Sunshine and blue sky

Finally, a nice day!  Blue sky.  Sunshine.  Light breeze. Temps in the 40s.  What's not to like?

Well, unfortunately, the results of my last doctor visit.  When my symptoms weren't getting any better, a friend alerted me that a LOT of them are adverse side effects of metoprolol (lopressor)** that I have been taking for control of PVCs for over 10 years. I went to a cardiologist and he was peeved that I'd been on the drug for so long without ever having my heart re-evaluated or the dosage re-considered.  He took me off immediately and will set me up with a 7-14 day heart monitor to see if I should ever have BEEN put on the drug in the first place.

Side effects that were listed that I had: numbness, tingling, bluish fingers and toes, dizziness, mood changes, hair loss, sleep disturbances (insomnia, uncomfortable/vivid dreams), vision problems, easy bruising or bleeding.  And this is only part of the side effect list. (Notice that a lot of my symptoms had led me to believe I had a thyroid problem.  Well, I don't, thank goodness.)

Well, okay, we'll see how withdrawal goes.  Lopressor can mask low blood sugar/ fast heart rate. ( I'm already seeing the latter as my heart keeps pounding in my chest (95+) so I'm sure I've had many instances of masked low blood sugar - because all the OTHER symptoms I had WERE listed on the hypoglycemia page of wiki....!)  ** later note - due to rapid rate I'm back on the lopressor (1/4 tab per day) to help me step down with a little less drama **

As if that weren't enough *good* news - he took a look a the report from the neck MRI that I INSISTED the hospital take while I had been admitted.  ("Stiff neck?  Total left side numbness?  You want any MRI?  Nah, you don't need it...")

My GP brushed the results off as 'typical age related stuff'.  But the cardiologist told me that I had SEVERE degenerative disc disease (DDD) and it was nothing to brush off.  So much so that he is sending me to the Neuro & Spine Institute at the hospital for evaluation and possible further MRI (for the lower spine).  I didn't question my GP and had not the cardiologist alerted/warned me I would have tackled all those heavy lifting, shoving, climbing, dragging spring garden chores that have been put off due to the long-lasting winter this year.  I could easily have ruptured a disc - or worse.

So, yeah, there is stuff not to like.  I can't get into the spine clinic until April 17th.  Until then, I'm just going to have to get help with the gardens until I get this sorted out - like how much bending,  stooping, crawling, and otherwise gardening (and household repair: moving appliances, the 'fridge, turning mattresses, etc.) am I safe to do?  What exercises or drugs can help?  Yada yada yada.....

Ah well.  At least the sun IS shining.  Just wish I could feel free to go outside and play like I normally would.   As for the rest of you - get out there and enjoy the weather.  Looks like it's finally spring!

Happy Easter, all.

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**Why in the he!! do ALL doctors tell you to bring in a list of your Rxs and supplements, and then they DON'T EVEN LOOK AT IT!!   Every ONE of them.  ESPECIALLY the one who PUT ME ON IT.  This could have been addressed 8 mos ago when I first complained of all these growing symptoms.  So, for advice, KNOW YOUR MEDs and the SIDE EFFECTS.  It could save you thousands and thousands of $$ in ineffective and useless medical bills!  @$#!!

Vernal 'Virgil' vigil

All was clear when I went to bed last night.  Then sneaky spring storm Virgil came in - no noise, no wind, no rattling of the windows.  Just dropping a whopping big smothering blanket of heavy snow (note the collapsed rhody leaning against the front arbor - that thing just has no spine whatsoever *sigh*).

Looks like almost 6" of dense snow. My little snowblower won't dent this stuff, so I've given a shout-out to friend Craig and his snow blade for help. We're expecting another 3-4" of snow today, too. Hope I don't have to go anywhere....  Even the birds shouldn't expect a seed reload any time soon.  Sorry.

For another example of unseasonal Ohio weather - here's a pic from LAST March 19th's post.

It was in the 70s & 80s during a freaky 2-week span of early summer.

Then freezing temps in April hit and lots of these beauties were set back or killed off outright.

I've said it before and I'll say it again:

Ohio weather - not for wimps!

My FAVorite 'spring green'

You call this SPRING?  The nights have been near teens, the days barely get UP to freezing, and it's been snowing off and on ever since I can remember, with most of next week with the same forecast.  LAST year this time we were SWELTERING in 80 degree weather (which later bit us bad - too many things sprouted and bloomed and were frozen out in April).

So instead of even thinking about outside chores (thank goodness, I'm really not able to do that stuff right now), I spend more time in the kitchen.  I'm rolling spelt tortillas, baking soda bread, and still having lots of fun with kefir.  It's practically magic.  They multiply like bunnies.  I've had to throw away cups of these things.  I wish I could grown money like this!

While there is nothing really green outside in the gardens or deep in the folds of my wallet, my FAVORITE spring green is baa-aaack.

