?' The police officer who sat next to the desk clerk behind the counter was struggling to keep her composure; apparently I was having an emotional effect on her as well.
The clerk explained that their veterinarian would look the little girl over to make sure she's OK, then they would keep her there for a week in case someone would claim her as lost (fat chance), then she would be sent to a shelter for adoption. She thanked me and I left. I finally regained my composure as I pulled into my driveway. Jeff reassured me that I was a hero. He knew I was traumatized and he tried to make me feel better. He told me that God put that kitten there just when I was going by because he knew I would be the one to do the right thing. So it was all good. So why don't I feel good about it? I just feel sad that it happened in the first place.
I wish I would have petted her before I left.
I just don't think I will ever think of this as heroic.
I've been running on the lakefront every morning and there are definitely constants that I see every day:
There are two women walking a dog.
A bus will cut me off.
There is this blackbird that always dives at my pony tail.
I will always have to stop on Lake Drive and Michigan.
The ducks look headless in the water as they bob for food.
There is puke in front of The Swinging Door so I have to watch my step.
There are two women walking a dog.
A bus will cut me off.
There is this blackbird that always dives at my pony tail.
I will always have to stop on Lake Drive and Michigan.
The ducks look headless in the water as they bob for food.
There is puke in front of The Swinging Door so I have to watch my step.
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