Nothing's Easy

6:33

6:41

8:47

Well, it's 6:50, and I am happy to be home, sitting on my couch, listening to a podcast, as the sun fills the living room with light. I won't be kayaking, alas, until next Wednesday as I have to take it easy for the next week.  It's 9:10, Evie's just gotten up, lucky gal, and I have been for a walk and sat out on the dock, ready for the day to begin.  

A Nurse Determined To Save My Friendship Bracelet (made by my granddaughter)

The past two days could best be defined as waiting.  We went into Cleveland on Tuesday afternoon and checked into a Comfort Inn.  That was a good choice.  The next morning, Wednesday, I went to the Cleveland Clinic at 8:30 and was prepped by 10:00 for a Radial Coronary Catheterization, basically a test to see if your arteries are blocked.  I did not get into the lab until 11:00, no big deal. I was put under, a dye was injected into my veins, and images were taken of arteries.  I woke a half-hour later to the good news that I was fine, no blockages.  I stayed in a recovery room for a couple of hours and was able to go back to our motel by 3:00. We had to decide whether we should drive back to the lake or stay one more night and decided it made more sense to stay which turned out to be a good choice.

Evie picked up dinner at Bob Evans, across the street from our Comfort Inn and I had pot roast with mashed potatoes which tasted good.  We were watching the news when I began to experience pain in my back and chest.  It seemed to get only worst so we made the decision to go back to the hospital to the Emergency Room at 9:30.  I was there until 2:00 and after various tests which showed that my heart and arteries seemed to be fine, no clots or bleeding,  they sent me up to a room for the night, just to keep an eye on me.  After a restless night, I woke up to no pain and was ready to head home.  Unfortunately, I could not leave until I was released by the attending physician who would not be arriving until 1:00, and my cardiologist who could not get to the hospital until 6:00 Thursday evening.  So I basically spent the day in a hospital bed waiting for both to sign a paper releasing me to go home. The nurses were wonderful, the attending doctor abrupt and dismissive. 

 I left with no explanation for the pain other than a few guesses, either muscular or gastrointestinal, neither of which could be proven.  We had reserved the hotel for the night but decided to head home despite the hour.  Evie drove and we were more than happy to be home by 9:15.  Ultimately, it was good news, no blockages, but still, quite a bit of storm and stress before we could head home,   Because of the puncture wound in my wrist I am limited to what I can do for seven days.  So no kayaking, no lifting of anything more than 3 to 5 pounds for a week.  Other than that, I have no restrictions.  

I have to say, I could have kissed the ground when we drove in our parking area.  Although it had only been two days, it seemed like a week because of the waiting for this and that, the scare of the unexplained pain, and finally a release.  I celebrated with ice cream and bananas with chocolate sauce before going up to bed.  And so it goes.