Country Cones (just a stone's throw down the street) is open for Spring (albeit abbreviated hours due to the harsh cold weather).  So I stopped after my post office run and brought home the first (*sigh* of many) cartons of hand-packed ice cream.  Here's my very favorite --

KEY LIME PIE ice cream.  It's just loaded with chewy keylime pie custard and lots of graham cracker crust.  Sweet & tangy and totally addictive.

*mmmmmmmm*  You can keep your vernal equinox.  I'll take the opening of the ice cream stand to mark the season any time.  Happy Spring!



P.S.  And should there be a slip betwixt the spoon and the lip - cleaning up will be a breeze.  Check out my new kitchen toy (<= here).

Good news ... and bad news

A beautiful mind?

Picked up the MRI results today (report and pics).

Goods news!

"No acute intracranial abnormality. Normal study for the patient's age."

Now I KNOW that is a 'weasel-y' statement.  Nothing 'acute' but no mention of anything 'subtle', and I'm getting tired of hearing 'for the patient's age.'  I mean, if they saw these pics for a forty-year-old would they equally non-committal?  How much of an older person's maladies are brushed off as 'age related'.  Sure, something like hair loss maybe.  But we're talking about my brain here.  Could you be a little more specific please?  (Trust me, these questions will be banked for that mythical follow-up appt with the neurologist-- in mid April!)  Grrr

Bad news.

Seems the good news had plenty of left-handed news, huh?  *heh*  Bottom line, apparently I've just been knocked back to square one regarding my daily headaches, light-headedness, and persistent random body numbness & tingling.  And will someone finally listen to me about that sudden weight loss 18 months ago that I cannot for the life of me get back?  No matter how much I eat, if I slack up on the calories I lose more weight.  Why is that of no concern to the medical profession? Has our society become so focused, so obsessed, so neurotic about obesity and over-weight, that not being able to GAIN weight doesn't even REGISTER with them?  Heck, one medico even said how LUCKY I was to lose weight so easily.  Can you believe that?

Maybe my brain is too big for for my head?

Yes, I'm venting. Sorry.  But it is my blog and I have to vent SOMEwhere! See - the VENT part of my brain must be lit up here.  *snark*

Yes, yes, I hear you out there.  And, YES, I AM TERRIFICALLY PLEASED that there isn't anything broken, burst, or growing in my brain.   I'm truly blessed.  Really, I am.

So, according to our beloved medical profession, no stroke, no heart attack, no heart problems, no abdominal aortic anurism, no plaque in carotids, equal blood pressure in arms and legs, good glucose test, all requested blood tests are normal, thyroid panel is good, left arm/leg nerve function is fine, no heavy metals (lead, mercury, arsenic), and no bacterial infections found.  And, when I question about MS, it's dismissed out-of-hand with "...you're too old."  Yet my sensation symptoms seem to indicate otherwise, though no one will pursue it.  To them - I'm healthy as a horse.

Except that for the past 18 mos I cannot gain weight and that for the past 6 months parts of me go numb at any time coupled with my ever-present headache, vision changes, and frequent light-headedness.  Yeah, sure.  Other than that - fit as a fiddle.  Not.

Since I won't see the neurologist until 4 weeks from now (April 12), it looks like I'm left twisting in the wind by myself - again.  Strange though, the bills keep coming in regularly. 

Paging Dr. House.....  Dr. House?  Where are you?

Thinking positive thoughts

Copy from web - NOT me in the pic

Saturday was grey and gloomy without even a hint of sun or sky.

Still, there was no wind or rain, so it wasn't too bad.

Around 2:00 I went to the hospital and had 2 MRI brain scans; one without contrast dye, one with.

I hadn't had an MRI before and when you see them on medical TV shows, it does look just like this: the sliding platform, the big round machine, the fancy headgear...

What they NEVER show, or indicate, however, is the freaking NOISE that machine makes!  Even with the soft earplugs they gave me and them tucking soft foam next to my ears, the machine is head banging to say the least.

It was like having my head stuffed into a machine gun.  With *pops* and *bangs* and, the worst, *poink poink poink*.  Sheesh.  On top of that the machine chugs and vibrates.  Ever been on a plane or bus and some kid behind you KICKED THE SEAT repeatedly for 500 miles?  Yep.  It was THAT kind of trip.  By the time it was over I knew EXACTLY what an unbalanced load of whites feel like in a chugging wash machine.  I was practically vibrating when I was rolled out.  Thankfully it didn't last more than 15-18 minutes, I think.  And even with the helmet, I never felt claustrophobic inside.  There was plenty of light coming in from the (both open) ends and most of the time I had my eyes closed anyway.

I've not heard any results yet.  Can you believe it?  After all these blood tests, then the EMG and now the 2 MRIs, I don't have a follow-up appointment with the neurologist until the MIDDLE OF APRIL!?!? I won't know ANY of the test results until then?  I sure hope there's nothing GROWING in my head or anything.   I just cannot beLIEVE how I'm left twisting in the wind about these test results.

I understand I can go down to the hospital and request both a copy of the neurologist's report AND they can burn me a CD of the brain scans.  I'm all for that - for all the good it will do me.  *sigh*  Anyway, I've got a smart-guy pal who wonders if they even FOUND something between my ears.  Ha! I'll show HIM! (...hopefully... :-D)

Faith and b'gora - Happy Patty's Day

Today dawned bright and cold again.  And noisy.  The house next door is getting new shingles and those guys show up before sunrise!

No prob.  I'd been up early because I had an EMG test at the NeuroCare clinic.

THAT was  *fun*.

They wired up my left arm (elbow to hand) and leg (knee to toe) and sent electrical current through me.  WOW!  Talk about gettin' yer twitch on.  I did NOT enjoy that.  So much so that the next step - poking with a pin - was a piece of cake in comparison.  Total time for the test?  Around 15 minutes.  Fortunately the doctor was just hilarious.  A middle-European gentleman who had the same accent as Gru from "Despicable Me".  "Ve done now wit de shocking und shjerking.  Now we do de poking und pinching."   And at the end, "Now de vipes - to remove de toxic gel."   Honestly, who could worry about the slight pains when you're so busy laughing?

Tests showed only a little carpal tunnel ("...teeny tiny, ve don't even tell anybody...").  Otherwise what he tested all showed normal.  Well, that's something.  Tomorrow - 2 flavors of MRI brain scans.  Oh.... gooooody.  *sigh*

Meanwhile, if you're looking for more Irish green - check out the basement GREENs.

If you're looking for some Irish grub - check out the latest BAKING post.

Otherwise -- though a little early - Happy St. Patty's Day. 

Rain, wind, snow, deer - it's all here

Yesterday temps hovered in the low 50s and it sprinkled all day.  Serious rain came last night and there was 3/4" in the rain gauge this morning.  That was good for the grass seed and HollyTone fertilizer.

But last night saw the !!deer!! come back and tear off heavy netting from the yews.  I've protected those yews all winter and now I'm losing them after all.

Right now there's episodes of wet snow and the temps are around freezing - and for the next few days.

Yesterday I met with a neurologist.  How gratifying that he turned out to be blessed with good listening skills!  For almost 45 minutes he listened, made notes, asked questions, discussed my opinions then did a few balance & sensitivity tests.  I felt very comfortable with him and was heartened that he immediately formulated a logical game plan and started scheduling tests.  This morning I headed out for the first test - bloodwork.  Oh my, that was a lot of tubes to fill.

Good thing I've got some good re-hydration ready on hand because (humming an old tune) Someone's in the kitchen with kefir...  (And no, I don't mean Sutherland. *heh*)

Check out the latest HERE.

Lovely Daylight Saving time Sunday

As I type this, it is over 63F outside!  The sun is warm, though high clouds keep it from being too warm.  I was out in my shirtsleeves for a couple of hours.  I hadn't planned on doing anything worthwhile, but I couldn't miss just sitting on the deck and enjoying the day.

And, as we all know, that sitting down thing still hasn't taken!  So I did a few clean-uppy things:

Pulled up landscape fabric strips from around the fence and stump beds.  That experiment failed miserably and only ended up looking ratty.

Pulled out all the dead kale and parsley plants and recovered all the torn netting (!!deer!!).

Cut off all the dead asparagus ferns from last year as well as the big mess made by the flattened (!!deer!!) tall boneset clump.

Cut back the Nishiki willow and H. F. Young (blue) clematis.  I see the new clematis (Henryi - white) that I overwintered in the large pot (previously occupied by the H. F. Young) has a few buds so hopefully there's good roots down in the pot.

We're supposed to get up to an inch of rain tomorrow and then snow and cold after Tuesday, so to take advantage of the precip, I crawled around and spread HollyTone around all the Canadian hemlocks (14) and the (only 4 now !!deer!!) rhodys.

Also decided it was a good time to overseed the lawn between the gum tree and arbor bed.  The drought really did a job on that area last year.

I know I dinked around some more - just to be outside on such a gorgeous day.  Besides, I needed to distract myself.  I'm still plagued with a lot of numbness, headaches and light-headedness.  Tomorrow I have an appointment with a neurological group and will press for a MRI first and foremost.  With these symptoms, I'm fearful of the results. :-(  Please keep your fingers crossed for me.

Saturn-ails-ya?

Not so much!

Winter storm Saturn crept in last night - no fanfare to wake me up - no wind, no sleet rattling against the window flashing.  Nope - just a quiet fall of very pretty snow (3-4" max).

And talk about considerate!  Look at the driveway - since we'd just had 2 sunny days, the warmth from the blacktop didn't allow any accumulation.


Now that's MY kind of storm.

Meanwhile, I've been a busy girl in the kitchen for the last week.

For those of you who don't visit the Chef's Table page (top of right sidebar), I've been experimenting with water kefir.  Two (actually 3) batches so far and I'm hooked! (click the links for pics, etc.)

Kefir 1
Kefir 2
Kefir 3
Kefir 4